Paris is recognized for being a capital of art, fashion, and romance. But apart from this, Paris is a major metropolitan city and hence it has a notable business district called La Défense. Unlike most cities though, La Défense is not located in the city centre, but actually along the western borders of Paris. This area is home to Paris’s tallest skyscrapers as well as many forms of modern art.
Central Esplanade of La Défense
Elysees La Defense
La Défense can be easily reached by the RER from central Paris in about twenty minutes. I was thoroughly impressed by the cleanliness and modernity of La Défense; it almost felt like going into the future. I quite envy those who work here!
Les Quatre Temps is a shopping centre in La Défense that was once the largest mall in all of Europe. Shopping malls are hard to come across in Paris, so this is the place to go on weather-unfriendly days.
Les Quatre Temps
Inside Les Quatre Temps
The most noticeable building in this district is definitely the Grande Arche. As you may be able to tell, the Grande Arche is a modern art interpretation of the Arche de Triomphe. What’s neat is that the Grande Arche is located straight down from the Arche de Triomphe, so you can see one building from the other if you’re high up enough. Props to Paris for their awesome city planning, that’s for sure.
Le Grande Arche
Stairs on the Grande Arche
Suspension inside le Grande Arche
Windmills?
Although not a major tourist attraction, I really did enjoy my trip to La Défense. It’s not a sightseeing-heavy area, but for those who are curious about where the suits in Paris work, this is a good place to spend a few hours. After all, part of travelling is about seeing how different people live their different lives.
Walkway in La Defense
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