La Défense Paris: free visit, Grande Arche, esplanade and how to get there
La Défense is free to visit: an open esplanade, public art and the Grande Arche, served by RER A and metro line 1 (La Défense — Grande Arche station). La Défense is the main business district of the Paris region, located west of Paris across the towns of Puteaux, Courbevoie, and Nanterre — it is not part of Paris proper. The district has the highest concentration of office towers in France, organised around a large pedestrian esplanade lined with public artworks.
Highlights
The Grande Arche
Completed in 1989 for the bicentennial of the French Revolution, this monumental arch closes the historic axis running from the Louvre through the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe.
The esplanade and its public art
Sculptures by César, Miró, Calder, and other artists scattered along the pedestrian esplanade.
Les Quatre Temps
One of the largest shopping centres in the Île-de-France region, directly connected to the esplanade.
Practical info
Tips
- La Défense is mostly visited outdoors and for free (esplanade, public art, architecture). The Grande Arche extends the historic axis of the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées: metro line 1 links all three directly. Our complete guide to La Défense details the routes; right next door, the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre hosts the Rolex Paris Masters tennis tournament every autumn.
How to get there
RER A, "La Défense — Grande Arche" station (terminus, very fast from central Paris). Metro line 1, same station. Tramway T2. Several bus lines also serve the district.
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
Nearby
See on the map →
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