Champs Elysees
The Champs-Élysées (literally, the "Elysian fields") is a broad avenue in the French capital Paris. With its cinemas, cafés, and luxury specialty shops, the Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world.
The avenue runs from the Place de la Concorde to the Place de l'Étoile, location of the Arc de Triomphe, and forms part of the line of the Axe historique.
The Champs-Élysées were originally nothing but fields, until 1616 when Marie de Medici decided to build a long tree-lined pathway. In 1724, the avenue was extended up to the Place de l'Étoile.
By the late 1700s, it had become a fashionable avenue where Queen Marie Antoinette strolled with her friends and took music lessons at the grand Hotel Crillon. The Champs-Élysées became city property in 1828, and footpaths, fountains, and gas lighting were added. Over the years, the avenue has undergone numerous transitions, most recently in 1993, when the sidewalks were widened.
The Élysée Palace is located not far from the avenue.
