Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, originally called Étoile, is a station on Paris Metro Line 1. It is named after President Charles de Gaulle and Place de Etoile. In the middle of the Place Charles de Gaulle stands one of the greatest arches in history known as the Arc de Triomphe (arch of triumph). It gives glory and grace to the west end of the city's most famous avenue known as Champs-Elysees.

The Arc de Triomphe, a symbol of Parisian splendor and grace, was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to memorialize his victories but he was removed before the arch was completed. The task was accomplished in 1836, under the rule of King Louis Philippe.

Jean Chalgrin has based the design of the arch on the design of Arch of Titus in Rome. Though Arc de Triomphe is much higher than Arch of Titus it has exactly the same proportions. It is a prestigious 50 meter tall arch built at a circular square as the Etoile (star) from where radiates 12 prestigious avenues named after French military leaders. The base of the arch was decorated with four groups of elaborate figurative sculptures. Names of over 500 French soldiers from the Napoleonic wars were displayed on the inside walls of the arch. In 1840, the ashes of Napoleon I were transferred to the Arc de Triomphe. In 1885 funeral of a renowned French writer Victor Hugo was performed under the arch. Adolph Hitler and Nazi forces had also marched on the Champs Elysées under the arch in 1940.

In the memory of the emperor's battles, the triumphal arch is bejeweled with many Reliefs best known of which is the Departure of the Volunteers in 1792 also known as the Marseillaise. Top of the arch is adorned with 30 shields with each of them bearing the name of one of Napoleon's successful battles.

A grave of soldiers died during the First World War is present under the arch. People all over the world visit the arch to pay honor to these soldiers. From the top of the arch you can have a spectacular view of La Defense, the Champs-Elysees and the Sacre-Coeur. You have to walk up 234 steps to get to the top as there is no elevator. Because of its significant place in Paris history with both joyful and sad historical memories, the Arc de Triomphe is found on any list of Paris top tourist attractions.

The Place des États-Unis (United States Plaza) is a public place in Paris. Situated about half kilometer south of the Place de l’Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe, it consists of a plaza and a beautiful park lined with trees. The park is officially named Square Thomas Jefferson and the buildings facing it have Place-des-États-Unis addresses. Many streets join together at this place. Originally called Place de Bitche, the Place des États-Unis was named in respect of a village in the Moselle department in northeastern France. But since the name had resemblance with a bad English word “bitch”, its name was changed to Place des États-Unis.

On 13 May 1885, a bronze model of the Statue of Liberty was put up in the middle of the Place des États-Unis in front of the American diplomatic mission. The model was a fund-raising tool to collect money for the construction of full-sized statue and its transport across the Atlantic. The model remained in place until 1888. A monument of an American dentist, Horace Wells who invented anesthesia also stands here. On 4 July 1923, the President of the French Council of State, Raymond Poincare, dedicated a monument in the Place des États-Unis to the Americans who had volunteered to fight in World War I in the service of France.

Many statues are erected in the Place des États-Unis (Square Thomas Jefferson) to commemorate famous people in history. It is well worth to visit this site and to spend some time away from the chaos of the city life.

Situated in Paris, the “Musee Baccarat” is a private museum of Baccarat crystal. It houses the most important works produced by Baccarat for world fairs, 19th century universal exhibition of the 19th century and for superstars. It is present in a prestigious house on Place des Etats-Unis - once the home of art patron Marie-Laure who held marvelous parties there attended by artists like Man Ray, Cocteau and Dali.

The museum contains displays of fine glass work, including vases, dishes, limited-edition collections created by famous designers and pieces custom-made for heads of state, royals and celebrities. This place houses the famous and most expensive restaurant called the Baccarat Cristal Room restaurant as well as the showroom and shrine for the renowned crystal makers. Impressively displayed in a setting redecorated by Philippe Starck, you will be amazed to see sparkly show pieces made for Napoleon, royalty and the 19th century world fairs.

Baccarat has won many gold medals and grand prizes for his splendid work. The display of crystal shows the technical and stylistic developments that have given Baccarat its reputation. The Baccarat crystal museum welcomes visitors in one of its last Parisian storehouses of the 19th century.

Trend-setting designer Philippe Starck created the decor of the museum. It features a crystal chandelier sunk in an aquarium of water, a two meter high glass chair and many other monumental pieces.

The Musée Baccarat is one of Paris' most dazzling experiences. Your visit to Paris is incomplete without seeing a place that just glitters!

The “Guimet Museum” is a museum of Asian Art. “Emile Etienne Guimet”, a Lyons industrialist, founded the museum in 1879 to portray different religions of Ancient Egypt, Classical Antiquity, and Asia. Guimet went on a world tour in 1876. He first visited Egypt and Greece and stopped in Japan, China and India. During his journey he collected many objects which he put on display in a museum opened in Lyon in 1879.

In 1927, the “Musée Guimet” came under the administrative control of the French Museums Directorate who gave large collections of objects brought back by major expeditions to Central Asia and China. Furthermore, that same year, the museum received the original works that had previously been exhibited at the “Trocadéro Musée Indochinois”.

By 1953, the Musée Guimet was known all over the world for its loaded collections of art belonging to all various civilizations of Asia. It has also developed the museum’s research activities, a large library and the photographic archives. It served as an institution catering to an increasing public interest in Asian civilizations. Because of the financial help of the French Museum Acquisition Funds and the generosity of the many donors whose names are acknowledged in the main entrance hall, the museum has been enriched with many collectibles.

It is well worth taking time out from the sights and sounds of Paris to spend a few hours walking through the corridors and collections of this exceptional Museum dedicated to Asiatic art.

Musée Galliera also known as the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, is a museum related to the history of fashion and costume. Situated in the 19th century Renaissance style palace owned by the Duchesse Galliera, it was officially opened in 1977. A beautiful 19th century style garden encompasses the museum.

Maurice Leloir, a historian and costume collector, laid the foundation of Société de l'Histoire du Costume in 1907. He donated his collection of around 2000 garments and accessories to the city of Paris in 1920 on the condition that his collection should be kept in the Museum of Costume. Later his collection was transferred to Musee Galleria.

Numerous exhibitions, both temporary and permanent, are held in Musee Galleria annually with each one having its own specific theme. About 100,000 items of clothing, from the eighteenth century to the present day, are on display including costumes and clothes owned by famous people in history and designed by well known designer; underclothes including slips, corsets, etc.; accessories including jewelry, hats, fan, purses, carves and gloves; and graphic arts and photography including stamps, drawings, photography and advertisements.

It is impossible to think of Paris and not to think of fashion and perfumes. For many people fashion has become a part of their city life which is no doubt one of the reasons that this museum is such a success. All the biggest names of fashion industry in Paris have arranged their glamorous fashion shows in this museum.

With a collection of over 100,000 items of clothing, you will get a chance to see different items every time you visit the museum. Many of the delicate items are put on display temporarily at certain times of the year. This museum is an excellent way to give honor to the fashion industry and the way it has developed over the years.

If you are interested in fashion, a visit to the Musée Galliera is definitely well worth the time you would spend there.

Le Palais de Tokyo is a contemporary art museum in Paris, France. The museum is situated in the eponymous building, the "Palais de Tokyo" built in 1937, located near the Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement and also hosting the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris). The building has hosted a number of establishments, projects, and creative spaces, since its construction. Among them; le musée d'art et d'essai (1977-1986), FEMIS, le Centre National de la Photographie, and in 1986 the Palais de Cinema. The current museum's exhibit space opened to the public in January 2002. The Pavillon was established in 2001. Intended as a studio and laboratory space for resident artists and curators invited to the project, the Pavillon is an experimental program, designed to demonstrate the resident artists' youthful creativity.

Located in the west wing of the “Palais de Chaillot”, the Musee de l'Homme is also known as the Museum of Mankind. It is a part of the National Museum of Natural History and is one of the world's most important museums of anthropology, ethnology, paleontology and prehistory. It has more than one million objects and holds the most exclusive French collections on these subjects.

The Exhibition space is spanned over 10,000 square meters. One third of this space is kept for the prehistoric and ethnographic collections and the remaining for temporary exhibits and a library. A vast amount of research is also conducted here by the professionals. It also contains a rich collection of thousands of skulls and skeletons as well.

The Musee de L'Homme has four permanent collections:

"The Night Times", describing the development of the humans from ancient era along with the exhibits of human fossils;
"Six Billion Humans", shows the growth of world populations and the future challenges facing the humans;
"All Relatives, All Different", related to the unity and diversity of humans through biology, genetics and linguistics;
"Galleries of Ethnology", covering Africa, Asia, America, Arctic and the Pacific Islands

A prehistoric Vietnamese litho phone is present in one of its rooms known as "Room of Music" which houses a large collection of musical instruments. While you are visiting this amazing museum, you could always sit down to eat and relax in the café type restaurant that offers an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower.

The Trocadéro, site of the Palais de Chaillot, is an area of Paris across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. The hill of the Trocadéro is the hill of Chaillot, a former village. The square is officially named “Place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre” and simply called the “Place du Trocadéro”.

1867 World Fair was arranged on the hill of Chaillot. For the fair, the “Palais du Trocadéro” was constructed as a meeting place for the international organizations. Designed in the shape of a large concert hall having two wings and two towers, it showed a remarkable blend of exotic and historical references.

First large organ was set up in this concert hall in France. In 1977, it was shifted to the Auditorium Maurice Ravel in Lyon after two modifications. A large aquarium was built below the building to contain fish of French rivers. It was renovated in 1937 and again renovated from 1985 until 2006. The space between the Palais and the Seine is decorated with gardens and fountains.

The “Palais de Chaillot” was erected on the top of the hill, in place of old “Palais du Trocadéro”, for housing International Exposition of 1937. It was designed in classicizing "modere". The two wings are independent buildings and have no physical connection between them.

The buildings are decorated with quotations by Paul Valéry, and they now house a number of museums namely the Musee national de la Marine (naval museum) Musee national des Monument and the Musee de Homme (ethnology) wing etc. The Palais de Chaillot was also the initial headquarters of NATO. Moreover, the hill of Chaillot was the first to be arranged for the 1867 World Fair.

With such a rich history, it is rightly recommended to visit this palace during your stay in Paris.

The Musée national de la Marine is a maritime museum situated in the Trocadero in Paris. It is a centre for nautical culture and charts the history of the French navy and naval dockyards from the 13th century onwards through a large collection of antique and contemporary models of ships and port installations, maps and navigational instruments. Ideas about fishing, boating, aeronautics and underwater exploration are also well represented.

In 1748, “Henri-Duhamel du Monceau”, Inspector General of the French Navy, presented his collection of model ships and naval machinery to King Louis XV and requested that his collection be used for teaching the students of the newly founded school of naval engineering and architecture. Today, these objects form the core of the collections of France's maritime museum known as the “Musée National de la Marine”.

The museum is situated alongside the Central Naval Museum of Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1709, it is the oldest maritime museum in the world. It has over 40,000 objects in its care depicting every aspect of maritime history. There are six spots at which this museum exists. These museums play a significant role in the local cultural and maritime activities and traditions, and arrange temporary exhibitions particularly in Paris.

The Musée National de la Marine enlivens nearly three hundred years of French history. It is one of the most important museums in the world that houses items related to sea and boating owing to its diversity of collection. A full program of activities, suitable for all, is a great accompaniment to the visit through which anyone can discover the great history of maritime.

“Parc du Champ-de-Mars”, or the “Field of Mars”, evident in most pictures taken from the top of the Eiffel Tower, is one of the most famous parks in Paris. It boasts the name of the ancient Campus Maritus in Rome, a tribute to the Roman god of war. The park walkway is 780 meters long between the Eiffel Tower to the northwest and the École Militaire to the southeast.

Covering 24.5 hectares, the Jardin du Champ de Mars, is one of the largest parks in Paris. A rectangular square called Place Jacques-Rueff is present right in the centre of the park. It has been a popular venue for celebrations, official and cultural events and military parades. Live music concerts took place here and it is a wonderful experience to listen to the music at summer time under the starry Paris Sky.

The first anniversary of French revolutionaries capturing the Bastille prison was celebrated in 1790 on 14th July in this park. In the 16th century, vegetables were grown here. In the eighteenth century, the military used the park for the battle training. On August 27, 1783, Jacques Charles and the Robert brothers launched the world's first hydrogen-filled balloon from the Champ-de-Mars. In 1837, the marriage of the duke of Orleans was held here. It has also been used for five out of six Universal Expositions held in Paris. The most important was held in 1889 for which the Eiffel Tower – the most important feature of this park - was constructed. French military used the lawns here for drilling and for marching.

Flowering shrubs are present all along the borders and scattered beautifully throughout the park. Main fireworks displays are launched from here on Bastille Day on 14th of every year. The garden is filled with people doing picnic and waiting for the night so that they can see the incredible firework. At the eastern end of the Garden of Champ de Mars is the monument of Peace where the word “peace” is written in 32 languages on 32 columns. Visitors can also leave their personal messages.

This park is a well deserved resting place for the people looking for some place to camouflage themselves from the chaos of the city. The benches are usually full of the excited tourists discussing their tour of the beautiful city of Paris. Thanks to its location, the park offers spectacular views of the neighboring attractions.

Many tourist claims that their favorite spot in Paris is not the Eiffel Tower but the park that stretches beneath it. You now have to visit it yourself to see if it is right.