Place de la Concorde Square

Address: Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, Île-de-France, France

Admission: Free (public square)

Place de la Concorde is one of Paris’s major public squares, located at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées where it connects to the Tuileries Garden. It is historically significant and dominated by the 3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk that was erected on the square in the 19th century.

The square contains formal landscaping, large ornamental fountains and sculptural groups added during 19th-century redesigns, which make it a frequent stop on city sightseeing routes. Visitors often pause here to view the obelisk, the fountains and the sightlines toward the Champs-Élysées and the Louvre.

The site has a layered history, having been the location of public ceremonies and, in the late 18th century, revolutionary executions. Today it functions as an urban crossroads between major Parisian boulevards and cultural institutions.

Place de la Concorde lies in central Paris between the Tuileries Garden to the west and the Champs-Élysées to the north, with the Metro Concorde station providing direct public transport access.

• Luxor Obelisk: The Luxor Obelisk at the square’s center is an Egyptian granite monument of roughly 23 meters height that was installed in 1836 and bears ancient hieroglyphs.
• Fountains and sculptures: Two monumental 19th-century fountains flank the square and are notable examples of urban decorative sculptural work from the period of redesigns in the 1830s and 1840s.

Place de la Concorde is in central Paris at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. Take Paris Métro to Concorde station (lines 1, 8 and 12) and you emerge right at the square. Several bus routes also serve the area from surrounding arrondissements.

If driving it is in the 8th arrondissement on the Quai des Tuileries / Rue Royale; it is adjacent to the Tuileries Garden and easily reached on foot from nearby central landmarks.

• Visit at dawn or very early on weekdays for near-empty space and unobstructed photos of the Luxor Obelisk and the fountains before daytime traffic and tour groups swarm the square.
• Approach from the Tuileries/Gardens side rather than from the busy Rue Royale or vehicular lanes to get safer pedestrian access and better sightlines to the obelisk and surrounding sculptures.
• Take a moment to study the obelisk's inscriptions and the detail of the fountain statuary-these are often overlooked by passersby focused on the Champs-Élysées and the Seine views.