View of the Eiffel Tower and Iéna Bridge
Ce point d’intérêt est disponible en audio dans le circuit: Visit Paris, On the Champs Elysées
From here, you have a great view of the famous Iéna bridge. It was designed by Napoleon I to cross the Seine, linking the Military Academy to the Chaillot Hill, where he planned to build a palace for his son. He turned down all the names suggested and named the bridge “Iéna”, in memory of his victory over Prussia at the Battle of Jena, Iéna in French, in modern-day Germany. Construction began in 1808 and finished in 1814. The following year, Paris was taken over by Prussian forces led by General Bühler, the very man defeated in Jena. how ironic is that? Needless to say, he wasn’t exactly thrilled with this daily reminder of his defeat. So he decided to blow it up (I mean, fair enough). Despite pleas from Louis XVIII and numerous French politicians and diplomats to the King of Prussia, the general refused to listen to reason. It would take Tsar Alexander himself to change his mind! It is said that he even threatened to stand on the bridge to prevent its destruction. Long story short, the bridge was spared, but the general went on to change its name and remove the imperial eagles adorning it. It wasn’t until the reign of Louis Philippe, 15 years later, that the bridge got its name and its eagles back. Today, you can also admire the four equestrian statues – Gaul, Roman, Arab, and Greek – that have stood there since 1853. The bridge is located in the heart of several World’s Fair sites, so it has been expanded time and time again. It’s been listed as a historical monument and still remains a centerpiece of Parisian life; it was even part of a major redevelopment plan for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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