Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris and very well symbolizes the self-confidence, wealth and flair of 18th-century. Place de la Concorde is located along the Seine and separates the Tuilerie Gardens from the beginning of the Champs Elysees. At Place de la Concorde, you will be able to see magnificent views up the Champs-Elysees and down to the Louvre. The square is in an octagonal shape, decorated with many statues. At each corner of the octagonal square is a statue representing a French city: Bordeaux, Brest, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen and Strasbourg. The center stands the 3,000-year-old Egyptian obelisk, flanked by two fountains. It is a 23 meters (75 ft) tall monolith and weighs approximately 230 tons.

The square has an important history. Place de la Concorde was first constructed to hold an equestrian statue of Louis XV when Paris was commissioned in 1748. The statue of Louis XV was removed during the Revolution, and was replaced by the Obelisk of Luxor given by the viceroy of Egypt, Mohamed Ali, to Louis Phillipe.

Also, a guillotine was installed at the center of the square during the French Revolution, and 1119 people were beheaded here. Amongst them many famous people like King Louis XVI, Marie-Antionette, and revolutionary Robespierre, just to name a few. After the revolution the square was renamed several times until 1830, when it was given the current name "Place de la Concorde".

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