Climb the Arc de Triomphe: A walk through time at the top of Paris

The moment you climb the 284 spiral staircase of the Arc de Triomphe, it feels like you have stepped into a living history book. The narrow stone steps spiral upwards, and the bronze handrails have been rubbed to a shine by countless hands. The old photo wall at the corner captures the crowded streets at Victor Hugo's funeral in 1885 - the coffin of this literary giant once rested here, and millions of Parisians mourned here. Every step you climb is like touching the pulse of France. **Highlights at the summit: Symphony of history and art** Before reaching the observation deck on the top floor, you will pass by a small history museum. Napoleon’s medals and battle maps are displayed in glass cabinets, and the text on the wall tells how the Arc de Triomphe evolved from Napoleon’s ambitious work to the solemn destination of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The most shocking are the four giant reliefs: when your fingertips gently stroke the flying sleeves of the Statue of Liberty in the "Marseillaise", you can almost hear the cry of "Forward! Sons and daughters of the motherland"; in the relief of "Victory", the moment when Napoleon is crowned by the goddess of victory, glory and sigh are intertwined here. **Rooftop view: a poetic picture of Paris** Standing on the 50-meter-high dome platform, you can have a panoramic view of the ambition and romance of Paris. The Champs-Elysées stretches out into the distance like a golden ribbon, and the traffic turns into tiny starlight; the Eiffel Tower penetrates the clouds, and faces the Sacre-Coeur on Montmartre in the distance. At dusk, an eternal flame burned at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at feet. Tourists stood in silence in tacit understanding. The evening breeze carried the moisture from the Seine River, dyeing the entire city into honey color. When night falls, the Eiffel Tower lights up with brilliant golden light, and the car lights on the Champs-Elysées merge into a flowing river of stars - this is a great camera position to overlook the "City of Lights", and every frame is a movie-level picture. **Photography Advice and Practical Tips** - **Golden Hour**: It is recommended to climb to the top in the evening. The transition period between the sunset and the lights coming on is the most photogenic. The twinkling lights of the tower on the hour are not to be missed. - **Composition inspiration**: Photographing the Eiffel Tower with the relief as the foreground, bringing out the collision between history and modernity; using a telephoto lens to capture the dynamic trajectory of traffic on the Champs-Elysées. - **Practical information**: Tickets are 13 euros, free on the first Sunday of every month; open until 22:30 (last admission 21:45), the spiral staircase is steep, so it is easier to travel light. When I captured the top of the Arc de Triomphe in my camera, I suddenly realized that this is not only Napoleon's medal, but also the spiritual totem of everyone who looks up at the stars. The cries on the reliefs and the echoes between the stone steps are all reminding us: history is never far away; it is resonating with the heartbeat of Paris at this moment through your viewfinder.