Situated on the western outskirts of the city, La Defense is Europe's largest business district with over 3 million square metres of office and shopping space. This bustling premier site is located just outside the city’s 20 arrondissements, about 30 minutes on the Metro from the centre of Paris.
The area spans 31-hectares and comprises sleek, contemporary design, manicured green spaces and avant garde landmarks. The enormous Grande Arche de la Défense sits at the heart of the district. The arch was commissioned by the French president François Mitterrand as a 20th century homage to the Arc de Triomphe. This enormous structure stands 109-metres tall and is 107-metres wide and can be seen from the Arc de Triomphe’s viewing platform. It resembles a cube rather than an arch, with office space in the sides of the structure, and a viewing platform at the top which has been closed to the public since 2010.
Fashion lovers are drawn to the enormous Les Quatre Temps shopping centre – the largest in continental Europe. Les Quatre Temps features dozens of stores, boutiques, and a UGC multiplex cinema. There is a plentiful indoor foot court as well as - Le Dome – an outdoor terrace where visitors can enjoy lunch before returning inside for more retail therapy. Les Quatre Temps is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except Sundays when it opens between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Wander around the district and marvel at the numerous artistic structures. The bronze La Defense de Paris that gives the district its name was sculpted by Louis Ernest Barrias and erected in 1883 in commemoration of the soldiers who fought in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. More contemporary pieces include Calder’s extraordinary Le Grand Stabile Rouge (The Red Spider) by Calder and Cesar’s gargantuan Le Pouce (The Thumb). While shopping, look out for Miro’s Deux Personnages Fantastiques (Two Fantastic Characters) located outside Les Quatre Temps.
La Defense can be accessed by public transport or takes around 30 minutes to get to from the city centre by car. As it’s away from the congestion of the centre of Paris there’s plenty of street parking available.
