Champs Élysées

Paris & Ile de France Adventure Guide: The Champs-Elysées

Paris: Getting Oriented: Paris by Neighborhood: Place des Victoires & Palais Royal: The Champs-Elysées

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The Avenue des Champs-Elysées is perhaps one of the world’s most recognized streets, but its history is actually quite recent. Up until the end of the 18th century it was still just a field with cows. Under the Second Empire it became the height of fashion, lined with private mansions and dance halls. Today it’s quite hard to find anything of historical interest, since much of the street’s character has been completely transformed by airline offices, cinemas and car showrooms. But despite this modernization, the tree-lined Champs-Elysées remains an impressive avenue framed by the dramatic Arc de Triomphe. Parisians gather here faithfully for annual events such as the Bastille Day parades and the finish of the Tour de France, and to see the sparkling holiday light displays.

The most pleasant area of the Champs-Elysées, between the Rond-Point and the Place de la Concorde, has no shops at all, just leafy gardens, chestnut trees and a few pavilions built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. One of the nicer buildings, the Pavillon Elysées (at the Carré Marigny) was lovingly renovated and reopened in 2003 as a Lenôtre cooking school, café and boutique. Next door is the Théâtre de Marigny, designed by Garnier in 1853, where Offenbach performed his popular operettas. The Marché aux Timbres (vintage stamps and postcards) takes place outside every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Peeking above the trees on the other side of the avenue is the majestic Grand Palais, a 20th-century Art Nouveau exposition center, currently home to the Palais de la Découverte interactive science museum and planetarium (Avenue Franklin D Roosevelt, 8th, M° Champs-Elysées Clémenceau, ☎ 01 56 43 20 21, www.palais-decouverte.fr). Next door is the Petit Palais, also built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. It normally houses the city’s Musée des Beaux-Arts, but is closed for major renovations until 2005.

THE PRESIDENT’S HOUSE

Set well back from the Champs-Elysées and surrounded by vast gardens, it’s easy to miss the Palais de l’Elysée (at the corner of the Avenue Gabriel and Avenue de Marigny). This very private presidential palace is only open to the public once a year during the Journées du Patrimoine (National Heritage Days).

If window shopping isn’t your thing, take a short detour up the Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt to the exquisite Musée Jacquemart-André (158 Boulevard Haussmann, 8th, M° St-Philippe-du-Roule, ☎ 01 45 62 11 59, www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/jandre). Formerly the private mansion of the art-collecting couple Edouard André and Nélie Jacquemart, this museum beautifully presents their original furnishings and impressive collection of 18th-century French, Flemish and Italian masterpieces. There’s also an elegant café open for lunch and afternoon tea (11:45am to 6pm). Museum open daily, 10am to 6pm. Tickets €8, €6 for kids ages seven to 17 (includes audio guide).

The Arc de Triomphe

Continue to the top of the Champs-Elysées, where the Arc de Triomphe sits proudly at the intersection of 12 avenues known as the Place du Général de Gaulle (although Parisians still refer to it by the original name, l’Etoile, which means star). Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to honor the Imperial Army, the massive 167-foot arch was finally completed 30 years later, under King Louis-Philippe. The Arc de Triomphe has become the symbolic centerpiece for many important historical events such as the funeral processions of Napoleon and Victor Hugo. The nation still cringes at the memory of Hitler’s occupying troops marching beneath the arch in WWII, and the joy when General de Gaulle’s liberation forces did the same in 1944. At the base of the arch lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame (maintained every evening at 6pm) in honor of those lost in WWI.

UNSPEAKABLE ACTS

The Eternal Flame was extinguished during the 1998 World Cup celebrations when two drunken tourists from Mexico reportedly urinated on it. Just the year before, an Australian tourist was arrested for trying to cook an egg over the flame.

It’s definitely worth a visit to the open terrace on top of the Arc de Triomphe. From here you can get the best views of the Voie Triomphale, a line of monuments stretching north-south from the Grande Arche de la Défense to the Pyramide du Louvre. This sight is particularly fantastic to watch as the sun sets and the city lights up. Place du Général-de-Gaulle, 8th, M° Charles de Gaulle-Etoile, ☎ 01 55 37 73 77. Open April to September, 9:30am to 11pm; October to May, 10am to 10:30pm. Entry €7, €4.50 for students, free for kids under 18 and the first Sunday of the month. Museum Pass accepted.

WARNING! Don’t try reaching the arch by crossing the busiest intersection in Paris! Use the underground pedestrian passages from the Avenue des Champs-Elysées or the Avenue de la Grande Armée.

SHOPPING DE LUXE!

The highest concentration of luxury boutiques and haute couture showrooms can be found in the 8th arrondissement’s Golden Triangle, made up of the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, the Avenue Montaigne, and the Avenue George V. Another street dripping with pearls and platinum cards is the Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, which turns into the slightly hipper Rue St-Honoré after the Rue Royale. See Where to Shop for more details on the city’s top shopping districts.

Parc Monceau

Those with a bit of extra time can take a ride through the luxury residential district of Courcelles on Bus 30 (from the top of Avenue Wagram outside the Arc de Triomphe, direction Gare de l’Est) to the chic Parc Monceau (Boulevard de Courcelles, 16th, M° Monceau), an 18th-century English-style garden with theatrical landscaping touches such as a Corinthian colonnade, Egyptian pyramids and even a Renaissance arcade from the original Hôtel de Ville, which was burned down during the Commune. The gardens, enclosed by a gold-tipped wrought-iron fence, are surrounded by elegant mansions. One of these is the Musée Nissim de Camondo (63 Rue de Monceau, 8th, M° Monceau, ☎ 01 53 89 06 50, www.ucad.fr/ucadgb/nissim_eng), a museum of 18th-century decorative arts set in the private mansion Hôtel Camondo. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm; entry €4.60, €3.10 for students. Museum Pass accepted.

RUSSIAN CATHEDRAL

The Tsar Alexander II funded the construction in 1861 of the Russian Orthodox Cathédrale St-Alexandre-Nevski (12 Rue Daru, 8th, M° Courcelles, ☎ 01 42 27 37 34), with five golden domes based on the architecture of the St-Petersburg Fine Arts Academy. The interior is richly decorated with mosaics and magnificent icons. Open Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, 3 to 5pm (no shorts or exposed shoulders).

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5min Related Video: Champs Élysées

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Travel Guide: Champs Élysées

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Location: The road that runs from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde in Paris

Originally nothing but fields, Marie de Médicis created the Champs Élysées (Elysian Fields) tree-lined pathway in 1616. Over the years, it was extended and fountains and footpaths were added. Cafés, theaters and specialty shops sprung up along the avenue, and Champs Élysées is now one of the world's most beautiful and most famous boulevards. It stretches a little over a mile (nearly 2 kilometers) and is lined with trees. A large fountain graces the center.

Dictionary: Champs É·ly·sées (shäN zā-lē-zā')

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A tree-lined thoroughfare of Paris, France, leading from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Champs-Élysées

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(French: "Elysian Fields") One of the world's most remarkable avenues, stretching 1.17 mi (1.88 km) from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, in Paris. It is divided into two parts by the Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées. The lower part, toward the Place de la Concorde, is surrounded by gardens, museums, theaters, and restaurants. The upper part, toward the Arc de Triomphe, was traditionally a luxury commercial district. Twelve imposing avenues radiate to form a star (étoile) at the avenue's upper end, with the Arc de Triomphe at its center; it was called Place de l'Étoile from 1753 until 1970, when it was renamed Place Charles de Gaulle.

For more information on Champs-Élysées, visit Britannica.com.

Columbia Encyclopedia: Champs Élysées

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Champs Élysées (shäN zālēzā'), avenue of Paris, France, leading from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. It is celebrated for its tree-lined beauty, its commodious breadth, the elegance of its cafés, theaters, and shops, and the fountain display at its center. Begun by Louis XIV and completed by Louis XV, it led through open country until the early 19th cent.

Geography: Champs Élysées

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(shahn zay-lee-zay)

A major avenue in Paris famous for the elegance of its cafés and shops. In French it means Elysian Fields.

Wikipedia: Champs-Élysées

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8^e Arrt.

AVENUE des CHAMPS ÉLYSÉES

Arrondissement	VIIIe
Quarter	Champs Élysées. Faubourg du Roule.
Begins	Place de la Concorde
Ends	Place Charles de Gaulle
Length	1910 m
Width	70 m
Creation	1670
Denomination	2 March 1864


The Champs-Élysées as seen from the Arc de Triomphe

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (French pronunciation: [ʃɑ̃zeliˈze] ( listen)) is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world, and with rents as high as €1.1 million (USD1.5 million) per 1,000 square feet (92.9 square metres) of space, it remains the most expensive strip of real estate in Europe.^[1]^[2] The name is French for Elysian Fields, the place of the blessed dead in Greek mythology.

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is known in France as La plus belle avenue du monde ("The most beautiful avenue in the world").^[3] The arrival of global chain stores in recent years has slightly changed its character, and in a first effort to stem these changes, the City of Paris (which has called this trend "banalisation") decided in 2007 to ban the Swedish clothing chain H&M from opening a store on the avenue.^[2] In 2008, however, American clothing chain Abercrombie & Fitch was given permission to open a store.^[4]

1 Description
2 History
3 Premier offices and retail
4 Events
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Description

The avenue runs for two kilometres (1.25 miles) through the 8th arrondissement in northwestern Paris, from the Place de la Concorde in the east, with the Obelisk of Luxor,^[5] to the Place Charles de Gaulle (formerly the Place de l'Étoile) in the west, location of the Arc de Triomphe. The Champs-Élysées forms part of the Axe historique.

One of the principal tourist destinations in Paris, the lower part of the Champs-Élysées is bordered by greenery (Carré Marigny) and by buildings such as the Théâtre Marigny and the Grand Palais (containing the Palais de la Découverte). The Élysée Palace is slightly to the north, but not on the avenue itself. Further to the west, the avenue is lined with cinemas, cafés and restaurants (most notably Fouquet's), and luxury specialty shops. The Champs-Élysées ends at the Arc de Triomphe, built by Napoleon Bonaparte to honour his victories.

The historical axis, looking west.

History

The Champs-Élysées in 1890, viewed from the Place de la Concorde.

The Champs-Élysées were originally fields and market gardens, until 1616, when Marie de Medici decided to extend the garden axis of the Palais des Tuileries with an avenue of trees. As late as 1716, Guillaume Delisle's map of Paris shows that a short stretch of roads and fields and market garden plots still separated the grand axe of the Tuileries gardens from the planted "Avenue des Thuilleries," which was punctuated by a circular basin where the Rond Point stands today; already it was planted with some avenues of trees radiating from it that led to the river through woods and fields. In 1724, the Tuileries garden axis and the avenue were connected and extended, leading beyond the Place de l'Étoile; the "Elysian Fields" were open parkland flanking it, soon filled in with bosquets of trees formally planted in straight rank and file. To the east, the unloved and neglected "Vieux Louvre" (as it is called on the maps), still hemmed in by buildings, was not part of the axis. In a map of 1724, the Grande Avenue des Champs-Elysée stretches west from a newly-cleared Place du Pont Tournant soon to be renamed for Louis XV and now the Place de la Concorde.

The Free French 2nd Armored Division marches down the Champs-Élysées on 25 August 1944 to celebrate the Liberation of Paris.

By the late 1700s, the Champs-Élysées had become a fashionable avenue; the bosquet plantings on either side had thickened enough to be given formal rectangular glades (cabinets de verdure). The gardens of houses built along the Faubourg Saint-Honoré backed onto the formal bosquets. The grandest of them was the Élysée Palace. A semicircle of house-fronts now defined the north side of the Rond-Point. Queen Marie Antoinette drove with her friends and took music lessons at the grand Hôtel de Crillon on the Place Louis XV.^[6] The avenue from the Rond-Point to the Étoile was built up during the Empire. The Champs-Élysées itself became city property in 1828, and footpaths, fountains, and gas lighting were added. Over the years, the avenue has undergone numerous transitions, most recently in 1994, when the sidewalks were widened.

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées, because of its size and proximity to several Parisian landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe, has been the site of several notable military parades, the most infamous being the march of German troops celebrating the Fall of France on 14 June 1940, and the most famous, the subsequent march of Free French and American forces after the liberation of the city on 25 August 1944.

Premier offices and retail

In 1860, the merchants along the avenue joined together to form the Syndicat d'Initiative et de Défense des Champs-Élysées, changed to an association in 1916 to promote the avenue. In 1980, the group changed its name to the Comité des Champs-Élysées and to "Comité Champs-Élysées" in 2008. It is the oldest standing committee in Paris. The committee has always dedicated itself to seek public projects to enhance the avenue's unique atmosphere, and to lobby the authorities for extended business hours and to organize special events. Even today, the committee has approval with the Parisian administration over the addition of new business to the avenue.

Because of the high rents, few people live on the Champs-Élysées; the upper stories tend to be occupied by offices. Rents are particularly high on the north side of the avenue, because of better exposure to sunlight. The splendid architecture of the grandiose Champs-Élysées is admired by many people. The avenue is located right next to the Palais de l'Élysée, the presidential palace, with its rounded gate, and the Grand Palais, erected in the late 19th century. While walking among the gardens and tree-lined promenades one can even encounter an open-air marionette theatre for children, a French tradition popular through the ages.

The avenue is also one of the most famous streets in the world for upscale shopping. Adidas, Benetton, the Disney Store, Nike, Zara, Cartier, Bel Air Fashion, continental Europe's largest Gap, and Sephora occupy major spaces.^[2] Traditionally home to popular brands, as well as luxury brands (such as Louis Vuitton), the Avenue des Champs Elysées confirms its world-class appeal as a prime real estate location: it has lately seen the opening of new big upscale shops such as the biggest Adidas store in the world. Abercrombie & Fitch has received permission for a flagship store there, scheduled to open to the public in 2011.^[4]

North sidewalk of the Champs-Élysées.

Events

Every year on Bastille Day, the largest military parade in Europe passes down the Champs-Élysées, reviewed by the President of the Republic.

Every year during Advent, Christmastide, and Epiphany, the 'Champs-Élysées' Committee contribute for the Holidays seasons lighting of the Champs-Élysées. This generally occurs from late November until early January. The 2007 lighting of the Champs-Élysées was very successful, with lighting tubes which acted like snow falling from the trees.

Since 1975, the traditional last stage of the Tour de France is the Champs-Élysées stage. The subsequent awards ceremony also takes place directly on the Avenue.

Huge and spontaneous gatherings occasionally take place on the Champs-Élysées in celebration of popular events, such as New Year's Eve, or when France won the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

The Champs-Élysées has also been the site of numerous large political protest gatherings, like those connected to the 2002 Presidential election.^[7]

References

^ Stretches of New York City's Fifth Avenue contain the world's most expensive real estate.
^ ^a ^b ^c Elaine Sciolino, "Megastores March Up Avenue, and Paris Takes to Barricades", New York Times, 21 January 2007.
^ http://www.paris-architecture.info/TEN/TEN-Parks.htm
^ ^a ^b "Paris next stop on A&F's expansion trail". November 25, 2008. http://www.insideretailing.com.au/articles-page.aspx?articleType=ArticleView&articleId=4136. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
^ http://www.davidphenry.com/Paris/paris262.htm
^ "The Salon Marie-Antoinette... the room where the Queen may have taken music lessons, opens onto a beautiful terrace..." (various reports of the Hotel Crillon)
^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A776072

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bastille Day military parade

The Official website about the Champs-Elysees (English) (French) (Chinese)
The Champs Élysées district - current photographs and of the years 1900
Barry Bergdoll, Columbia University: Paris maps
Satellite image from Google Maps

v • d • e Popular visitor attractions in Paris

Arc de Triomphe • Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Paris • Cathedral of Notre Dame • Centre Georges Pompidou • Champs-Élysées • Conciergerie • Eiffel Tower • Grand Palais • Jardin du Luxembourg • Les Invalides • Louvre • Musée d'Orsay • Opéra Garnier • Père Lachaise Cemetery • Sainte-Chapelle

Coordinates: 48°52′11″N 2°18′27″E / 48.86972°N 2.3075°E / 48.86972; 2.3075

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		Paris & Ile de France Adventure Guide. Paris & Ile de France. Copyright © 2004 by Heather Stimmler-Hall. All rights reserved. Read more
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		Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
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