Champs Élysées Facts: A Place You Must Visit!
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The Champs Élysées in Paris is one of the famous avenues in the world and a must-visit on your Paris trip.
It starts from the Arc de Triomphe in Northwestern Paris and the avenue runs between the Place de la Concorde in the east to the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west end. It gets divided by the Rond Point des Champs Élysées.
Champs Élysées is the French word for Elysian fields, which means a paradise in Greek mythology. There is a story behind this avenue.
In Greek mythology, it is said that the kingdom of the dead is divided into two parts or gardens where souls live according to the life they spent on Earth. The Elysian fields are a place reserved for dead heroes and virtuous souls by the Greek gods.
The avenue was created by Andre le Notre in 1674, to extend the Tuileries Garden.
The Champs Élysées was constructed in a swampy area that was crossed by a sewer. To make fun of this royal construction Parisians named it the Champs Élysées, which means eternal paradise.
Tourism Facts About The Champs Élysées
The Champs Élysées gets quite a lot of mixed reviews when it comes to it being a tourist spot. While the locals will tell you that it's not worth it, people who have been to Paris as a visitor would suggest paying a visit just to see the elegance of the avenue.
The Champs Élysées is famous for the theatres, cafes, shops and also for being the final stage of the Tour de France cycling race.
The Champs Élysées is the busiest street as over 30,000 people walk the street each day and this makes it a hub for real estate and business. As it is one of the famous tourist spots in Paris, there are several five-star hotels around Champs Élysées avenue.
The renowned Peninsula Paris Hotel which is an exquisite hotel in Paris is also on Avenue des Champs Élysées. The avenue is filled with flagship stores, several restaurants, luxury shops, and much more.
After shopping in the luxury stores, the nightlife in Paris can be enjoyed by going to clubs on the avenue.
The area boasts several high-end clubs and fashion weeks are also a quite common phenomenon in and around the Avenue des Champs Élysées. The luxury shops present in the Champs Élysées area are Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Dior, and many more.
As the Champs Élysées is a busy road, cars are banned on the first Sunday of each month but it is open for pedestrians. Weekends are the best time to spend time with family on the Champs Élysées avenue and it is also great for pictures with the Avenue des Champs Élysées's beauty as the backdrop.
As fascinating as the area might be, it is also common for pickpocketers to sweep away your wallet and therefore tourists should be aware of their belongings while walking into a crowd.
Historical Facts About The Champs Élysées
During the reign of Louis XIV, the Champs Élysées was known as the Grand Cours and the name was changed in 1709. After the reconstruction by Napoleon III, the Champs Élysées had become quite a fashionable avenue. The nearest mansion to the gardens was the Élysées palace which became the official residence for presidents during the Third French Republic.
At the end of the French Revolution, two equestrian statues made in 1745, were transferred from the Royal Palace in Marly and were placed in front of the boulevard and park. After the downfall of Napoleon III, the trees had to be restored as the occupation army troops had occupied the park and used the trees as firewood.
The avenue during the period of the First French Empire was built from the Rond Point to the Etoile. The Champs Élysées became city property in 1828.
Under the reign of King Louis Phillipe I, the Palace de la Concorde and the Jardin des Champs Élysées were renovated by Mariano Ruiz de Chavez.
The Arc de Triomphe, which was the major monument of the Boulevard was commissioned by Napoleon after the Battle of Austerlitz. The construction wasn't finished before the fall of Napoleon and remained unfinished until it was completed by King Louis Phillipe.
Emperor Napoleon III chose the park at the front of the avenue in order to arrange the first international exposition in Paris, the Exposition Universelle in 1855.
After the Exposition in 1858, Georges Eugene Haussmann, the Emperor's prefect of the Seine decided to transform the gardens from a formal French garden to an English-style garden. This change was made after getting inspired from the streets of Southport where Napoleon III spent some time.
The elm trees which were already in a poor state were changed to chestnut trees.
The park was used again during the Universal Exposition in 1900 and it became the home of Grand Palais and Petit Palais.
This famous avenue throughout history had been the site of military parades, starting from the victory parades of German soldiers during the Fall of France, to the joyous victory parade during the First World War, to parades of Free France, and more.
Expense Related Facts About The Champs Élysées
Paris is no doubt an expensive city and tourism is one of its positive points. Thousands of people every year visit the city of romance, and the budget for a trip around the city is quite high in itself. The Avenue des Champs Élysées is a busy area and has the best of the flagship stores, restaurants, and clubs.
Now, a day on the Champs Élysées can cost more or less depending upon the expenditure you want to do. To drive a high-end car like a Lamborghini or Ferrari on the sides of the Avenue des Champs Élysées can cost up to €85 for 15 minutes.
If the tourists decide to roam around by walking then they won't have to spend money on that.
Public transports are also available in the Champs Élysées.
The station of Charles de Gaulle Etoile is at the west end of the street and there are also three stations with entrances on the street. From the west to east there are, George V by the Hotel George V, Franklin Roosevelt at the Rond point, and Champs Élysées Clemenceau at Place Clemenceau and Concorde at the southern end.
There are a lot of high-end shops and restaurants which can be costly as well. The hotels around the Champs Élysées avenue are mostly five-star hotels and have splendid rooftop views which make the city of Paris seem more elegant and beautiful.
One of the exquisite hotels, the Peninsula Paris Hotel is also present on the avenue and to spend a night there would cost about €1000 per night at best. Another hotel that is more affordable is the Sofitel and it costs about €300 per night almost.
Who built the Champs Élysées?
During the reign of Louis XIV, the land where the Champs Élysées stands presently was covered in large fields and gardens. The gardens were built in 1667 by André le Nôtre as an extension of the Tuileries gardens of the Tuileries Palace and were commissioned by Marie de Medici, the wife of Louis XIV.
This new boulevard was called the Grand Promenade or Grand Cours. The name was changed to Champs Élysées in 1709 and by the next year, the avenue was stretched beyond Rond point.
In 1846, Napoleon III, the Emperor of the French, lived on the streets of Southport and got inspired. From 1854 to 1870, the changes to be made to the Champs Élysées were orchestrated and the medieval structure was demolished. It got replaced with broad tree-lined boulevards, walkways, and arcades.
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Martha MartinsBachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics
Martha is a full-time creative writer, content strategist, and aspiring screenwriter who communicates complex thoughts and ideas effectively. She has completed her Bachelor's in Linguistics from Nasarawa State University. As an enthusiast of public relations and communication, Martha is well-prepared to substantially impact your organization as your next content writer and strategist. Her dedication to her craft and commitment to delivering high-quality work enables her to create compelling content that resonates with audiences.
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