Axe historique

The Champs Élysées was created in the 17th century. It has been extended westwards through the Avenue de la Grande Armée, and the Avenue Charles De Gaulle, to the skyscraper complex in La Défense, commissioned in the 1950s.

The axis is in total 10 kilometres long, from La Bastille to La Défense. For travellers who want to complete the whole itinerary, a bicycle or a scooter would be useful. Most of the landmarks are within the 4.5 kilometres between Hôtel de Ville and Place Charles de Gaulle; walkable within 1-2 hours, depending on pace.
Metro Line 1 follows the whole axis from the Bastille to La Défense.
While the route can be done by car, sightseeing by car in Paris is discouraged.
See the district articles for complete information on the following attractions:

4th arrondissement

The 4th arrondissement contains many of Paris' oldest buildings. As there is not much left to see of la Bastille, the Hôtel de Ville is a good place to start.

• la BastilleMake your way to the Bobigny/Pablo Picasso-bound platform. All that's left of the fortress are some foundation stones on the platform. There are maps and explanations showing where the fortress used to be relative the place and surroundings.

• Maison de Victor Hugo

  address: 6, Place des Vosges
  The house in which the famous French novelist Victor Hugo once lived.

• Hôtel de Sully

  address: 62 rue Saint-Antoine
  Built in 1625, the Hotel de Sully is an interesting house with some sculptures in a beautiful courtyard. The house features special exhibitions, so check listings when in Paris.

• Mémorial de la Shoah

  address: 17, rue Geoffroy l’Asnier
  Opened in January 2005, the Holocaust Memorial comprises a major documentation centre and a wall bearing 76,000 names of Jews deported from France to the Nazi camps between 1942-1944. Includes an archive of a million artefacts, including 55,000 photographs. Excursions are run from the memorial to French internment camp sites such as Drancy.

• Hôtel de Ville

  address: Place de la Hôtel de Ville
  Many feel that this, Paris' town hall, is one of the loveliest buildings in the city. You might not get that from the front view, but try watching the light change on its roofs and towers during sunset from one of the cafés on the Ile de St. Louis, the Lutece for instance. Alternatively, go to the top floor of the Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville (BHV) department store opposite, on rue de Rivoli and walk up a flight of stairs to the roof terrace, from which there is a dramatic view of both the roof of the Hôtel de Ville and the immediate surroundings and river. The present Hôtel de Ville replaced the 16th century original which was burned down in 1871. A pastiche of its predecessor, but on a far larger scale, it was designed by the architects Ballu and Deperthes, and was mostly completed by 1882. The building is finished in an arrestingly white stone, similar to that used for the even more eye-catching Sacré-Coeur basilica. The statue on the garden wall on the south side is of Etienne Marcel, the most famous holder of the post of "prevôt des marchands" (provost of merchants) which pre-dated the office of mayor.

• Tour St Jacques

  address: Rue de Rivoli
  A Gothic church tower in a square 150m to the west of the Hôtel de Ville was restored by Ballu. It is all that remains of Eglise Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie, which was the meeting place in Paris for pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela. As such it is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.

• Centre Georges Pompidou

  address: Place George Pompidou
  Those who are unfamiliar with Modernist and Post-Modern art sometimes don't know quite what to expect, or how to approach it. Such travellers should rest assured that the curators at the Pompidou Centre have assembled a marvellous introduction consisting of mostly approachable works which delight, amuse, and entertain. The art is far from the only reason for a visit, as the building also contains a vast public library and a fine restaurant (run by the Costes brothers) on the roof. In fact the place is literally surrounded by some of the nicest pavement cafés in the city, in its superb location between the car-free above ground part of Forum Les Halles and the Marais art district.

• Notre-Dame de Paris

  address: Ile de la Cité 6, Place du Parvis Notre Dame
  The early Gothic Cathédrale de Notre Dame has a 12th century design but wasn't completed until the 14th. Still it is a good example of the development of the style, though the west or main portal is a bit unusual in its rigidity. Remember that this is an active church, there may even be a mass going on. Meanwhile anybody who's interested in history should check out the crypt. You enter at the opposite end of the square, where you can observe the foundation stones for buildings on the island going back to Roman times.

1st arrondissement

Through the 1st arrondissement, travellers can follow La Seine, or La Rue de Rivoli, which run on either side of Le Louvre, and the Jardin des Tuileries to Place de la Concorde.

• La ConciergerieThe ancient medieval fortress and prison of the city's island, site of some remarkable medieval royal architecture and the scene of Marie Antoinette's imprisonment in the period leading to her execution in 1793; lots of revolutionary associations.

• Sainte-Chapelle

  address: 4 blvd du Palais
  Soaring stained glass windows beaming ample light onto the rich primary colours of the tile mosaics on the floor, this photogenic church was built by the French kings to house the relics of the Crown of Thorns. Make sure you go on a sunny day, as the highlight of this small chapel in Rayonnante Gothic style are the large stained-glass windows which soar up to near the vaulted ceiling. Also of interest is the extremely ornate lower level. If it happens to be rainy or cloudy, give Sainte-Chapelle a miss, as the play of coloured lights on the floor is well worth the wait for a sunnier day. As the chapelle is inside the Courts of Justice, there will thus be a security check.

• Église Saint-EustacheThe massive parish church of the Les Halles area is a notable example of late Gothic interspersed with Renaissance details (including the entire front façade), as it was only completed in the 17th century. Its unique form results from a combination of relatively short length and impressive height of over 30 metres inside. The latter allows room not only for an array of stained glass windows and paintings, but also France's largest church organ of 8,000 pipes. The sculpture Écoute, depicting an oversized human head, was placed in front of the church's southern facade and has become a favourite photo spot.

• Bourse de commerceThe former commodities exchange building is now not needed for its original purpose as the exchange got digitized, and is mainly used for special events, often unrelated to its original function.

• Le Palais RoyalOrdered by Cardinal de Richelieu (1585-1642); originally called Palais Cardinal; it became Le Palais Royal when Anne d'Autriche, Louis XIII's wife, came to live here. It eventually housed Louis XIV until the move to Versailles. It includes also a garden Les jardins du Palais Royal. It's been the theatre of one of the seminal events of the French Revolution (Camille Desmoulins made a famous declaration here in 1789). The Théatre Français nearby was built in 1716. There are numerous restaurants inside the garden , There's also the controversial Colonnes de Buren, striped columns installed within the inside yard amid the 17th century architecture.

• Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois

  address: 2 place du Louvre
  This Gothic church functioned until the 19th century as the parish church of the kings of France. Its bell called 'Marie' sounded on the night of 23 August 1572, to launch the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, in which thousands of Huguenots were killed by Catholic mobs.

• Musée du Louvre

  address: Place du Carrousel
  Its exhibits come from such diverse origins as ancient Egypt, classical Greece and Rome, medieval Europe, and Napoleonic France. Its most famous exhibit, of course, is Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Mona Lisa (French: La Joconde, Italian: La Gioconda), generally to be found surrounded by hordes of camera-flashing tourists. If you want to see everything in the Louvre, plan at least two full days. However, it is better to pick and choose, as the collection was assembled with an eye to completeness rather than quality.

• Comédie Francaise

  address: 1 Place Colette
  The theatre is one of the rare state theatres in France. The company's primary venue is the Salle Richelieu. It was enlarged and modified in the 1800s, then rebuilt in 1900 after a severe fire. The played repertoires sum to around 3,000 works.

• Restaurants du monde

  address: 99, rue de Rivoli, mezzanine level, Le Carrousel du Louvre
  A food court where some 13 stalls offer a variety of French and international cuisine including Lebanese, Mexican, Moroccan, Chinese, and Japanese.

• Café Marly

  address: 93, rue de Rivoli / cour Napoléon du Louvre
  Part of the Grand Louvre redevelopment. Café Marly was opened in 1994 and is on the balcony on the northern terrace of the Cour Napoléon. Patrons can enjoy direct views of the Louvre Pyramid while sitting back in comfortable chairs, watching tourists stroll by.

• Musée des Arts décoratifs

  address: 107, rue de Rivoli
  A monument to the French art de vivre, housed in a 19th-century wing of the Louvre that has been restored to beaux-arts splendour, its galleries and period rooms showcase eight centuries of Gallic taste in interior decoration.

• Colonne VendômeThe centrepiece of a magnificent 8-sided square first laid out in 1699 to show off an equestrian statue of Louis XIV, removed amid revolutionary fervor in 1792 and replaced in 1806 with the Colonne de la Grande Armée. The present column is a replica, however, as the original was pulled down during the 1871 Paris Commune. Place Vendôme represents the best of well-heeled Paris, being home to an abundance of exclusive boutiques, several banks, the French Ministry of Justice, and the Ritz Hotel.

• Jardin des TuileriesOriginally adjoining the lost palace of the Tuileries, these gardens west of the Louvre offer a central open space for Parisians and visitors with semi-formal gardens (an outdoor gallery for modern sculpture), various cafés, ice cream and crépe stalls, and a summer fun fair. The gardens are frequently home to a giant Ferris wheel and enclose the Musée de la Orangerie and the Jeu de Paume.

• Musée d'Orsay

  address: 1, rue de la Légion d'Honneur / rue de Lille
  Housed in a former Beaux-Arts railway station (completed in 1900 for the Exposition Universelle, later saved from demolition and converted to its present use), the rambling, open-plan museum is home to the works of the great artists of the 19th century (1848-1914) - Impressionists, post-Impressionists, and the rest - that were formerly displayed in the l'Orangerie. This is perhaps the most spectacular collection of European impressionism in the world—breath-taking rooms full of Manet, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, and many others. Impressionist represent the biggest draw, but there is much more to explore.

• L'OrangerieRecently reopened after extensive renovations, this small museum near the Louvre houses the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume Collection, sold to the French Republic on very generous terms and numbering 143 paintings from the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century (15 Cézannes, 24 Renoirs, 10 Matisses, 12 Picassos, 28 Derains, 22 Soutines... ). The collection joined the eight immense Water Lilies that Monet gave France in 1922 and which have been displayed since 1927 in two huge oval rooms purpose-built on the artist's instructions.

• Jeu de PaumeBuilt during the First Empire, in imitation of the Orangerie, this small building is used by the Galerie Nationale to mount shows dedicated to lesser known, but nonetheless interesting, artists or (sometimes) the lesser known works of the Great Masters. This museum once housed many of the Impressionist painters that are now to be found in the Musée d'Orsay on the other side of the River Seine.

• Le Carrousel du Louvre

  address: 99 Rue de Rivoli
  A diverse underground shopping precinct adjoining the Louvre Museum. Open daily including Sundays. There is also a direct access into the Louvre.

• Librairie Galignani

  address: 224, rue Rivoli
  British and American bookshop, specialising in fine arts.

• W.H. Smith

  address: 248, rue de Rivoli
  The largest English language bookshop in Paris carries many of the newest releases.

8th arrondissement

The legendary Avenue des Champs Élysées stretches from the Place de la Concorde to the Place Charles de Gaulle, through the 8th arrondissement. The road is dominated by flagship fashion stores and fine diners.

• At the east end of the Champs-Elysées is , the largest square in Paris with fantastic vistas in every direction. It was in this square (then called la Place de la Revolution) that the French King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and many others were guillotined during the Terror. The large Egyptian obelisk in the centre of the Place de la Concorde was brought from the Temple of Luxor.

• Église de la Madeleine

  address: place de la Madeleine
  One of the best-known and most beautiful churches in Paris, in the guise of a Corinthian order classical temple. Construction started in 1764, although the church was not finally consecrated until 1845. The Madeleine has a lavish interior of marble and gold.

• Le Grand PalaisBuilt in 1900 for the universal exposition, the Grand Palais was an engineering feat and a milestone of design, marking the transition between historicism and modern architecture. It remain impressive today due to its unique, exquisite style and sheer volume of its main nave. The Grand Palais, managed by the state-owned institution Rnm who also manage the Musee de Luxembourg, is used both for temporary exhibitions of historic and contemporary art collections (both beaux arts and applied) and unique events, such as catwalk shows during the Paris Fashion Week, Bonhams car auctions and prestigious galas.

• Musée du Petit Palais

  address: Avenue Winston Churchill
  The Petit Palais was built as a complement to the Grand Palais for the 1900 universal exhibition, and afterwards became the prime exhibition venue for the City of Paris' vast collection of artworks spanning centuries from ancient history to the 1800s. There is a permanent exhibition of selected artworks of artifacts, complemented by temporary exhibitions of historic artworks. The Petit Palais also features an on-site cafe/restaurant, as well as a book and gift shop.

• Palais de la decouverte

  address: Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt
  Located in a magnificent the western wing of the Grand Palais, this museum forms a part of science-themed education-oriented universcience establishment together with the La Cite des Sciences in La Villette. In the Palais, you will find two large floors with rooms dedicated to different branches of science, including physics, chemistry, mathematics and life-sciences, as well as a planetarium.

• Pont Alexandre IIIAn ornamented bridge, arguably the most famous in Paris.

• Lido de Paris

  address: 116 bis av des Champs-Elysées
  The most famous cabaret celebrates spectacle revues. Children ages 4 and older are welcome. Casual elegant dress code. Coat and tie appreciated. Shorts, Bermuda shorts, athletic clothing and tennis shoes are not allowed.

• C42

  address: Avenue de Champs-Elysees 42
  C42 is the flasghip Citroen store occupying an entire building, designed by Manuelle Gautrand and completed in 2007, being the first new building in the Avenue in some 30 years. The unmistakable facade is inspired by Citroen's chevron logo, and the building has no less than seven storeys exhibiting Citroen's past, present and future, including iconic classics, the concept cars and winning sportscars from its many decades of history, and of course the current lineup. The interior is just as spectacular and unique as the exterior and well worth a visit.

• Atelier Renault

  address: Avenue des Champs-Elysees 51-53
  Renault has opened its Champs-Elysees showroom at this location in 1910. The highlight of its current form, launched in 2011, is the cafe/restaurant/bar in the "floating" mezzanine, where you can enjoy some good drinks and food as well as a nice view over the Champs Elysees and the Renault cars from the past and present exhibited below.

• Guerlain

  address: No. 68

• Avenue Peugeot

  address: Avenue des Champs-Elysées 136
  While not as spectacular from the outside as it's sister brand Citroen's building, the Avenue Peugeot is also worth a visit if you are a car fan, as it always has a temporary exhibition of some of Peugeot's concept or competition cars the brand is famous for. You can obviously also explore the regular range of Peugeot cars and purchase one, as well as an extensive range of Peugeot merchandise from the on-site "boutique Peugeot", including the Peugeot condiment grinders the company makes for much longer than it does build cars.

• Louis Vuitton Building

  address: Avenue de Champs-Elysees 101
  An unmistakable piece of modernist architecture at the corner of Avenue George V, the Louis Vuitton Building was erected in 1913 and in the 21st century continues to serve as the flagship for the luxury brand, housing the largest Louis Vuitton boutique in the world.

• Zadig & Voltaire

  address: Rue Francois 1er 18-22

• Diep

  address: 55, rue Pierre-Charron
  Thai, Chinese, and Indonesian. Vegetarian friendly.

• Kokohana

  address: 1, rue Jean Mermoz
  Two chefs battle against each other in a spectacular performance of chopping, slicing, sauteing everything from scallops to foie gras. The food is average, but the presentation is well worth it.

• Qasim

  phone: +33 1 45 62 19 73
  address: 22, rue du Colisée
  Pakistani and Indian dishes.

• Spoon

  address: 14, rue Marignan
  Chef Alain Ducasse's à la mode eatery with modern appeal. The carte allows you to choose a main dish, a condiment, and an accompanying dish for a personalized menu with a high-end feel.

• Villa Spicy

  address: 8, av Franklin Roosevelt
  Warm and peaceful close to the Champs-Élysées serving an organic detox menu.

• Hanawa

  address: 26, rue Bayard
  Great sushi in a nice atmosphere, extensive menu.

• Ladurée

  address: 75, avenue des Champs-Elysées
  Famous for their macaroon cookies, which come in over 15 different flavours. Expensive, but an experience. There is a tea room, a bar, and a restaurant. You can also order baked goods to go, in fancy boxes and bags.

• La Table du Lancaster

  address: 7, rue de Berri
  Under chef Michel Troisgros, the kitchen prepares food in five themes: tomatoes, citrus, spices, greens, and dairy. This hotel restaurant was once home to screen goddess Marlene Dietrich.

• Buddha Bar

  address: 8, rue Boissy d' Anglais
  Famous in electronic lounge music circles for having commissioned a series of lounge and down tempo records which you can get at most larger record shops in France, as well as abroad. Although you can also get them at the bar it's probably not the best way, since they charge €45 per CD. The drinks are not so over-priced, and definitely worth it for the hip, sophisticated, and chill atmosphere.

• l'Arc de Triomphe

  address: Place de l'Étoile, Place Charles de Gaulle
  This iconic triumphal arch forms the focus of the main east-west road axis of Paris, running between the Louvre and the Grande Arche de la Défense in the west. The monument was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 as a tribute to his victories as Emperor of France - it was finally completed in 1836, long after his death. 50 m (150 ft) high and 45 m wide, the Arc de Triomphe is decorated with battle scenes and martial sculptures that includes La Marseillaise by Rude. More recently, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was placed beneath the arch in 1920, where an eternal flame burns in tribute to the French dead of both World Wars. The arch is surrounded by a large roundabout, aptly known as l'Etoile - 'the star' - with 12 thoroughfares leading off from it. Visitors can purchase a ticket to climb to the top of the arch, from where magnificent views spread out over western Paris. Admission to a small museum devoted to the history and meaning of the monument is included. The central island and the arch are accessed by an underground passage. Do not attempt to negotiate by foot the busy multi-lane road that rings the Arc de Triomphe, which many Parisian drivers seem to consider their own personal speedway.

16th and 17 arrondissements

The Avenue de la Grande Armée and the Avenue Charles De Gaulle make up the border between the 16th and 17th arrondissements. While monuments and institutional buildings are fewer here, this leg of the journey is typical to the Haussmann Renovation.

• Le Palais des Congrès de ParisA convention centre.

• Jardin d'AcclimatationThe northwest corner of the Bois de Boulogne is occupied by the oldest operating amusement park in the world, the Jardin d'Acclimatation, which is mainly known for offering a wide range of amusements which are appropriate even for very small children. They have miniature roller-coasters for children as small as three years, and the usual range of pony rides etc.

• Musée Dapper

  address: 35 bis, rue Paul Valéry
  This small museum hosts high quality African art exhibitions. It also features an interesting bookshop and cafe.

La Défense

• Grande Arche de la Defense

  address: 1 Le Parvis de La Défense
  A high-rise building that looks more like hollow cube than an actual arch. The viewing platform on its top reopened in May 2017 after having been closed following an April 2010 elevator incident.

• Center of New Industries and TechnologiesThe largest unsupported concrete span enclosed space in the world.

• La Defense Museum

  address: 15, place de La Défense
  The museum presents the history of the development of La Defense, with many plans and scale models

• Notre-Dame de PentecôteThis unusual church building was erected in 2001 and designed by Franck Hammoutène

There are over 60 works of art displayed in the open air throughout La Defense, interspersed within public spaces and freely accessible, and authored by some of the biggest names in modern art.

• Le pouce, a giant statue of a thumb by Cesar Baldaccini, stands between the CNIT and the Grande Arche
• The abstract Spider by Alexander Calder simply cannot be missed on the Esplanade
• The Bright Trees by Vassilakis Takis visually close the Esplanade

• Les 4 Temps

  address: 15 Le Parvis de La Défense
  The "Quatre Temps" shopping mall, which when constructed was the largest shopping centre in Europe, has numerous big name as well as small stores, several cinemas (showing French and subtitled foreign movies) as well as a large supermarket and grocery store. It is accessible from an entrance to the left of the "Grande Arche" or via the metro station. 230 stores (Auchan, C&A, Darty, Virgin, Zara, Go Sport, H&M, Uniqlo, Toys’R’Us), 16 movie theater screens, 40 restaurants.

There are many other attractions in Paris and environs that do not form part of the axis.
The Eiffel Tower is far from the axis, but is well visible from the eastern part of the route.