The Champs-Élysées (French for "Eliseo's Fields") the name refers to the Elysian Fields
and it is the most prestigious and broadest avenue in Paris. It runs for 2 kilometres
(1.25 miles) through the 8th arrondissement in north-western Paris, from the Place de
la Concorde in the east, with its obelisk, to the Place Charles de Gaulle (formerly the
Place de l'Étoile) in the west, location of the Arc de Triomphe, (right bank).
Its full name is "Avenue des Champs-Élysées". The Champs-Élysées is known in
France as La plus belle avenue du monde ("The most beautiful avenue in the world").
With rents as high as $1.50 million a year for 1,000 square feet (100 m²) of space, it
remains the 2nd most expensive strip of real estate in the world (the first in Europe) after
New York City's Fifth Avenue.
The Champs-Elysées was originally fields and market gardens, until 1616, when Marie
de Medici decided to extend the garden axis of the Palais des Tuileries with an avenue
of trees. As late as 1716, Guillaume de L'Isle's map of Paris shows that a short stretch
of roads and fields and market garden plots still separated the grand axe of the
Tuileries gardens from the planted "Avenue des Thuilleries", which was punctuated by a
circular basin where the Rond Point stands today; already it was planted with some
avenues of trees radiating from it that led to the river through woods and fields.

By the late 1700s, the Champs-Elysées had become a fashionable avenue; the bosquet
plantings on either side had thickened enough to be given formal rectangular glades
(cabinets de verdure). The gardens of houses built along the Faubourg St-Honoré
backed onto the formal bosquets. The grandest of them was the Élysée Palace. Queen
Marie Antoinette drove with her friends and took music lessons at the grand Hôtel de
Crillon on the Place Louis XV.

Because of the high rents, few people live on the Champs-Élysées; the buildings tend to
be occupied by offices. The splendid architecture of the grandiose "Champs-Élysées" is
admired by many people. It is located right next to the Palais de l'Élysée, the presidential
palace, with its rounded gate, and the Grand Palais that was erected in the late 19th
century.
The Champs-Elysées, because of its size and proximity to several Parisian landmarks
such as the Arc de Triomphe, has made it the site of several famous (and infamous)
military parades, the most famous of which were the march of German troops
celebrating the Fall of France on June 14, 1940 and the subsequent entrance of Free
French and American forces into the city after its liberation on August 25, 1944. While
walking among the gardens and tree-lined promenades one could even encounter an
open-air marionette theatre for children, a French tradition popular through the ages.

Hand in hand with its prime location is its reputation as a premier shopping destination
and the avenue is lined with cinemas, cafes and upscale speciality shops. Finally, the
avenue is one of the most famous streets for shopping in the world. Benetton, the
Disney Store, Nike, Zara, continental Europe's largest Gap and Virgin Megastore as well
as Sephora occupy major spaces. Traditionally home of luxury brands, the Champs
Elysées confirms its world class appeal as a prime real estate location: it has lately
seen the opening of new big upscale shops such as the biggest Louis Vuitton
department store in the world, which even hosts an exhibition room, and Adidas opened
as well in February 2007 its largest store in the world in a wonderful old, classy building.
Nike has done the same on the south side of this famous avenue by opening its largest
European concept store known as "Nike Paris".

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