Seeing Grande Arche from a plane
A hollow cube about 360 ft high at La Défense, lined up with the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre along Paris's historic axis. Notre-Dame could almost fit inside. Look for the open white cube at the end of the towers.
8 of our routes pass it. France · rated 4 of 10
The easy pick
Paris to Barcelona: sit on the left, on the climb, 5 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Barcelona to Paris | Right | on the way down |
| Geneva to Paris | Left | on the way down |
| Marseille to Paris | Left | on the way down |
| Nice to Paris | Left | on the way down |
| Paris to Barcelona | Left | on the climb, 5 min after takeoff |
| Paris to Rome | Left | on the climb, 5 min after takeoff |
| Paris to Geneva | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 5 min after takeoff |
| Zurich to Paris | Left | on the way down |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Grande Arche from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (6 of 8). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Grande Arche from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Can you see Grande Arche at night?
Yes, by its lights. The app scores lit places at night by how bright they are.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Arc de Triomphe Sacré-Cœur Louvre Paris Stade de France Barcelona (BCN) Paris (CDG) Geneva (GVA) Nice (NCE) All routes