Grande Arche de la Défense
Paris's other famous arch, a glass office building out on the outskirts of Paris
Out on the edge of Paris is a weird modern office building complex known as "La Défense," the centerpiece of which is the hollow cube–shaped skyscraper, Grande Arche de la Défense. (Techncially, it's not quite a perfect cube, as it measures 108m by 110m by 112m.)
It was built to line up perfectly along av. de la Grande Armee, through the Arc de Triomphe, and down the Champs-Elysées to place de la Concorde, the Tuileries gardens, and the Louvre.
Sadly, as of April 2010, you can no longer ride the elevator 363 feet to the top to see this effect and get nice Parisian views. The rooftop terrace was "temporarily closed" for safety reasons following an incident on the elevators. Soon afterward, a French federal government ministry (the one in charge of the environment, energy, development, and the sea) took advantage of the situation to appropriate the roof and its facilities for its own use—over the protests of Parisians and of the building operators.
Just in case this situation changes, I've included the usual open hours to the right.
Tips
- Planning your time: It all of five minutes to see the arch and snap a few pictures—though it is so striking many spend longer admiring it. Add another 30–40 minutes if you want to ride the elevator to the top (if they start letting you do that again). Also budget 30 minutes just to ride all the way out here and back from central Paris.
- Free admission with a sightseeing discount card: Take the ride to the roof of the Grande Arche for free with the Paris Sightseeing Pass
(note: this is one sight not covered by the Paris Museum Pass). Again, though, this is currently closed to the public, perhaps forever.
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This article was last updated in March 2012. All information was accurate at the time.
Copyright © 1998–2012 by Reid Bramblett. All rights reserved.
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1 parvis de la Defense
La Defense
Tel. +33-(0)1 49 07 27 27
www.grandearche.com
OPEN
ROOF CURRENTLY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC [normally: Daily 9am–8pm, or 7pm in winter]
ADMISSION
[€10]
Paris Museum Pass: Yes (free)
Paris Sightseeing Pass
TRANSPORT
Métro: La Défense (1)
RER: La Défense (A)
