Trocadéro, Paris

About the Trocadéro

The Trocadéro is an area on Chaillot hill in the 16th arrondissement, on the Right Bank of the Seine, exactly opposite the Eiffel Tower. It offers the best-known view of the tower, standing full height across the river with fountain-filled gardens and the Champ de Mars before it, so everyone hoping for the best photo of Paris comes here.

The name comes from the Trocadéro Palace, built for the 1878 World's Fair. For the 1937 exhibition it was partly demolished and rebuilt as today's Palais de Chaillot: two curved wings with an open esplanade between them, so that nothing blocks the view of the tower.

What to see

• The Esplanade of Human Rights — the terrace facing the Eiffel Tower.
• Gilded statues — eight figures on the palace terrace.
• The Warsaw Fountain — a long basin of water jets.
• The Trocadéro Gardens — slopes of paths and sculptures.
• The Chaillot museums — architecture, the navy and human history.
• Pont d'Iéna — the direct route to the foot of the tower.

The Palais de Chaillot and esplanade

The Palais de Chaillot was designed by the architects Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, Jacques Carlu and Léon Azéma in the sober neoclassical style of the 1930s. Its two wings form a wide arc around an open terrace adorned with eight gilded statues, and the façades carry quotations by the poet Paul Valéry.

On 10 December 1948 the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Palais de Chaillot, and the terrace has since been called the Esplanade of Human Rights, with a commemorative stone. Today it's one of the liveliest spots in Paris, full of tourists, buskers, skaters and photographers with tripods.

The gardens and the Warsaw Fountain

From the palace the Trocadéro Gardens, about 9.4 hectares, slope down to the Seine. They were laid out for the 1937 exhibition by the architect Roger-Henri Expert, with paths, lawns, 1930s sculptures and a little stream with footbridges, and a carousel by the river at the bottom.

The gardens' centrepiece is the Warsaw Fountain, a long basin where twelve fountains raise 12-metre columns of water and twenty powerful water cannons at the end shoot jets 50 metres towards the tower. Cascades link it to the upper basins. These are the only exhibition fountains in Paris still working as they did in 1937. On warm days people sit on the edge with their feet in the water.

Museums in the palace

The east wing holds the City of Architecture and Heritage, with huge life-size casts of portals and sculptures from French cathedrals, a truly impressive sight. Beneath the esplanade is the Théâtre National de Chaillot, staging dance and drama.

The west wing houses the Musée de l'Homme, on prehistory and human origins, and the National Maritime Museum with its ship models. Windows and cafés in both wings also look out on the Eiffel Tower, and you can have a coffee with a view on the museum restaurant's terrace.

The Trocadéro through history

Chaillot hill was once a village outside the city, with a convent on its summit. In the 19th century a palace was planned here for Napoleon's son, but only the Moorish-style Trocadéro Palace was built, for the 1878 fair. In 1937 its central hall and towers were demolished and the wings renewed and clad in stone.

The Trocadéro has always been a place of celebration: people watch the 14 July fireworks over the Eiffel Tower from here, and in 2024 the final part of the Olympic opening ceremony took place in the gardens.

Tips for your visit

Pair the Trocadéro with the Eiffel Tower: photograph it from the esplanade first, then walk down through the gardens and across Pont d'Iéna to its foot. From there stroll the Champ de Mars or catch a Seine boat by the bridge.

For photos without crowds, stand at the edges of the esplanade rather than the centre, or go halfway down the gardens, where the view is just as good and the crowds thinner. Before sunset, claim your spot early.

The esplanade has no shade, so bring water and a hat in summer. The gardens have benches, and Place du Trocadéro has cafés with terraces.

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How to do it right

• Sunrise is quiet.
• Evening sparkle.
• Watch your belongings.
• Water and a hat in summer.

Questions