Lined with the flagship boutiques of the leading names in fashion, Avenue Montaigne is one of the foremost luxury shopping streets in Paris. It runs through the 8th arrondissement, between the Champs-Elysees and the river Seine, in an area known as the Golden Triangle. The avenue was laid out in the 19th century and originally carried a less reputable name before being renamed after the Renaissance essayist Michel de Montaigne. Over the 20th century it became established as a centre of haute couture. Many of the great French fashion houses have their addresses here, and the street is closely associated with Christian Dior, whose original house opened on the avenue in 1946. The presence of so many couturiers has made it a focus of the city's fashion industry. Alongside the boutiques stand jewellers, galleries and grand residences, and the street is known for its restrained, expensive character rather than for crowds, with discreet shopfronts and uniformed doormen. It is also home to the Theatre des Champs-Elysees, opened in 1913, an important concert and opera hall remembered as the site of the riotous premiere of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. The landmark Hotel Plaza Athenee stands nearby on the same avenue. The combination of fashion, dining and culture has made the street a destination in its own right, walked by visitors for its window displays as much as for any single attraction. Its location, a short distance from the Champs-Elysees and the Eiffel Tower across the river, places it at the heart of the wealthy quarters of western Paris. Tree-lined and broad, the avenue keeps the calm, well-ordered appearance of the 19th-century city while functioning as a showcase for contemporary luxury retail. The nearest Metro stations, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Alma-Marceau, sit at either end of the avenue, placing it within easy reach of the rest of central Paris.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Avenue Montaigne, Paris, France