Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most recognisable icons of Paris. It is located in the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle (also known as Place de l'Etoile), where no less than 12 busy avenues converge. It was built by order of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806 to commemorate French military victories and honour the soldiers who fought in them.

However, it was only inaugurated three decades later, after the end of the Napoleonic Wars and two more revolutions in France in 1820 and 1830. That is why it does not have its original complete design: the modest Bonaparte had imagined a statue of himself at the top of the monument.

Instead, under its shadow you will find the eternal flame of the Unknown Soldier. It also has an explanatory museum inside and you can climb to the top to enjoy an exceptional panoramic view of Paris, both of the historic city and the new district of La Défense.

But the Arc de Triomphe is also a meeting point for French demonstrations. In recent decades, it has been at the centre of marches against the Algerian war, the French May, electoral victories and assassination attempts, and more recently the "yellow waistcoats" and pension reform.

In both World War I and World War II, armies marched under its threshold: first the French, then the Germans. That is why in 1995 the half-centenary of the victory against Nazism was commemorated, and in 2018 the centenary of the armistice of the Great War.

If you're lucky, when you go there might be a sporting event or cultural performance. But no matter when you go, it will be a challenge to get a photo without traffic!