The Story of The Arc De Triomphe Paris

Wow! The first thing that you'll notice when you arrive at the Arc de Triomphe is the crazy traffic. The monument is literally in the center of the roundabout. You will probably ask yourself, how on earth will I be able to get there? Do not worry! At the top of the famous avenue Les Chaux-Elysées, you will find the entry for the underground that will take you safely to the other side, to access the Arc de Triomphe. The arch is almost 200 years old. It was commissioned by Emperor Napoleon the first, after his decisive victory in the Battle of Austerlitz, in 1805. The Arc de Triomphe was built to honor military victories. This is why it has been decorated with wonderful reliefs and sculptures of soldiers, on every sides of the arch. They picture scenes from various battles that took place. The most famous sculpture is La Marseillaise. It is on the right side of the arch when you're looking from the avenue Les Chaux-Elysées. It depicts the French people rallying against enemies, from the foreign armies. On the left side, the sculpture is called, The Triumph. This is the triumph of Napoleon. He is being crowned by Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory. And when you look up inside the arch, you can see a long list of names which are engraved. They are names of French generals who fought the war. But look closely. Have you any idea why some of the names are underlined? They are generals who died in battle. The construction took 30 years. It was completed only in 1836, that is 15 years after Napoleon's death. So the emperor who commissioned it, never had the chance to see it finished. And now, the real gem. The view. The top offers the best panoramic view of Paris. But are you really prepared to climb the 284 steps? If not, no problem. You can take the elevator. From here, you're guaranteed of bringing back with you the most memorable photos of Paris. The Chaux-Elysées, the most beautiful avenue of Paris is in front of you. In the distance, the financial district, La Défense, is showing proudly its modern skyscrapers. Even the Eiffel Tower, the Parisian lady. She seems to be next door. The arch offers a 360 degrees panoramic view of Paris. The view is simply stunning. And if possible, do not miss the ceremony. Every evening at 6 30 pm sharp, you can attend the ceremony on the tomb of the unknown soldier. The eternal flame is rekindled by war veterans, and new flowers are set in place. Officially, the flame was lit on November 11th of 1923, and has never been extinguished since. You might wondering, if there is a real body in the tomb? Well, yes, there is a body. This is a victim of World War I. He was buried beneath the arch on the 11th of November, 1920. The tomb of the unknown soldier stands today as a silent reminder of the French soldiers, who died during the Great War. The 7th of August 1919, an incredible event happened. Charles Godfrey, a French aviator, dressed in his army service uniform, took off at 7 am in a small military plane, from an airfield outside Paris. Within a few minutes, he was approaching the Arc de Triomphe, in misty conditions. He circled the arch twice. Then Godfrey gathered speed, dropped the nose of the plane, and flew through the arc. The whole event was filmed, but in order to discourage future attempts, the screening was banned by the commissioner of police. Godfrey was lucky to escape with only a warning. Throughout the years, the Arc de Triomphe continued to be the place for major events in the city, and national celebrations. And if you are lucky to be in Paris on the New Year's Eve, do not miss the sound and light show displayed on the arch, every year. If you learned something today, please give us a like and subscribe to the channel so you won't miss any Paris travel tips. Thank you for watching.