Overlooking the Seine and framed by the Jardins du Trocadéro, the Trocadéro is one of the most majestic tourist sites in Paris: from here you can admire one of the capital’s most famous and scenic views, the Eiffel Tower in all its splendour.
It is a monumental area on the rive droite of the Seine, in the 16th arrondissement: the Trocadéro contains gardens, ponds, architectural treasures and exceptional museums such as the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine and the Musée de la Marine and stretches from the Palais de Chaillot to the Pont d’Iéna, overlooking the Eiffel Tower.
Used as a NATO base, the Trocadéro participated in an important page of history: in 1948, it was here that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified by the UN General Assembly. This is why the esplanade is also called Esplanade des droits de l’homme.
Built for the Universal Exhibition of 1937, thanks to the work of architects Léon Azéma, Jacques Carlu and Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, the Palais de Chaillot, better known as the Trocadéro, is located on the Chaillot hill in the 16th arrondissement and boasts a unique and scenic perspective, positioning itself exactly opposite the Eiffel Tower.
Characterized by an architectural style dating back to the 1930s, this building consists of two pavilions and two rounded wings, which embrace a large central open space called Parvis des Droits de l’Homme.
From here you can reach the famous Trocadéro terrace from which you can admire the most panoramic and photographed view of Paris.
The Palais de Chaillot now houses the Théâtre National de Chaillot, the Musée de l’Homme, the Musée de la Marine and the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine.
The Trocadéro terrace separates the two wings of the Palais de Chaillot. It can be accessed either from the ‘back’ and Place du Trocadéro or from the Jardin du Trocadéro, on the side of the Eiffel Tower. The extraordinary view of the Eiffel Tower makes it a popular place for photographers, both tourists and professionals.
To admire the most famous and most photographed panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower, with its imposing structure, you will have to climb up to this terrace. The Eiffel Tower is directly opposite, on the other side of the Seine, about 250 metres away.
Created during the Universal Exhibition of 1937, these 93,930 m² of green spaces offer a breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower dominating the capital. You can also take wonderful photographs of the Eiffel Tower from here.
The centre of the garden features the famous Warsaw Fountain, which is equipped with no less than 20 water cannons that provide an enchanting spectacle, especially on summer nights, when special lighting highlights the surroundings of the basin. Some sculptures crown it all: golden horses, a bull’s head, ‘L’Homme’ by Traverse and ‘La Femme’ by Bacqué.
It is a lovely place to stroll around on hot summer days.
In the Trocadéro gardens, the Aquarium de Paris offers a unique journey to discover the ocean. You will encounter 13,000 fish and invertebrates from all the seas of continental France and overseas, including 38 large sharks, 2,500 jellyfish and 700 coral colonies.
Be mesmerised by the Medusarium, home to Europe’s largest jellyfish exhibition with 50 species presented in rotation in 25 tanks.
The City of Architecture and Heritage is located in the ‘Paris’ wing of the palace. It is a cultural space managed by the Ministry of Culture and its role is to highlight the beauty of French architecture.
La Cité houses a museum, a library, an auditorium, a school for architects, a specialised bookshop and a restaurant. You will find 22,000 square metres entirely dedicated to architecture and urbanism to discover, to look at, to understand and to walk around. The museum offers a unique experience: a tour of France‘s most beautiful buildings and constructions from the Middle Ages to the present day in 1 hour 30 minutes.
Awaiting you is a collection of life-size models and reproductions: a 3D museum of architecture with three galleries showcasing permanent collections such as the gallery of life-size casts, the gallery of paintings and stained glass and the gallery of models of modern and contemporary architecture.
Built in 1937 by the Niermans brothers as part of the Universal Exhibition, the Chaillot National Theatre in Paris was renovated between 1973 and 1975. Until 2006, it housed a theatre school.
The theatre has three halls: the Jean-Vilar hall with 1,250 seats, the Gémier hall with 420 seats and the Maurice-Béjart studio with 80 seats. The Chaillot Theatre specialises in contemporary French choreographers. It is also the first to carry out a project built around and from dance. The institution plays an important role in the history of live performance. Each year it welcomes more than 130,000 spectators, for almost 40 performances.
Located in the Passy wing of the Palais de Chaillot, the museum offers a fascinating and enlightened look at ourselves, our history and our future.
The 2,500 m² of the spectacular Galerie de l’Homme, the heart of the museum, house the permanent collections, among the richest in the world in terms of anthropology and palaeontology. You cannot leave the museum without admiring the Davioud glass roof, a remnant of the former 1878 building.
Heir to the historical halls of the arsenals, the great collections of Paris, Versailles and the practical workroom of the school of building engineers, the National Maritime Museum is at once a museum of art and history, of science and techniques, human adventures and popular traditions, a centre of maritime culture open to the widest public. It aims to be the showcase and conservatory of the heritage of all navies.
With the Fleet Museum in St. Petersburg, it shares the privilege of being one of the two oldest maritime museums in the world in terms of the size and diversity of its collections.
Surrounding its permanent collections are large models of dockyards, paintings including Vernet’s port series, and objects testifying to maritime activity.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
The Trocadéro is easily reached using public transport in Paris.
You can choose between the metro, with lines 6 and 9, Trocadéro stop, the RER, line C, Champs-de-Mars/Tour Eiffel stop, or buses 22, 30, 32, 63, 72.
The Trocadero is located in the district of the same name, overlooking the Seine's bank droite, exactly opposite the Eiffel Tower.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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