History of the Champs Elysées area

A mythical name for mythical avenue!

The Champs Elysées Avenue takes its name from Greek mythology, wherebythe Champs Elysées was the location in Hell where the heroes and the virtuous souls rest after death. Celebrated as the most beautiful avenue in the world, the Champs-Elysées amazes tourists from around the world who come to admire the shops and historical monuments. From Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, the avenue extended over nearly 2 kilometers.

A Queen’s Avenue

The Champs Elysées has not always been the prestigious avenue in Paris that we know today. Until the 17th century, it was wetlands.  It was at this time that Marie de Médécis transformed it by planting trees and turned it into a walkway known as "Le cours de la Reine”

An Historical Symbol

Place Charles de Gaulle, also named Place de l'Etoile, concludes the Avenue des Champs Elysees. Place de l'Etoile takes its name from the 12 avenues that form a star with 12 points. At this area’s heart we have the Arc de Triomphe. The construction was initiated by Napoléon I after the Battle of Austerlitz, in honor of the soldiers who fought. Under the Arc de Triomphe we find the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, symbolizing all the French soldiers killed during the First World War.