The Triumphant Arc de Triomphe

At the top of the Avenue des Champs Élysées stands the majestic Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, Napoleon’s grand monument to his many military victories. It is a mesmerizing sight, one that I have difficulty taking my eyes off when I am nearby. Fortunately, on one of my recent visits to Paris, I had the opportunity to admire it often as my rental apartment was just a few hundred metres from it. And while I had admired it from a distance before, this time I took a much closer look.

As a novice looking at the Arc from street level, one might wonder how that is possible to get up close as it is usually surrounded by a steady stream of traffic with no stop lights or cross-walks in sight. It looks like you would be taking your life in your hands if you attempted to reach it. In fact, it is situated in the centre of l’Étoile – the Star – a set of 12 avenues radiating from its axis – the ultimate roundabout!

The trick is an underground tunnel that you enter from the Champs Élysées. It is in this tunnel that you buy your ticket to get access to the Arc. Fortunately, I had pre-purchased a Paris City Pass which included access to the Arc so I was able to skip the line. (This is a great option for first- or second- time travellers to Paris as it provides you access to many of the major sights as well as transit, among other benefits, and enables you to minimize the time spent in the often very long entry line-ups.) Ticket in hand, I emerged from underground directly beside the monument and made my way up the stairs inside it, coming upon an exhibit area over the arch. Here I had the opportunity to see a sample of one of the incredible sculptures that adorns the Arc, the winged personification of Liberty. The Arc de Triomphe was built in honour of those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and one of these carvings depicts heroic nude French soldiers conquering bearded German soldiers wearing chain mail with Liberty flying above. A truly impressive sight to behold!

Another exhibit is a display of a maquette – model – of the Arc itself. Nearby, a third display identifies other famous arches found around the world. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Princes’ Gates at Exhibition Place in Toronto listed among these. The greatest surprise though, was a window looking down onto the ground below. It was neat to be able to view other tourists visiting The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from here.

I continued my climb to the roof of the Arc, emerging to stunning views of the city, with La grand Roue – the Great Ferris Wheel – in Place de la Concorde visible at one end of the Champs Élysées and La Grande Arche de la Défense, a modern arch in the heart of the business district, just visible in the opposite direction. And off to one side, La Tour Eiffel, sparkling like a diamond in the dusk as it towers over the grand houses of the Champs Élysées.

After soaking in the view for as long as possible, I made my way back down to street level to take a closer look at the intricate stonework and visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. France continues to honour its war dead with a daily sunrise ceremony in which flowers are placed around the tomb. The Flame of Remembrance is also rekindled every evening. As well, the names of all French victories and generals are inscribed on the inner and outer surfaces of the Arc. Notable events in the city, such as the visits of foreign dignitaries, are also marked at the Arc, with the flying of a huge French flag beneath it.

It is a shame that Napoleon never got to see this monumental masterpiece. For while he commissioned it in 1806, it was not finished until the reign of King Louis-Philippe in 1836, long after his death in 1821. His image is ever-present though as one of the sculptures depicts him being crowned by the goddess of Victory.

Arc de Triomphe, Place Charles de Gaulle, Champs-Élysées, 75008, Paris

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