Where is Arc de Triomphe?
Arc de Triomphe is in Paris, France, in Europe. The game uses the reference point shown below: 48.8738°, 2.2950°. A guess within 25 km earns the full distance score before any hint deduction.
The pin marks the large arch at Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly Place de l’Étoile.
Map loading. Coordinates: 48.8738°, 2.2950°.
The story behind the landmark
Napoleon commissioned the arch in 1806, but its construction outlasted his rule. Work was interrupted and its dedication reconsidered under later governments. The monument was finally inaugurated in 1836, three decades after the project began. Names of battles and military figures were incorporated into its stonework.
Its meaning expanded from military commemoration to remembrance of individual sacrifice. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies beneath the arch, and the Flame of Remembrance was first lit in 1923. The tomb and flame give this monumental gateway a distinct memorial role beyond its original imperial programme.
How to recognise it
- One dominant central opening sits inside a broad rectangular stone mass.
- Large groups of carved figures project from the lower piers.
- The upper section is flat-topped, with friezes above the arch.
Look twice: a useful comparison
Do not choose Paris merely because you see a triumphal arch. Compare the number of openings, roofline and sculpture. This monument’s single dominant arch and massive piers differ from smaller, multi-opening gateways, including the Arc du Carrousel elsewhere in Paris.
A detail worth remembering
The remembrance flame dates to 1923, after the Unknown Soldier’s burial. That later addition changed how the space beneath the arch is understood: the same imposing structure can commemorate victories while also drawing attention to people whose names are unknown.
