November 2012 trip to Paris: Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe, launched by Napoleon after his big win in the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 (in which his men broke up lake ice to drown thousands of enemy troops) but not finished till 1836, stands in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle, at the western end of the Avenue des Champs-Elysees. It honors soldiers who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The names of French victories and generals are inscribed on its surfaces.

Under the arch is the tomb of an unknown soldier from World War I.

The underside of the arch. Many triumphal marches have taken place under this arch, including, most notoriously, Hitler's after the Nazis took Paris in 1940. The Allies got there in 1944, to a much more genuine welcome.

The climb up the spiral staircase is soooo worth it for the best view of Paris. We went late on a rainy afternoon, and once again, encountered no crowds.

The view from the top is really the best in Paris -- better than that from the Eiffel Tower, I think, because it includes the Eiffel Tower. There's also a great view of the 12 avenues that radiant from the central Arc.