The Arc de Triomphe, commissioned in 1806, is a war memorial for those who lost their lives while fighting for France in the French Revolutionary Wars and wars led by Napoleon I (1803-1815). It is also the sight of The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WW1. Standing at 50 metres tall, the Arc de Triomphe has rooms set out to commemorate the history of these wars, including the uniforms used by soldiers over time. It was where I first requested to visit when we were planning our trip.
The monument is beautiful and situated in the middle of a busy roundabout. It is important that you remember these are REAL cars and if you are stupid enough to stand in the middle of the road to take pictures, like many were doing there is a VERY high risk that you WILL be hit. It is not a smart idea to obstruct traffic even for a great photo.
In a similar vein, there is an underground tunnel to get to the Arc de Triomphe so that you aren’t obstructing traffic or risking injury. The tunnel is where the queue for tickets is and has several images along the wall depicting war scenes as well.
Despite my fear of heights, I was a lot more relaxed on the top of the Arc de Triomphe than I was on the Eiffel Tower. This could have been that the structure is a lot more solid, so I couldn’t feel it moving in the wind, which was good, although I still didn’t get too close to the edge. At the top, there is a lovely view of the surrounding area, slightly obstructed by fencing if you are short like me, but you can lift your cameras higher to take pictures.
This is another tourist attraction which is great for 18-25-year-olds who live in the EU because you get in for free. All you need to do to get this offer is present some form of ID when at the ticket counter.
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