Best Things to Do:
La Defense, an almost neighborhood of Paris
Discover what La Defense is and what attractions the area has to offer. La Defense, an almost neighborhood of Paris.
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La Defense
La Defense is located at the extension of the Champs Élysées avenue.
Its triumphal arch - called Grande Arche (click here to see our visit to its top) - closes the grand perspective that starts at the Carousel Arch of the Louvre Museum, passes through the obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, and the Arc de Triomphe.
For many years, I considered La Défense as a Negative Paris, a Non-Paris.
Over time, my relationship with this future Parisian neighborhood matured, and today I gladly take the metro to wander among the artworks installed in pedestrian spaces.
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What are the qualities of La Défense?
The La Défense is a vast pedestrian-only area.
La Défense is an interesting architectural space glued to Paris. Soon, with the Grand Paris project, this neighborhood will become part of Paris.
La Défense is an open-air museum with 69 artworks scattered throughout the squares and gardens.
La Défense is a neighborhood with a large commercial attraction thanks to its 250 stores located in a building called CNIT and the large shopping center Quatre Temps.
La Défense is a region with a quality and cheaper hotel infrastructure compared to more central Paris neighborhoods. Click here to see many options for great hotels in La Défense.
. Finally, La Défense represents an important laboratory of urban experience, with the construction of a neighborhood entirely dedicated to pedestrians and all car and public transportation circulation relegated to the underground.
These qualities have made La Défense a tourist attraction with 8.4 million visitors every year.
The tourist guides from Conexão Paris will help you organize your trip.
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La Defense vs Paris
As urban planning for the outskirts, La Défense is a great success. The previous photo is illustrative.
All the towers necessary to accommodate the headquarters of companies and administrative bodies are located in La Défense. Paris has maintained its main characteristic with buildings not exceeding 6 floors.
My turnaround regarding La Défense began with a comment from a Conexão Paris reader who told me that La Défense represents what we would like to see in Brazilian cities.
Side by side, we have Paris with a low profile, residential buildings, and services, and next to it, a specific area for large buildings and corporations (read here).
In fact, at the time of La Défense's construction, the project was seen as a mini-Brasília, a Parallel Paris, a new city where administrative functions would be concentrated.
Today, La Défense is also a residential neighborhood - endowed with the appeal of an Eco Neighborhood - where employees working in the towers coexist with locals.
La Défense also has a university hub, and its students are in direct connection with the companies located there. Nanterre University has created a large campus in the area, and major schools such as ESSEC, EDC and IESEG are located there.
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Conclusion
In summary, visiting La Défense is an excellent program for those who have already visited traditional Paris, the Paris of Baron Haussmann. Staying in La Défense is a way to find cheaper rates than those in Paris. In La Defense you will find several hotels with 3 or more stars. See here.
The Quatre Temps Shopping Center in La Défense is open from 10 AM to 8 PM every day of the week.
It is possible to visit the top of the Grande Arch where there is a restaurant and offers beautiful views, click here and read our article.
How to get there:
Metro line 1, La Defense Grande Arche or Esplanade de La Defense station.
RER A, La Defense Grande Arche station.
Discounts and gifts for Conexão Paris readers
GALERIES LAFAYETTE: Gift with purchases over 50 euros made at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, click here for more information and download the vouchers.
FRAGRANCE DE L'OPÉRA PERFUMERY: 10€ discount for every 150€ spent at the Fragrance de l'Opéra Perfume Shop - click here for all information and to download the voucher.
CARRÉ OPÉRA PHARMACY: 10% discount on purchases made at Carré Opéra Pharmacy - click here for all information and to download the voucher.
SAINT ANDRES DES ARTS HOTEL (charming 4-star in Saint Germain): 10% discount + 1 bottle of wine + breakfast - use the code paris-story.com when booking on the hotel's site, click here to access.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: 5% discount on your Travel Insurance using the code paris-story.com. Travel insurance is one of the documents that may be required for your entry into Europe, click here to find out more.
TICKETS: 5% discount on tickets, tours, and activities sold on Tiqets using the code paris-story.com, click here to access the site.