From Fields to Fashionable Promenade: The Early History
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées, often called the "world‘s most beautiful avenue," has a long and fascinating history that reflects the growth and transformation of Paris itself. The area where it now runs, between the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe, was once a mixture of fields, kitchen gardens and marshland on the western outskirts of the city. In the early 17th century, Queen Marie de Medici began the development of the area by extending the garden of the Tuileries Palace with a long tree-lined walkway called the Grand Cours.
But the Champs-Élysées as we know it today really began to take shape in 1667, when the famous landscape architect André Le Nôtre redesigned it as a wide promenade extending to the current Rond-Point. He planted elm trees on either side and laid out a broad central carriageway flanked by walking paths. The French name "Champs-Élysées" was formally adopted in 1709, referring to the paradisiacal Elysian Fields of Greek mythology where virtuous souls went after death.
Over the course of the 18th century, the Champs-Élysées gradually evolved into a fashionable residential area as wealthy Parisians built elegant palaces and townhouses along its length. The Duke of Marigny constructed the opulent Élysée Palace in 1718, which later became the official residence of the French President. By 1828, the avenue had become so central to Parisian life that it was formally adopted as city property. The municipal council installed paved footpaths, fountains, gas lamps and rows of trees, transforming it into a modern urban boulevard.
Monuments, Memories and Military Marches
At the western end of the Champs-Élysées rises its most recognizable monument – the colossal Arc de Triomphe. Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to honor his Grand Army, it was finally completed during the reign of King Louis-Philippe in 1836. Standing 50 meters tall and 45 meters wide, the arch features elaborate sculptural reliefs commemorating French military victories and lists the names of 558 generals and major battles. Since 1920 it has also served as the tomb of the unknown soldier, with an eternal flame lit each evening in memory of unidentified dead from both world wars.
The Champs-Élysées has been the backdrop for countless historic events and celebrations over the past two centuries. Each year on July 14, the Bastille Day military parade – the oldest and largest in Europe – marches down its length to massive crowds. When Paris fell to the Germans in June 1940, their victorious troops paraded along the avenue past the Arc de Triomphe. Four years later, Free French and American forces returned the favor after liberating the city.
Many of the towering figures of French history have also made their final journey along the Champs-Élysées, with grand state funerals held for Victor Hugo (1885), Charles de Gaulle (1970) and François Mitterrand (1996), among others. In the words of French poet Louis Aragon, "the soul of France is reflected in the stones" of this legendary thoroughfare.
Luxury Shops, Tourist Spots and a Green Future
In the modern era, the Champs-Élysées has become a major commercial center and one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Its wide sidewalks are perpetually thronged with visitors strolling past fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, Guerlain and Cartier, dining at the 100+ cafes and restaurants, or taking in a show at legendary venues like the Lido cabaret. A dazzling array of car showrooms display the latest models. And each December, a vast Christmas market spreads along its lower half, attracting some 15 million shoppers.
This combination of prestige and popularity comes with a hefty price tag. Store rents average €1,112 per square meter per year on the Champs-Élysées, making it the third most expensive shopping street in the world after Hong Kong‘s Causeway Bay and New York‘s Fifth Avenue, according to a 2019 report from Cushman & Wakefield. Those sky-high costs, along with competition from e-commerce, have led a few famous fashion brands like Chanel to close their avenue flagships in recent years.
Heavy car traffic – an estimated 3,000 vehicles per hour – has also taken an environmental toll on the Champs-Élysées and its 200,000 daily pedestrians. In response, the city has launched an ambitious "re-enchantment" project to make the avenue greener, cleaner and more people-friendly by 2030. Key goals include:
- Reducing car traffic lanes from 4 to 2 and cutting vehicle traffic in half
- Doubling the width of sidewalks and adding dedicated bike/scooter lanes
- Planting 900 new trees to provide more shade, absorb CO2 and reduce noise
- Creating "planted living rooms" with lawns, flowerbeds and children‘s playgrounds
- Improving connections to the Seine riverfront and adding pedestrian bridges
- Since 2016, the Champs-Élysées is also closed to motor vehicles on the first Sunday of each month, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to take over the avenue.
Such 21st century transformations may seem a far cry from the elegant horse-drawn carriages and gas lamps of old. But in many ways they represent a return to Le Nôtre‘s original vision of the Champs-Élysées as a green refuge and "public promenade" at the heart of Paris. Kings, emperors and presidents may come and go, but the avenue endures as a timeless symbol of the French capital‘s beauty, romance and grandeur. As actress Marlene Dietrich once said: "There is an avenue that only exists in Paris; it is the Champs-Élysées. When one walks there, one savors the luxurious feeling of being unique in the world."
Key Facts & Figures
- Length: 1.91 km (1.18 mi)
- Width: 70 m (230 ft), widening to 100 m (330 ft) near the Arc de Triomphe
- Pedestrian traffic: ~300,000 per day
- Vehicular traffic: ~180,000 per day
- Trees: 600 plane trees, to be expanded to 1500 by 2025
- Shops: 13 car showrooms, 101 cafes/restaurants, 52 flagship fashion stores
- Most expensive monthly rent: €1.5 million for a 1400m2 Nike flagship (2019)
- Notable buildings: Arc de Triomphe, Grand Palais, Petit Palais, Élysée Palace
