Napoleon's Triumphal Arch - echoing the arch of Constantine in Rome - was not finished by its due date, when his new bride Marie Louise of Austria arrived in town after her proxy marriage to him in Vienna. The finished it in canvas, and so it remained until it was finally finished after his death, in 1836.

Climb for the alternative bird's eye view of Paris - the experience of crossing the road without using the underpass (not recommended by the way!) is worth the trip alone, as is the pattern of streets radiating from the rond-point you get from the top. The traffic behaviour of the local residents is fascinating.

Don't miss the small but interesting Napoleonic museum on the way up - most visitors breeze right past, but they've got his camp bed, map cases and other stuff.

Written by  James Dunford Wood.

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