La Défense

The largest
business district in Europe is named for the La Defense de Paris
sculpture that commemorates the defense of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War.  It covers 77.5 acres and has 3.5 million
square meters of office space, with more than 180,000 employees.  The business district was created in 1955 on
the periphery of Paris and is home to many skyscrapers.  La Defense is located at the end of Paris’
historic axis, opposite the Louvre.  It
is easily accessible via the metro.

Unless
you’re there on business, La Defense does not offer much for visitors. The 110m
high Grande Arche houses an exhibition center and offers nice views of
Paris.  There’s also a shopping mall and
several interesting sculptures, including the original La Defense.  The modern architecture is in stark contrast
to the rest of the city, but you’ll probably only need an hour or two to make
the most of a trip there.

Metro: La
Defense (1, RERA), Esplanade de la Defense (1)