Palais de Chaillot

The Best View in Paris

Sitting picturesquely across the River Seine from the Eiffel Tower, in the 16th arrondisement of Paris, France, is the historic Palais de Chaillot. Built in 1937 for the International Exposition, this beautiful white-winged palace is filled to the brim with cultural amenities, but is also the site for the best view in Paris.

Palais de Chaillot was built atop the foundation of the former Palais du Trocadero. Palais du Trocadero was constructed for the 1878 World’s Fair. It was also a large winged structure, however, unlike the Palais de Chaillot, the center of the building obstructed the view from Trocadero circle. Palais de Chaillot was built in the “modern” style; known for smooth, rounded wall surfaces, that was popular during the 1920s-1940s. The current palace has an esplanade that allows for breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower, Parc du Champs de Mars, and the Seine. Along with being built atop the foundation of the former palace, the Palais de Chaillot also houses the Paris Aquarium which is located in an ancient quarry beneath it. . In 1940, after the Nazi army invaded Paris, a parade was held in the city and Adolf Hitler infamously stopped at the Palais de Chaillot for a photo-op with two of his officers with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Today, the palace houses various museums: The French Naval Museum, The Museum of Man (an anthropological museum), a French Architecture Museum, a French Monuments Museum, a theatre, and the previously mentioned aquarium. At the foot of the palace lies the Trocadero gardens which surround the largest pond in the city from which sprout an impressive array of fountains.

The Palais de Chaillot and Trocodaro Circle are must-see stops for tourists visiting Paris. This beautiful structure is not only the location of multiple museums, it also offers the most impressive angle to view the Eiffel Tower, hands down! Tourists line the edge of the esplanade to take photographs with the iconic Eiffel Tower in the near distance.