Champs Elysées Arc de Triomphe

The Jardin des Champs-Élysées stretches through Paris's 8th arrondissement along the famous boulevard, forming a green axis between the Place de la Concorde to the east and the Rond-Point to the west. One of the city's oldest parks, it was originally laid out in 1667 by André Le Nôtre as an extension of the Tuileries. The history of the grounds is closely tied to the evolution of Parisian urban planning. During the reign of Napoleon III, the park served as the site of the first major international World's Fair in 1855. The predecessor of today's Grand Palais was also built in connection with that event. After the fair, Prefect Haussmann had the formal French garden style replaced with a more naturalistic English style, and the old elms were swapped out for chestnut trees.

Today the grounds hold not only expansive lawns but also important cultural institutions. Among the notable buildings are the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, and the Théâtre du Rond-Point, which was originally designed as a panorama theater. The Théâtre Marigny, designed by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Paris Opera, also shapes the look of the park. Besides the historic buildings, you can admire numerous monuments and statues honoring figures such as Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, and the fashion designer Pierre Cardin. Despite the bustle of the surrounding Champs-Élysées, the park offers quiet retreats. The so-called Vallée Suisse in the southwest, with its stream and old trees, and the small Square Jean Perrin are especially inviting places to linger. These areas let you enjoy nature and the historic atmosphere, far from the crowds of the main avenue.