Description: Built in 1666 by Louis XIV, the Champs-Elysées are on a direct axis that aligns the Louvre, the Tuileries, the Place de la Concorde, the Arc de Triomphe, the Avenue de la Grande Armée, and the Arche de la Défense.… The most famous avenue in the world has known its fair share of military défilés, or parades. These days it's mostly used on Bastille Day and Armistice Day, but many an older Parisian has memories of the Germans marching up to the Arc de Triomphe on November 11th, 1940. Today, the Champs are occupied by foreign armies of tourists lining up at Louis Vuitton or crowding the many fast food restaurants which have sprung up to serve them. [link]