When people imagine Paris, more often than not, they picture cobblestone streets, café terraces and the occasional accordion drifting in the breeze. But step 15 minutes west of the Champs-Élysées and you’ll find La Défense, a district that boldly redefines expectations.
Here, skyscrapers meet public art, rooftop gardens merge with panoramic terraces and crowds of workers, tourists and families mingle over iced coffee, live music or bargains at Westfield. Boasting a skyline which consists of glass and steel, it is a modern mosaic of ingenuity – part open-air museum, part oasis and part urban playground – it caters for the luxury traveller who is seeking convenience and first class amenities.
Stay in Melia hotel and you’ll feel like you have the best of everything – thanks to its stunning rooftop terrace with the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s gleaming sails and the Eiffel Tower’s silhouette rising in the distance as you sip your sundowners, and your window overlooks the pedestrianised square – ensuring you will get a good night’s sleep.
My visit began with a guided tour of the district, which looks like a little Manhattan on the Seine. Taking in the origins of the district’s construction, we strolled past monumental sculptures, whilst the Grande Arche loomed behind us like a portal to the future. With over 60 public artworks including, Miró and César, this district is arguably Europe’s coolest open-air museum, and I would highly recommend a Échappée Belle guided, “museum without walls” tour, which takes in César’s Thumb, Calder’s Red Spider, the Bassin Takis and the kinetic burst of the Agam Fountain.
But beyond its art and architecture, La Défense harbours surprising biodiversity and has reimagined nature to seamlessly intersect within the urban jungle. Enjoying a guided tour with Les Jardins de Gally, I found out that La Défense has a mission to become the world’s first post-carbon business district by using plants and trees to help regulate building temperature, manage rainwater and support biodiversity. With green courtyards and eco-corridors nestled between concrete towers; community veggie patches, rooftop gardens and curated flower beds growing pollinator-friendly plants to encourage butterflies and bees, the region is becoming a flagship landmark of sustainable urban design.
After clocking up some serious steps whilst enjoying the gardens, and refuelling with a hearty lunch at Eclipse restaurant in the Square, it was time to head to the Cité de l’Histoire for a journey through time with ‘Éternelle Notre-Dame’. Slipping on a virtual headset in what first appeared to be a vast, empty hall, we were soon transported into the heart of the French Revolution. Guided through a series of interactive sets and vivid digital projections, history didn’t just come alive—it surged around us. The experience culminated in a breathtaking reimagining of the Notre-Dame fire in the 14th century, an emotionally charged and visually spectacular moment that felt as real as any stage performance. Quite literally, a history lesson like no other.
With slightly shaky legs – after the imaginary ascents at the museum, it was time for cocktails and Mama Shelter La Défense was our destination. Located on the 17th floor, it’s less a hotel lounge and more a vibrant rooftop hideaway. From here, the views stretched across the Seine as we toyed with playing a game of table football, but decided it was too hot.
As if the day couldn’t get any better, the evening treat was a Robbie Williams gig at the La Défense Arena, an ultra-modern stadium that hosts everything from rock concerts to rugby. It’s a cultural behemoth – fitting for a district that thrives on immersion.
La Défense surprised me – it is definitely not the Paris portrayed on postcards, but a forward-facing city within a city, where art, ecology, gastronomy and technology intersect. But the creativity doesn’t stop outdoors – it is home to one of the best Street Art exhibitions I have ever seen. The Zoo Art Show has taken over a 4,000 m² gallery in the centre of the district and has turned into four floors of street‑art maestros (Astro, Babs, Jaba, Seth, T-KID, Vision,1UP, CES, Lady K, Fuzi and Grems) alongside a heap of emerging voices resulting in a vast voyage of graffiti, murals and installations. And when you’re ready for a shopping fix, you can pop in to Westfield – Westfield Les 4 Temps has the largest footfall of any shopping centre in Europe!
Another plus point is that it is super easy to get to – strategically located just ten minutes from the Arc de Triomphe, Gare du Nord and the Grande Arche. Whether you’re in town for the first time or the fiftieth, this will definitely make your trip to Paris memorable.
For more information, see www.parisladefense.com