Place de la Concorde, Paris

About the Place de la Concorde

The Place de la Concorde is the great square of Paris and the city's largest: 7.6 hectares in the 8th arrondissement at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. It was laid out from 1748 for an equestrian statue of King Louis XV, and the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel completed it by 1772. Back then it was an octagon ringed by a moat crossed by little stone bridges.

It took its present name in 1795 as a gesture of reconciliation after the turbulent years of the Revolution. It was renamed several times afterwards, but since 1830 'Concorde' has stuck. Today it is a vast open space where the city's main axes meet: from the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe, and from the Madeleine to the Seine.

What to see on the square

• The Luxor Obelisk — Egyptian granite carved with hieroglyphs.
• The Fountain of the Seas — on the Seine side.
• The Fountain of the Rivers — on the Rue Royale side.
• Eight statues — allegories of French cities.
• The Hôtel de la Marine — an 18th-century palace, now a museum.
• The Marly Horses — at the start of the Champs-Élysées.

The Luxor Obelisk

At the centre stands the Luxor Obelisk, a yellow granite column 23 metres tall with its base and weighing over 250 tonnes. It is about 3,300 years old: it once marked the entrance to Luxor Temple in Egypt, and its hieroglyphs celebrate the pharaoh Ramesses II. Egypt's ruler Muhammad Ali gave it to France.

Moving such a giant was a feat of engineering: it reached Paris in 1833 and was raised onto its pedestal on 25 October 1836 before a huge crowd. Diagrams on the pedestal show the machines used to carry and lift it. In 1998 the top was crowned with a gilded pyramid cap replacing the one lost in antiquity.

Fountains and statues

In 1836–1840 the architect Jacques Ignace Hittorff placed two nine-metre fountains on either side of the obelisk, modelled on those of St Peter's Square in Rome. The Fountain of the Seas, nearer the Seine, honours the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, fishing and pearl gathering, while the Fountain of the Rivers on the Rue Royale side honours the Rhône, the Rhine, harvests and wine growing. Tritons and naiads hold fish that spout water.

Around the corners stand eight statues personifying great French cities such as Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Strasbourg, placed in 1838 on pedestals Gabriel had set up. At the entrance to the Champs-Élysées are copies of Guillaume Coustou's famous Marly Horses.

The palaces and the Hôtel de la Marine

The north side is lined by two palaces with matching façades by Gabriel, inspired by the Louvre colonnade. Between them runs the Rue Royale towards the Madeleine. The western palace houses the Automobile Club de France, the International Automobile Federation and the famous Hôtel de Crillon.

The eastern palace, the Hôtel de la Marine, was the royal furniture store and then, for over two centuries, the headquarters of the French Navy. After the Navy left in 2015 it was restored and opened as a museum: you can see the ceremonial rooms, the 18th-century intendants' apartments and a loggia overlooking the square. Since 2021 it has also displayed the Al Thani Collection of ancient art.

What's around the square

To the east lies the Tuileries Garden: through Gabriel's gilded gates the main avenue runs to the Louvre. Its terraces hold two museums, the Orangerie with Claude Monet's Water Lilies and the Jeu de Paume gallery with contemporary art shows. Rodin bronzes stand on the terrace too, including The Kiss.

To the west the Champs-Élysées lead to the Arc de Triomphe, and across the Pont de la Concorde stands the Palais Bourbon, seat of the National Assembly. In 2024 the square hosted Olympic breaking, skateboarding and 3×3 basketball, as well as the Paralympic opening ceremony.

Tips for your visit

The square fits neatly into a walk along the great axis of Paris: Louvre, Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe. Half an hour is enough for the square itself: circle the obelisk, look at the fountains and photograph the view of the Eiffel Tower.

The best views are from the Tuileries terraces above the square and from the Hôtel de la Marine's loggia. Book museum tickets ahead on the official website. In the evening the fountains and obelisk are lit.

On Bastille Day, 14 July, the parade down the Champs-Élysées ends here and the centre is closed, so plan your walk around it.

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How to do it right

• Free to visit.
• Lit up at night.
• Use the crossings.
• The Tuileries are next door.

Questions