Place Charles-de-Gaulle

The Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly known as the Place de l'Étoile (Square of the Star), is a large junction in Paris where twelve avenues, including the Champs-Élysées, meet together. For years, the square was called Place de l'Étoile due to the many-pointed star pattern in the stones paving the road around the Arc. In 1970, the place was renamed Place Charles de Gaulle to honour the France's World War II military leader and president of the Fifth French Republic.

The square is part of the so-called "Axe historique" (also known as "Voie Triomphale") which is a line of monuments and historic buildings that runs from the centre of Paris to the west. At its centre stands the Arc de Triomphe. The Place Charles de Gaulle is also the meeting-point of several Métro and bus lines. Pedestrains cannot access the Arc de Triomphe from any of the avenues because of the automobile traffic on the roundabout around it. however, it is possible to reach the Arc through an underpass beneath the junction.