Arc de triomphe
Until the middle of the 19th century, the place de l'Etoile was nothing more than an empty space.
It was around the mid-18th century that Paris authorities began wondering how to landscape the immense five-street crossroad at the top of the Champs Elysees.
Napoléon Bonaparte, still glowing from his victory at the battle of Austerlitz, was the one to decide to construct a giant monument dedicated to the Imperial Army. The edifice was to take the shape of a triumphant arc, a vain allusion to his own military genius and to "epic" Antiquity. The scale of the project was awe-inspiring: 50 metres tall and 45 meters across. It was Jean François Chalgrin who began the designs, succeeded by architects Goust and Huyot under the directorship of Viscount Hericart de Thury.
The one and only Arc of Triomphe, towering above a bustling centre of business and tourism as an architectural and artistic beacon, will be forever linked to the French "collective unconscious." It is monumental icon in both Paris's urban and cultural landscapes.
Arc de triomphespecial selection of our hotels
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From 175€
Timhotel Invalides Eiffel
Between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides
Between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides, a few steps away from the banks of the Seine and tucked away in a beautiful, peaceful and safe district, Timhotel Invalides Eiffel is a romantic hôtel de charme. Decorated mainly with Louis...
Central and chic area
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From 135€
Timhotel Opéra Madeleine
In front of St Lazare station, near the famous department stores of Paris
Advantageously located opposite the Gare Saint-Lazare and a few hours away from Normandy, the Timhotel Opéra Madeleine gives you access to all the advantages of the central business district and the train station.
The Timhotel...
Ideally located in front of the station Gare Saint-Lazare
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From 108€
Timhotel Tour Eiffel
Between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides, in a lively district
In the heart of one of the most partisan neighborhoods, quiet and particularly well located, between the Eiffel Tower and the Invalides, and a stone's throw from the quays of the Seine, in the 15th arrondissement, the Timhotel Tour Eiffel is...
Near the Eiffel Tower and the river