The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) long and 70 metres (230 ft) wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is located. It is known for its theatres, cafés, and luxury shops, as the finish of the Tour de France cycling race, as well as for its annual Bastille Day military parade. The name is French for the Elysian Fields, the place for dead heroes in Greek mythology. It has been described as the "most beautiful avenue in the whole world".
View of the Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe with the Louvre in the background
The historical axis, looking west from Place de la Concorde, with the Obelisk of Luxor in the foreground
The Champs-Élysées seen from the Arc de Triomphe
View at pedestrian level as seen from the middle of the avenue looking west
In landscaping, an avenue, alameda, or allée, is traditionally a straight path or road with a line of trees or large shrubs running along each side, which is used, as its Latin source venire indicates, to emphasize the "coming to," or arrival at a landscape or architectural feature. In most cases, the trees planted in an avenue will be all of the same species or cultivar, so as to give uniform appearance along the full length of the avenue.
Tree avenue in Normandy, France
An avenue at Alexandra Park, London
Hobbema's The Avenue at Middelharnis, 1689
Avenues around and radiating from, Ragley Hall, 1710s, by Johannes Kip