Place de La Concorde facts. Maps

Place de La Concorde facts

Place de la Concorde is a beautiful 8 hectare 18th century square on the right banks of the Seine river, in between the Champs-Elysées and the Tuileries Gardens. Its length is 359 meters and its width 212 meters. It is part of the great Louvre to Arc de Triomphe walk, one of the most popular walks in the city. Access to Place de la Concorde is free. Discover Place de la Concorde, one of the top places to visit in town.

Paris metro: Concorde station on lines 1, 8, 12. Locate Place de la Concorde on Paris map. No entrance fee.

Place de la Concorde history. The guillotine.

Place de la Concorde, initially named Place Louis XV, was designed by Architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel in 1763 to celebrate the glory of almighty King Louis XV of France.

The Place Louis XV showcased a splendid equestrian statue of King Louis XV. At the north end, Jacques-Ange Gabriel added two magnificent identical stone buildings. One of them is occupied today by the famous Hotel Crillon.

During the 1789 French Revolution the statue of Louis XV was torn down and the area renamed Place de la Revolution. The revolutionary government erected the guillotine in the square. It was here that King Louis XVI, the grandson of almighty King Louis XV, was guillotined on 21 January 1793. Other important figures guillotined on the site were Queen Marie Antoinette, Princess Elisabeth of France, Charlotte Corday, Madame du Barry, Georges Danton, Camille Desmoulins, Antoine Lavoisier, Maximilien Robespierre, Louis de Saint-Just and Olympe de Gouges.

Paris history

Place de la Concorde obelisk facts

In the middle of the Place de la Concorde, stands the 3200 years old obelisk coming from the Egyptian temple of Luxor where it was marking the main entrance.

The obelisk is decorated with hieroglyphics exalting the reign of the pharaoh Ramesses II. It is one of two the Egyptian government gave to the French in the 19th century. The other one stayed in Egypt, too difficult and heavy to move to France with the technology at that time. The self-declared Khedive of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha, offered the 3300 year old Luxor Obelisk to France in 1829. It arrived in Paris on 21 December 1833. Three years later, on 25 October 1836, King Louis Philippe had it placed in the center of Place de la Concorde. The obelisk, a yellow granite column, rises 23 metres high, including the base, and weighs over 250 tons. Given the technical limitations of the day, transporting it was no easy feat — on the pedestal are drawn diagrams explaining the machinery that was used for the transportation. Missing its original cap, believed stolen in the 6th century BC, the French government added a gold-leafed pyramid cap in 1998.

Place de la Concorde five star hotel

Hotel de Crillon occupies an 18th century palace in Place de la Concorde. Some rooms have a balcony. The hotel features an indoor swimming pool and a spa. The spacious marble bathrooms feature underfloor heating as well as bespoke toiletries and a bathroom mirror with an inset television. A walk-in rain shower and a bath are also provided. Hotel de Crillon features two Restaurants, L'Ecrin which offers gastronomic meals and the Brasserie d'Aumont. Guests can also enjoy a drink or a cocktail at the lounge bar Les Ambassadeurs or enjoy afternoon tea at the Jardin d'Hiver lounge. Buffet breakfast is served daily on site. An indoor swimming pool with atypical decoration and a fireplace area is featured. Guests can also relax in the spa or enjoy massage and beauty treatments at an extra cost. A hairdresser and fitness center are available on site.

Place de la Concorde hotel

Hotel du Continent is 400 meters from Place de la Concorde. The Tuileries and the designer boutiques in Place Vendome are less than 250m. It is housed in a 19th century building in the 1st arrondissement. The rooms are decorated by Christian Lacroix. Each floor has a décor inspired by the Earth's continents. A flat-screen TV with cable channels and free Wi-Fi are provided in each room. The air-conditioned guest rooms are light and uniquely decorated. A continental breakfast is available every morning and can be delivered to guests’ rooms.