Share this ...
Arc de Triomphe Fast Facts
- Built by Napoléon for his army and commissioned in 1806.
- It took 30 years to build the Arc.
- Napoléon and his army had conquered much of Europe by then and were considered invincible.
- Napoléon promised his army they would return home through the arches of the Arc.
- The Arc is 162 feet tall and 150 feet wide.
- You need to climb 284 steep steps to reach the top of the Arc.
More...
- The arch is meant to celebrate victories and has its victories carved in its walls.
- Names of generals are also carved in the walls. Those with underlined names show that the general died in battle.
- Germans marched under the arch during the Franco-Prussian War.
- The Nazis did the same in World War II.
- Napoléon died before construction was complete, but his body was marched through the arches on its way to its final resting place at the Military Museum.
- Napoléon had a wooden replica of the Arc made where he married his wife Marie-Louise.
- On November 11, 1923, the memorial flame at the base of the arch was lit and is rekindled every night at dusk to honour the unknown soldier.
- Armistice Day is celebrated at the grave of the unknown solider at the base of the arch.
Below is my YouTube video that I took from the upper level of a bus while driving down the Champs-Élysées heading out of town. It's a nice drive along the boulevarde looking at the shops, cars, people and trees until we reach the Arc de Triomphe, which you can see close up. I was travelling with friends and we chat a bit as we drive through Paris on the clip.
If you want to see more short clips from Paris and around France including Parisian gardens, Paris boutiques, stunning beaches on the Breton coast, Uzès, antique markets in Provence and more - take a look at my YouTube channel A French Collection.
Looking for more French fast facts? Here's some fun fact blog posts.
