Champs de Mars

Between the Ecole Militaire, where Napoleon trained to be a soldier, and the Eiffel Tower, lies the vast Champs de Mars, a market garden converted into a military drilling ground in the 18^th-century. In its southeast end you’ll find the Mur pour la Paix (wall for peace) erected in 2000 to articulate hopes for world peace - somewhat paradoxically seeing that the military school is just metres away and that the park took its name from Mars, god of war! Still, it can be peaceful place in which to stroll, even in high season, and there is something rather beguiling about sitting on the lawn, looking up at Eiffel’s filigree grande dame. Pack a picnic and make an afternoon of it.