# Trocadéro, Paris > The Trocadéro is Chaillot hill on the Right Bank of the Seine, directly opposite the Eiffel Tower, with the most famous view of it. At the top stands the 1937 Palais de Chaillot, its two curved wings framing a wide esplanade, while gardens with a long basin and the powerful Warsaw Fountain run down to the river. The palace wings hold the Maritime Museum, the Musée de l'Homme and the City of Architecture. The esplanade and gardens are open 24 hours and free; the museums are ticketed. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/paris/trocadero - City: [Paris](https://yesgo.io/france/paris), France - YesGo score: 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 40 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Esplanade and gardens free - Hours: Open 24 hours - Palace museums: Ticketed, closed Tuesday or Monday - Fountains: Run in the warm season - Duration: ≈ 30–60 minutes - Location: 16th arrondissement, metro Trocadéro - Coordinates: 48.86278, 2.28722 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1937** — the Palais de Chaillot was built (source: English Wikipedia) - **1948** — Declaration of Human Rights adopted here (source: English Wikipedia) - **50 m** — height of the Warsaw Fountain jets (source: English Wikipedia) - **9.4 ha** — area of the Trocadéro gardens (source: English Wikipedia) ## 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](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/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. > **When to come for photos** The best time is sunrise: the esplanade is almost empty and the tower glows in soft morning light. In the evening crowds gather to see the tower light up and sparkle for five minutes every hour after dark. By day the sun is behind the tower, giving harsher photos. Beware of keyring sellers and 'petition' collectors, and keep your belongings close. ## 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. ## How to get there 1. Metro lines 6 and 9 to **Trocadéro**, exiting onto the square. 2. From the Eiffel Tower, across Pont d'Iéna and up through the gardens, 10 minutes. 3. From the Arc de Triomphe, down Avenue Kléber, a 20-minute walk. 4. Buses 22, 30, 32 and 63 to the Trocadéro stop. ## 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. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Photograph the tower from the esplanade - [ ] Come at sunrise or for the evening lights - [ ] See the Warsaw Fountain - [ ] Look into the City of Architecture - [ ] Walk down through the gardens to Pont d'Iéna ## Places in Paris: compare and choose Places in Paris rated by YesGo. - [Eiffel Tower](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/eiffel-tower) — YesGo score 65/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h 30 min · Timed ticket, lift or stairs - [Arc de Triomphe](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/arc-de-triomphe) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Roof on a ticket - [Sacré-Cœur Basilica](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/sacre-coeur) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Basilica free - [Montmartre](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/montmartre) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · Free - [Tour Montparnasse](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/tour-montparnasse) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Observation deck ticket - [Pont Alexandre III](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/pont-alexandre-iii) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free - [Galeries Lafayette](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/galeries-lafayette) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free, rooftop terrace too - [Trocadéro](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/trocadero) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Esplanade and gardens 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 - [Champ de Mars](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/champ-de-mars) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Fondation Louis Vuitton](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/fondation-louis-vuitton) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Timed ticket, book ahead - [Seine river cruise](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/seine-cruise) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ 1-hour cruise, dinner costs more ## Don't mix it up The Trocadéro is the hill with the Palais de Chaillot on the Right Bank, where you look at the tower from; the Champ de Mars is the long park at the tower's foot on the Left Bank. ## Tips - Sunrise is quiet. - Evening sparkle. - Watch your belongings. - Water and a hat in summer. ## Questions ### Is there a fee to visit the Trocadéro? The esplanade and gardens are free and open 24 hours. ### When is the best time to photograph the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadéro? At sunrise for fewer people, in the evening for the tower's lights. ### When do the fountains run? Usually in the warm season; in winter the basin may be empty. ### Which museums are in the Palais de Chaillot? The City of Architecture and Heritage, the Musée de l'Homme and the Maritime Museum. ### How do I get to the Trocadéro? By metro line 6 or 9 to Trocadéro station. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. The esplanade and gardens are open public space. Museum prices and closing days and the fountain season weren't confirmed — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Palais de Chaillot, Jardins du Trocadéro - City of Paris website, paris.fr --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.