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La Défense
La Défense
La Défense (Parvis de La Défense, La Défense, Paris) (Metro: Esplanade de la Défense, RER: La Défense) – during the 1960s, the French government, under Charles de Gaulle, established a business district toward the western outskirts of Paris, in a successful effort to prevent the character of the central historic areas of Paris from being altered with modern skyscrapers. La Défense is the site of the Grande Arche, one of Paris’ most modern and imposing landmarks, situated at the western end of the grand axis formed by the Champs-Elysées, the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. The area, as a whole, offers visitors a break from the older historic center, and offers a taste of a futuristic, 21st century Paris.