The Parc du Champ de Mars, a former military parade ground
The Parc du Champ de Mars, the former parade ground of the École Militaire (Military Academy), stretches as far as the Eiffel Tower along the River Seine.
The École Militaire and its vast parade ground were built simultaneously in 1750, then expanded in 1773 with the addition of the Île des Cygnes (Isle of Swans) to the riverbank, now called the Quai Branly.
The Champ de Mars was also the site of the first hot air balloon flight in 1783.
During the French Revolution, the revolutionaries made it a prestigious location for their grand celebrations.
Champ de Mars, a venue during the French Revolution
Ideological differences between moderate and extremist revolutionaries quickly replaced the enthusiasm and camaraderie of the early months of the French Revolution, leading to serious clashes and further massacres.
Thus, on July 17, 1791, Jean Sylvain Bailly, mayor of Paris, proclaimed martial law, prohibiting all gatherings and ordering the police to shoot on sight. More than 50 people were killed during this gathering, which has since become known as the Massacre of the Champ de Mars.
Bailly paid a heavy price for his decision. He was guillotined on November 12, 1793, in the park, at the point where Avenue de la Bourdonnais and Quai Branly now intersect.
The last major revolutionary celebration in the park was the Fête de l’Etre Suprême – Festival of the Supreme Being on June 8, 1794, presided over by Maximilien Robespierre. However, this festival marked the zenith of the French Revolution.
Robespierre, the leading figure of the extremist movement that sent hundreds of people to the guillotine, was deposed by moderates two months later and guillotined on July 28, 1794.
On May 21, 1848, under the Second Republic, a vast expiatory festival, the La Fête de la Concorde (Festival of Concord), took place on the Champ de Mars, symbolising a desire for unity and reconciliation after the atrocities of the Revolution.
Champ de Mars, a venue for the Universal Exhibitions
The park also hosted the Universal Exhibition of 1889.
From 1887 to 1889, the world witnessed the construction of one of Paris’s most famous and visited monuments: the Eiffel Tower!
Following this landmark event, numerous other world fairs and colonial expositions were held in the park.
This 25-hectare public park was thus beautifully landscaped in 1920 with lawns, shrubs, trees, and flowerbeds.
Play areas for children and bandstands were also added, making it one of the most pleasant parks in Paris.
You can relax on one of the many benches, stroll along the shaded paths, or enjoy a coffee at one of the kiosks.
The Champ de Mars regularly hosts cultural activities organised by the City of Paris, including concerts and official receptions.
Among these were the UNESCO’s 50th anniversary in 1995 and the Concert of Fraternity on July 14, 2007, presided over by Nicolas Sarkozy, which attracted more than 600,000 spectators.
Directions: 7th District
Metro: Bir Hakeim on Line 6 and Champ de Mars Eiffel Tower on RER C
Coordinates: Lat 48.857290 – Long 2.296178
