Place de la Concorde: Luxor Obelisk, History and How to Get There
Paris's largest square, Place de la Concorde (Concorde metro, lines 1, 8, 12) is free to visit, with the Luxor Obelisk at its center. Laid out in the 18th century, it has carried several names over the course of history, including Place de la Révolution, when the guillotine stood there for several years. Today the square is best known for its Egyptian obelisk and its two monumental fountains, with the National Assembly, the Madeleine, and the Hôtel de Crillon as a backdrop.
Highlights
The Luxor Obelisk
Given to France by the viceroy of Egypt Méhémet Ali, this 23-meter pink granite obelisk was erected in 1836, on the very spot where the guillotine once stood during the Revolution. Its tip received a gilded cap in 1998.
The Fountain of the Rivers
Created by Jacques-Ignace Hittorff in 1836, this monumental fountain on the Madeleine side represents the Rhône and the Rhine along with the harvests of wheat, grapes, and fruit. The Hôtel de Crillon stands right behind it.
The view toward the Champs-Élysées
From the square opens one of the finest vistas in the capital: the Champs-Élysées, running straight up to the Arc de Triomphe.
Practical info
Tips
- The square also doubles as a huge traffic roundabout, and a very busy one, so only cross at the marked pedestrian crossings or use the underpasses. The Tuileries Garden begins right next door, and the Champs-Élysées leads all the way to the Arc de Triomphe. Rue Royale leads in a few minutes to the Église de la Madeleine, recognisable by its Corinthian columns. On the north side of the square, the Hôtel de la Marine, one of the two twin 18th-century palaces, can be visited: the intendants' apartments, the state rooms and a loggia overlooking the square.
How to get there
The square is served by the "Concorde" metro station (lines 1, 8, 12). Buses 42, 45, 72, 73, 84, and 94 stop there too, along with night bus lines N11 and N24.
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
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