# Place de la Concorde, Paris > The Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris, 7.6 hectares between the Tuileries Garden and the Champs-Élysées. Ange-Jacques Gabriel designed it in the 18th century, and since 1836 its centre has held the Luxor Obelisk, an Egyptian column about 3,300 years old with a gilded tip. Around it stand two fountains, statues of French cities and palaces, one of which, the Hôtel de la Marine, is now a museum. From here you see the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Madeleine. The square is always open and free. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/paris/place-de-la-concorde - City: [Paris](https://yesgo.io/france/paris), France - YesGo score: 60/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Hours: Open 24 hours - Area: 7.6 hectares - Obelisk: 23 m, over 250 tonnes - Hôtel de la Marine: Museum, ticketed - Location: 8th arrondissement, metro Concorde - Coordinates: 48.86563, 2.32124 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **7.6 ha** — the largest square in Paris (source: English Wikipedia) - **1836** — the Luxor Obelisk was raised (source: English Wikipedia) - **3,300** — years old, the obelisk (source: English Wikipedia) - **1772** — Gabriel completed the square (source: English Wikipedia) ## 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](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/champs-elysees). 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](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/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. > **When to come** The square is lovely at any hour, but best in the evening when the lamps, fountains and the distant Eiffel Tower light up. Cross only at pedestrian crossings, as traffic is still heavy around the edges. From 2026 the square is being redesigned with new green areas, so parts may be fenced off. ## 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](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/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. ## How to get there 1. Metro lines 1, 8 and 12 to **Concorde**, exiting onto the square. 2. Through the Tuileries from the Louvre, a 20-minute walk. 3. Down the Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe, a 30-minute walk. 4. Buses 42, 72 and 73 to the Concorde stop. ## 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. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Study the diagrams on the obelisk's base - [ ] Walk round both fountains - [ ] Photograph the Eiffel Tower view - [ ] Look into the Hôtel de la Marine - [ ] Continue into the Tuileries ## Places in Paris: compare and choose Places in Paris rated by YesGo. - [Champs-Élysées](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/champs-elysees) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Place de la Concorde](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/place-de-la-concorde) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Montmartre](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/montmartre) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · Free - [Place Vendôme](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/place-vendome) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 25 min · Free - [Palais-Royal](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/palais-royal) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Garden and courtyard free - [Luxembourg Gardens](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/jardin-du-luxembourg) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free - [Pont Neuf](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/pont-neuf) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 25 min · Free - [Tuileries Garden](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/tuileries-garden) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free - [Shakespeare and Company](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/shakespeare-and-company) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Île de la Cité](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/ile-de-la-cite) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h 30 min · Free, it's a city island - [Saint-Germain-des-Prés](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/saint-germain-des-pres) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Quarter and church free - [Place des Vosges](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/place-des-vosges) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free - [La Défense](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/la-defense) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 40 min · Esplanade free, arch rooftop ticketed - [Le Marais](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/le-marais) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free, it's a city district - [Latin Quarter](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/latin-quarter) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, it's a city district - [Canal Saint-Martin](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/canal-saint-martin) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free - [Parc Monceau](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/parc-monceau) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 50 min · Free ## Don't mix it up The Place de la Concorde is the vast square with the Egyptian obelisk by the Champs-Élysées; the Place de l'Étoile (Charles de Gaulle) is the round square with the Arc de Triomphe at the other end of the avenue. ## Tips - Free to visit. - Lit up at night. - Use the crossings. - The Tuileries are next door. ## Questions ### How old is the obelisk on the Place de la Concorde? About 3,300 years; it has stood in Paris since 1836. ### Is there an entry fee? No, the square is open 24 hours and free. ### What's nearby? The Tuileries, the Orangerie, the Hôtel de la Marine and the Champs-Élysées. ### Why is it called 'Concorde'? The name was given in 1795 as a sign of reconciliation after the Revolution. ### How do I get to the Place de la Concorde? By metro to Concorde station. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. The square is an open public space. Hôtel de la Marine prices and hours weren't confirmed — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Place de la Concorde - Hôtel de la Marine official website, hotel-de-la-marine.paris --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.