Champs Elysees: a place of power and one of the main symbols of France. Champs Elysees

The Champs Elysees is the most visited attraction in Paris. They say: "If you haven't visited the Champs Elysees, then you haven't visited Paris." The Champs-Elysées is world famous for its bourgeois style and a huge number of chic shops. The cinemas on the Champs-Elysées often host movie premieres with the participation of world movie stars.

Champs Elysees- perhaps the most famous street in Paris. It originates at the Place de la Concorde (Concorde) and extends to the Arc de Triomphe itself. Neither more nor less, but 1915 meters long and almost 70 wide. A whole avenue in the center ancient city. Although it is more correct, in French, to call it an avenue. Avenue "Champs Elysees"

And it all started not so important. And the history of this street is not so long at all (this is compared with the more than 2000-year history of Lutetia, which became Paris). The first documentary mention of this area dates back to the 16th century. Then there was a half-swamp-half-forest on the border with the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens. The French monarchs loved to hunt ducks - fortunately, they didn’t have to go far. Why is the swamp in what seems to be the center of the city? True, then it was impossible to call it a center - settlements. And the Seine, which cuts Paris in two, had its old channel here. It was not royal to forget such unkempt possessions next to the beloved garden, and already in 1616, at the direction of Marie de Medici, work began on the cultivation of these territories. The court landscape architect, Lenoitre, took over the business. It was under his leadership that three long alleles with elms appeared. A little more time passes: the road is strengthened for the passage of carriages and gas jets are placed on its sides. Thus begins the glorious history of the Champs Elysees. The first houses appeared here a little later - closer to the middle of the 18th century.

Even then, this street gets its glorious name. Let us turn to Homer and his immortal Odyssey:

The Champs Elysees is the place
Where the lightly carefree days of man run:
Where there are no snowstorms, no downpours, no cold winters;
Where the Zephyr blows sweetly noisily flying Ocean,
With a slight coolness sent there to blessed people.

The famous Champs Elysees stretches between the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. Compared to the two thousand years of Paris, the Champs Elysees is a relatively young street. Once upon a time, a dried-up branch of the Seine lay here, and until the beginning of the 16th century, these were marshy places where the French kings came to hunt ducks. In 1616, at the direction of Marie de Medici, three avenues with elms were laid here, and in 1667, under the leadership of the landscape architect Le Nôtre, a promenade area was arranged that continued the Tuileries Garden. The first houses appeared on the Champs Elysees when construction began royal palace at Versailles. As Nikolai Karamzin, who visited Paris in 1790, wrote, the Champs Elysees then resembled a small forest “with small flowering meadows, with huts scattered in different places, of which in one you will find a coffee house, in the other a shop. Here on Sundays people walk, music plays, cheerful bourgeois women dance. Poor people, exhausted from six days of work, rest on the fresh grass, drink wine and sing vaudeville. During the Second Empire, elegant mansions, asphalt pavements, gas lamps appeared on the Champs Elysees. In 1815, when the troops of the anti-French coalition entered Paris, the Cossacks of Alexander I and the British set up their bivouacs on the Champs Elysees.

What is worth seeing on the Champs Elysees? Of course, the Elysee Palace (PALAIS DE L'ELYSEE)
The first mansion on the site of the modern palace was built back in 1718. It was a classical, modestly decorated two-story building with a courtyard and garden. The mansion expanded, passed from hand to hand, among many others it was owned by Madame de Pompadour, Napoleon's sister Caroline Murat, his ex-wife Josephine, Napoleon III, under whom the building was modernized. Since 1873, the Elysee Palace has been the residence of the President of the country.

One of the oldest French restaurants, Pavillon Ledoyen, is also located here. The pavilion (a yellow building that has survived to this day), built back in 1848, played a tangible cultural role: whoever has not been here: Flaubert loved to eat, Maupassant and Zola drank coffee, Jean Cocteau and his partner founded the famous NRF at these tables - “New French magazine. And you and I are approaching Ron Point. This is the theater of the same name (Theatre de Rond-Point), in which the troupe, founded by honored workers of the French theater Madeleine Reno and Jean-Louis Barrault, has been registered since 1980, and the round square (140 m in diameter) which ends the promenade of the Champs Elysees . On the right is the editorial office of the newspaper Figaro, on the left - the newspaper Jour de France. A large artery departs from here (two sidewalks of 22 m each and a carriageway - 27 m). Along it are airline offices, banks, car showcases. There are many cinemas on the Champs Elysees, commercial centers of the largest automobile campaigns, the famous cabaret "Lido" (and on the contrary - one of the most expensive Russian restaurants "Rasputin"), a huge music store Virgin Megastore, travel agencies different countries, the central office of tourism (here you can get booklets and brochures about the sights of Paris). After visiting the Champs Elysees, you can have a snack for 4-5 euros. How? Visiting the brainchild of the American fast food industry restaurant McDonald's. It's the same here as it is anywhere else on the planet. However, the famous restaurant "Le Fouquet" s "is still "alive" (among its guests were Sasha Guitry and Charlie Chaplin). The Champs Elysees is probably the only place in Paris where you could see a portrait of ... Lenin until 2002. Its mosaic an image adorned one of the office walls Russian airline Aeroflot. At the beginning of the 21st century, quite in the spirit of the Russian traditions of the destruction of monuments, someone made a decision to dismantle the mosaic. Among the most famous brands presented on the Champs Elysees are Benetton, Disney Store, Nike, Zara, Gap, Lacoste, Louis Vuitton, Guerlain, Sephora, Yves Rocher, Cartier. Many of these stores are the largest in the world. In particular, the Champs-Elysées boasts Louis Vuitton department store and the largest Adidas store, which opened in February 2007. And one of the latest brands to earn the right to be represented on this street is H&M. It took H&M representatives almost a few years to get permission to build the store.

If you and I found ourselves in the capital of France and managed to visit not only Notre Dame Cathedral, but also the Louvre, then let's continue our fantastic walk through the amazing city and go further, to the Champs Elysees through the Tuileries Garden with its sculptures, intricately trimmed trees and sprinkled with crushed limestone walkways.

Leaving the Louvre behind us, we admired the Parisian "matryoshka dolls" - three arches located along the historical architectural axis of the French capital, as if nested in each other: the triumphal arch on Carruzel Square, the Arc de Triomphe on Charles de Gaulle Square and the Grand Arch in the Défense district. Let's go along this axis.

At the Tuileries with Mayol and Perrault

“Under the sun, in the rain, at noon and at midnight, there is everything you want on the Champs Elysees” - this song by Joe Dassin, having barely sounded in 1969 for the French, and a few years later from the screens of Soviet televisions, became even more one easily recognizable stroke of the image of Paris. Champs-Élysées Avenue (avenue des Champs-Élysées) is a showcase of Paris sparkling with splendor, its hallmark with gold embossing. Since those very 1970s, each of our fellow citizens knows exactly what Shans-Elise is. Yes, just a song! And this is not far from the truth - the words "field" (champ) and "song" (chant) in French sound exactly the same.

The Champs-Elysées is not the longest street, and there will not be two kilometers, but it can take you several hours to walk along it. Why? Yes, because it is the focus of premiere cinemas, just theaters, glamorous restaurants and cafes, luxury stores. In a word, the cutting edge of world fashion and lifestyle, and here you will spend a lot of time, and maybe money.

I strongly advise you to make a short stop in the Tuileries Garden before getting a portion of fashion impressions.

Five centuries ago, there was a suburb here, where clay was mined for the production of tiles - la tuile. That is, the name of the exquisite garden with sculptures by Aristide Maillol can be translated as Tiles. After all, there are, say, streets in Moscow with the same completely proletarian names: Bronnaya, Kuznetsky Most, Stoleshnikov Lane. But it’s not armored workers, blacksmiths, or weavers that have been living there for a long time ...

Admire the most French regular park, and if you have children with you, then take pictures against the backdrop of a white marble monument to the storyteller Charles Perrault and his Puss in Boots (pictured above). And then sit down to have a bite to eat in one of the garden's summer cafes. If you have provisions in store, then you can have a picnic without hesitation, sitting on the chairs available in the garden. It is not forbidden to transfer them and put them where it is convenient for you.

Concorde with obelisk

Have a rest? Refreshed? Let's go further. We leave the Tuileries and get to Place de la Concorde (la place de la Concorde). It is easy to recognize her by the 23-meter Luxor obelisk Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II, presented to France in 1831 by the ruler of Egypt, Mehmet (Mohammed) Ali.

In addition, the square is decorated with sculptures, allegorically depicting eight largest cities countries: , Nantes, Bordeaux, and . There are also two fountains by the architect Jacques Ignace Hittorff, symbolizing one - the sea, the other - the four main rivers of France (Loire, Seine, Rhone and Garonne). Topic water element arose here for a reason: the Ministry of the Navy of France is located on the square. Well, a couple of the building of the Ministry was a luxurious five-star hotel Crillon (Hotel de Crillon). Outwardly, they are almost indistinguishable, because they were built according to the same project of the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel (Ange-Jacques Gabriel).

The Place de la Concorde is famous - alas, notorious - also for the fact that it was here during the Great French Revolution that King Louis XVI, Queen Marie Antoinette, many royal ministers, and aristocrats were guillotined. And then the revolution began to devour its children - now Robespierre, Danton and many other "enemies of the people" went under the knife (yes, this phrase was not born in Soviet Russia - in revolutionary France). In total, the square, then called Revolution Square, saw more than a thousand executions! In 1795, the revolutionary terror came to naught, and the square was given a pacifying name - Consent.

History of the Champs Elysees. From Maria Medici to Russian Cossacks

While we are crossing the square to get to the Champs Elysees itself, let's remember where such a wonderful name came from. After all, in translation it means "Paradise fields." Elysium - this is how the ancient Greeks called their paradise, where the heroes of Hellas rest from battles and exploits on evergreen fields. The gods almost equalized their rights with themselves, the great ones. Remember Homer? He called Odysseus none other than god-like.

But even in the 16th century, there was nothing like the abode of the blessed here: a rare swampy forest in which only ducks blissed, and even those - until they fell into the sight of the king or his courtiers, who loved to hunt here. The first attempt to turn the jungle into a garden was made at the beginning of the 17th century at the direction of Marie de Médicis, wife of King Henry IV. She ordered to ennoble the hunting grounds, making them something like a continuation of the Tuileries garden. Happened.

Half a century later, her grandson King Louis XIV ordered three roads to be laid here at once, connecting the Louvre and the Tuileries Palace with its country residence- Versailles. Soon the sun king gives the architect-jardine (gardener) André Le Nôtre a large state order: to continue the arrangement of the roadside area so that it pleases the monarch's eye. Louis XIV was not mistaken in his choice - Andre, the son of the chief gardener of the Tuileries, Jean Le Nôtre, drained the remnants of duck swamps, built walking paths, and installed gas lamps along the royal highways. The king was delighted, and the people poured into the new “recreation area”.

In April 1790, our great historian Nikolai Karamzin visited here. Here are the impressions he left in his “Notes of a Russian Traveler”: “Through a vast velvet meadow you enter the fields of the Champs Elysees, not without reason called by this attractive name: a forest planted by the oreads themselves (mountain nymphs. - Auth.), with small flowering meadows, with huts scattered in different places, of which you will find a coffee house in one, and a shop in the other. Here on Sundays people walk, music plays, cheerful bourgeois women dance. Poor people, exhausted from six days of work, rest on the fresh grass, drink wine and sing vaudeville.

In less than a quarter of a century, Russian officers, as they say, who grew up on Karamzin's books, were able to see with their own eyes what he wrote about. On March 30, 1814, the Russian army, with the support of the allies, defeated the remnants of the Napoleonic troops, took Paris and camped right on the Champs Elysees. Here it is, a bivouac, on a lithograph of that time.

How to get there

I can only repeat: Paris must be felt not only with the heart, but also with the feet. Therefore, walk, look, admire and remember what you see for a lifetime. It is clear that you can be made happy with a hotel located very far from the sights of Paris, the same, for example, the Champs Elysees. Then, of course, you'd better use the metro - the legs are still not state-owned.

At the beginning of the avenue are the stations "Tuileries" ("Tuileries") and "Concorde" ("Concorde"), closer to the middle - "Champs-Élysées - Clemenceau" ("Champs-Élysées - Clemenceau") and "Franklin D. Roosevelt" ("Franklin D. Roosevelt"), then - "Georges Sank" ("Georg V") and at the end, right next to the Arc de Triomphe, - of course, the station "Charles de Gaulle - Etoile" ("Charles de Gaulle - Étoile") , named after the square of the same name.

champs elysees

Well, here we are, the descendants of the Cossacks, soldiers, and maybe officers of 1814, found ourselves on the famous avenue. The first 700 meters of the Champs Elysees are parks in which mansions are hidden, built a couple of centuries ago for French nobility and embassy corps.

To our right is the Elysee Palace, the residence of the President of France. But you can't see him behind the greenery of the park from Shans-Elise Avenue, you have to come closer. Of course, even in the presidential courtyard, let alone in the palace, you will not get. There is such an opportunity only once a year, on the third Sunday of September, when all or almost all doors open in France architectural monuments. The rest of the time, the president is asked not to disturb.

In his personal account in the Golden Salon of the Elysee Palace, he decides state issues, and God forbid he go down to the underground bunker, also called Jupiter's office! From this command post the head of France may order the use of atomic weapons. Better let him visit Madame de Pompadour's musical salon more often, where the Council of Ministers now meets on Wednesdays.

Shops, restaurants, cafes etc.

There are so many fashionable shops (and sometimes such firms that you have not even heard of before) and offices of large companies per square meter, perhaps nowhere else in Europe, or even in the world. Only here on Shans Elise. When I first came here, and it was back in the late 1980s, I proudly noted that our Aeroflot was no worse than Air France, Lufthansa or American Airlines. Because he opened his representative office in Paris not just anywhere, but on the Champs Elysees, 33. By the way, it is still there, look at the photo below.

At the risk of disappointing you, but I personally never bought anything on the Champs Elysees. And I do not advise you. I repeat: this is a showcase where the most famous brands are simply obliged to display their most fashionable flashy products. The position is binding. Look, be surprised, remember, figure out what suits you and what doesn’t. But this does not mean that you are obliged to buy these products here.

On that very first visit to Paris, I saw very beautiful, but expensive suede boots in one of the boutiques on Shans Elise. That would, I think, bring my wife. And then I found exactly the same in another store on the other street - half the price. My Soviet and then not at all a market soul did not immediately understand simple truth, what are you paying extra for the right of your wife to say to her shocked friends: “Where are these boots from? Yes, my husband bought on the Champs Elysees ... "

Restaurants? Again, it cannot be said that the best cooks work here, on the Champs Elysees. Firstly, who likes what - one likes foie gras, and the other tartare, that is, just well-peppered ground beef. Raw! With raw yolks!.. Secondly, you should look for author's cuisine in other places in Paris. Because here, on the Champs Elysees, they cook for tourists. “But they,” the French think to themselves, “still don’t understand anything in our kitchen.” In short, if you want to eat deliciously, ask a Parisian where he dine himself.

It is a different matter if you have enough money to fulfill your goal of buying something right here on Shans Elise, and then mark the purchase (or purchases) here. Then - yes, I do not argue and take a step to the side along with common sense. Silence, voice of reason! After all, we are in Paris, we are on the Champs Elysees!

And, by the way, a stone's throw from the Place de la Zvezda, aka Charles de Gaulle Square.

The Champs Elysees is coming - the main street of the French capital. Every tourist dreams of visiting here. locals are also proud of this attraction. The size of the street is impressive, its length exceeds 1915 meters, and its width is 71 meters.

Street that delights

The Champs Elysees simply attract passers-by, at any time of the day or night it is crowded. The name of the avenue has its roots in Greek mythology, according to which they represent a blessed place, a haven for the souls of heroes. Tourists from all over the world tend to visit this street, ideal for hiking. Locals make dates here, newlyweds take the brightest photos for their wedding album.

Slowly strolling, guests of Paris enjoy the views of the avenue connecting Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. The architectural appearance of the street will not leave anyone indifferent. Of course, France is not only the Champs Elysees. Photos of the historical site will be presented below in this article.

History of appearance

Surprisingly, initially the area on which currently Champs Elysees are located, was covered with swamps and was favorite place for duck hunting by the royal nobility. This is evidenced by written sources from the past.

Landscaping began in the 17th century. It was then that Marie de Medici ordered to put the area in order and turn it into a continuation of the Tuileries Park.

In 1667, another king, Louis XIV, ordered that several roads be laid here, along which it would be convenient to get from Versailles to the Tuileries castle. Their decoration was a unique nature.

Thank you André Le Nôtre!

The result so impressed the French king that he, without thinking twice, decided to equip the area adjacent to the roads. The work was entrusted to the court landscape architect Andre Le Nôtre, who managed in a very short time to create alleys for hiking, plant trees, and install lanterns on the site of the former swamps. A well-maintained place from the first days attracted the French nobility and townspeople.

The territory was further developed in the 18th century. The Duke d'Antin ordered that the road be extended to the heights of Chaillot. Now this area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe area is known as Charles de Gaulle Square.

After the death of d'Antin, the Marquis de Marigny continues his work, extending the road to the bridge of Neuilly. At the same time, the landscaped area began to acquire infrastructure, coffee shops and small shops opened. Already not only the townspeople, but also the guests of Paris increasingly visited the Fields. After the French Revolution, the wide avenue was named Champs Elysees.

Gray facts of history

However, the history of the Champs Elysees has not always been rosy. So, under King Louis XVI, the territory was devastated and depopulated. Rare passers-by were regularly subjected to robbery, in connection with which a guards post was built.

In 1814, as a result of the capture of Paris by Russian troops, the Champs Elysees were thoroughly devastated by the Cossacks. Bringing the area back to its original form took several years.

Triumphal Arch

In 1828, on the fields restored and transferred to the balance of the city, new establishments began to be built and opened. Soon the famous Arc de Triomphe was erected.

Paris, like France as a whole, was repeatedly raided and conquered. In the 20th century, the Nazi invaders defiantly led their troops through the Arc de Triomphe, showing their power over the French capital. Champs Elysees in Paris historical monument, which delights and amazes with its beauty. The arch gets into the frame of any film that is filmed in France.

Current state

Every tourist visiting France should definitely see the Champs Elysees, otherwise the impression of the country will be incomplete. The central street of Paris impresses with a variety of shops, coffee houses and restaurants. Skillful landscaping of gardens, beautiful architecture palaces will not leave anyone indifferent.

The length of the Champs-Elysées is such that on foot it will take at least half an hour to walk the entire street. And if you still go to all kinds of boutiques and restaurants, then you can spend the whole day like that. The shopping infrastructure is amazing: you can find literally everything in local shops. The northwest end of the Champs Elysees is especially favorable for shopping.

Travelers' favorite place in Paris

Each tourist considers it his duty to capture the beauty that has opened to him on a camera or a movie camera. Tour guides are ready to talk for hours about the amazing history of the Champs Elysees. When compiling a route for a future excursion, you should prepare in advance a list of attractions that you would like to visit. The Arc de Triomphe and the oldest and most famous restaurant "Ledoyen" can be safely attributed to the number of such cultural heritage sites of the French capital. However, it should be noted that the prices in this institution are in line with its history and status. It is also recommended to visit the Elysee Palace, however, you can do this only once a year, when it is open to visitors. At other times, the President of France works there.

The area for hiking ends near the Ron Point theater, famous among connoisseurs of art. Then the shopping part begins, replete with banks, shops, airline offices.

Fast-food cafes, conveniently located on the Champs Elysees, enjoy great popularity among Parisians and visitors to the city, especially those who do not have the financial ability to afford lunch in expensive restaurants.

The number of shops on the main street of Paris is so great that they seem to be countless. All well-known brands are represented here, you can find a store of almost any subject: sports, souvenir, clothing, electronic equipment. Wealthy shoppers can look into the fashion brand store, where the average price tag exceeds a thousand euros.

Place for celebrations

Nevertheless, it is a mistake to perceive the Champs Elysees in Paris as a kind of giant market. First of all, it is a cultural place, a monument of history. Not everyone will be able to open their store in this place, so each institution presented here can boast an excellent reputation.

A lot of impressions are guaranteed to those who visit Champs Elysees on one of the French national holidays. The main alley of the country these days turns into a huge podium. So, for example, every year in August, on the 26th, you can witness a fascinating parade in memory of the liberation of France from Nazi troops.

Very often the central street (Champs Elysees) turns into a venue for various public events. Even on cold and cloudy days, not conducive to walks, at least three hundred thousand people come here. Residents of Paris and its guests are not stopped by rain or wind.

According to official statistics, the average street traffic reaches 450,000 people per day. At the same time, life on the avenue does not stop with the onset of twilight: it is very lively here all night. Many people try to meet the sunrise in such a beautiful place and capture unique memories with a camera or video camera. Romantics will be especially impressed by France. The Champs Elysees is also a must visit. You are provided with not only positive emotions, but also vivid photos. On many souvenir goods the image of this district is placed.

visit historical places can be used alone or as part of excursion group. The second option is preferable because an experienced guide always knows what to pay attention to tourists, and will describe in detail each unique object of historical cultural heritage.

When the word "France" comes to mind, the Champs Elysees immediately comes to mind, of course, immediately after the world famous eiffel tower, which has already become a symbol of France, its hallmark. But, even though the Champs-Elysées are not the first to be remembered, the second place is also very good. And if you suddenly find yourself in Paris, then after admiring the tower and enjoying the Louvre and a walk along, you will undoubtedly go to the Champs Elysees, because being in Paris, it is simply impossible not to honor them with your attention. But let's not only admire, but also try more interesting information learn about the Champs Elysees.

Why is the Champs Elysees so called?

Perhaps this is the first question that every tourist asks himself. Well, this is not surprising, because the name is really unusual, besides, a Russian person invariably has associations with Tsarevich Elisey and immediately wants to know why the French "stole" our prince. But in fact, everything is not so simple and they “stole” far from us.

The Champs Elysees got its name from ancient Greek mythology. There was such a place in the myths - Elysium - the islands of the blessed. The righteous and heroes lived in Elysium, who received their portion of immortality from the Olympic gods. That is, as you already understood, Elysium is Paradise. It is from this beautiful word that the name of the Champs Elysees came from, so that having been there, one can say with confidence that he has been to Paradise.

Where are the Champs Elysees located?

Well, this question, in terms of popularity, will probably be the second. Still, you need to know where to go to get to the coveted Champs Elysees. Although in general there should be no problems with how to get to the Champs Elysees, because every Parisian will be able to tell you the way. But, nevertheless, let's figure out where the Champs Elysees are located.

Conventionally, we can divide the boulevard into several parts. The park area starts from the Place de la Concorde and ends near the Round Square. After the Round Square, the Champs-Elysées pass into the shopping area, which ends with the Place de la Star. And on the square of the star, the Champs Elysees are crowned with the famous Arc de Triomphe, which has been mentioned more than once in many famous novels, and also captured in all its glory in the paintings. It is near this arch that various events and holidays are held. So this place can, no doubt, be called the most solemn place in Paris.

In the park on the Champs-Elysées, you can enjoy fresh air and leisurely walks, but in the so-called shop part of the Champs Elysees, you can arrange truly royal shopping. In addition to expensive stores of world brands, you can also find chic restaurants here on the Champs Elysees, including the Russian restaurant with the ambiguous name "Rasputin".

But, of course, the main attraction of the Champs Elysees, of course, is the Champs Elysees - the residence of French presidents. This palace was built in the 18th century for Count Evreux. Later, the famous Madame de Pompadour bought the building, and after her death, according to the will expressed in the will, the palace passed to the King of France, Louis XV. But already in 1873, the Elysee Palace became the residence of the presidents, which it is in our time.

Champs Elysees in Paris amazing beauty. This is the abode of luxury and wealth, a historical monument to the past and simply a romantic place in the most romantic city in the world. Perhaps, if you hurry, you will still have time to meet this New Year on the Champs Elysees, breathing in the aromas and love that permeate the air of France.

Or Champs-Elysees (Chance-Elise) in French. One of the most famous and oldest highways in Paris, which has been known for several centuries. By the way, it is also the widest (71m), the length of which is 1915m. The inhabitants of the city affectionately call Champs Elysees"the most beautiful avenue in the world."

Conventionally, the boulevard can be divided into a park zone, which originates from and continues to the Round Square - Rond-Point (Ron Point). Further, the Champs Elysees pass into the so-called shop part, which continues to the end of the avenue and ends where the next attraction of Paris is located - the Arc de Triomphe. So observation deck, which is at the top of the arch, offers a wonderful view of the famous boulevard and the incomparable Paris. At the foot of the arch, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been located since 1921, and since 1926 the Eternal Flame has been lit here. Until now, this place is perhaps one of the most solemn and official places in Paris. It is here that various holidays and folk events are held, dedicated to the official celebrations of France, as well as Europe. For example, the celebration of the end of the First World War. Many people come here to celebrate national holidays.

In the shop part of the avenue, as the name implies, there are many expensive boutiques of the most famous world brands, showcases with prestigious cars, banks. The boulevard is also known for its expensive and sophisticated restaurants and cafes, including the aristocratic Rasputin. Cinemas often host world events, with the participation of screen stars. By the way, walking along the boulevard, you can easily meet one of them. Interesting fact that the cost of renting premises on the Champs Elysees can reach up to 1.5 million dollars per 100 sq. meters. Also, the boulevard is considered the second most expensive street in the world, after Fifth Avenue (New York).

More than 400 years ago, on the site of the boulevard, there was an unsightly swampy area where nobles and kings often came to hunt ducks. But in 1616, the French Queen Marie de Medici decided to continue along the Seine River and add three more avenues to them, which are now called the Queen's Boulevard. And later, in the 18th century, it was decided to continue the street to the Etoile Hill. "Etoile" in French "star", as you understand, now here is the Square of the Star.

In those distant years, it seemed that the Champs Elysees was like a small forest with houses where Parisians and tourists walk and where you can sit and relax after a hard day. And especially a lot of people gathered on weekends, noisy picnics with dancing and wine were held here.

One of the most famous architects involved in the construction and decoration of the avenue was Hittorf. Before him, there were less than ten buildings on the boulevard. It was he who built several pavilions on both sides of the street and enriched the gardens. But even in our time, the Champs Elysees is more like a large elegant garden than a street, especially at its beginning near the Place de la Concorde.

The main attraction of the Champs Elysees today is the beautiful palace of the head French Republic. This residence was built for the Count of Evreux in the 18th century, and then, the building was acquired by Madame de Pompadour. But only after she died, according to her will luxury palace passed into the possession of King Louis XV. In 1873, as the Duchess of Bourbon, the previous owner, called it then, it became the residence of the French presidents. All subsequent presidents of the country lived and worked in this mansion.

On the avenue, on the south side, there are two large palaces Grand and Petit Palais (“Large” and “Small”) with luxurious neoclassical exteriors and extensive sculptural compositions. These buildings house several museums and exhibitions, which have now become smaller due to their restoration. At the end of the south side of the street are ministries and embassies of foreign countries.

Not only one of the most beautiful places in Paris, and perhaps in the world, but also one of the most expensive and luxurious. Indigenous residents of the city and tourists have different feelings for this street, someone as a historical monument, not being able to spend more. And others believe that they can afford to spend money here, and therefore the avenue for them is a symbol of luxury and wealth.
The address: Avenue des Champs?lys?es