Paris might not be known for its tall skyscrapers or buildings, until you notice them shimmering in your view from climbing up the Eiffel Tower, that area is known as La Défense, the city’s answer to London’s Canary Wharf. Located in a pedestrian area, visitors are strongly encouraged to arrive on foot or via the Metro. With it being only 10 minutes away from the city centre and an hour from Disneyland Paris by train, it’s easily accessible to everyone in Paris.
Known as France’s premier vertical district, the area is an urban jungle of 61 high-rise buildings, housed by various corporations, such as Deloitte and Citibank, which are based in La Défense, as well as Westfield Les 4 Temps-Cnit, the largest in Europe, with over 33.2 million visitors in 2024, restaurants, apartments, and art installations throughout.
How To Spend 48 hours in Paris La Defense
Over the course of two days, I spent most of my time indoors, as temperatures soared to nearly 40°C. I’m told it was very unusual for the weather to be like this in Paris, but as the city is known for having very little shade from the sun, this didn’t bode well. Fortunately, most sites were indoors, and the only gruelling part of the trip was all the walking between different places we visited.
Day 1:
My first impression upon arriving was the Grand Arch, resembling a modern counterpart to the Arc de Triomphe, which was perfectly aligned on its path around two miles away. Built in 1989, at the same time as the glass pyramid in the Louvre, it’s so big that you could fit the Notre-Dame within the arch. Rivalling it was the imposing Tour First, France’s tallest tower at 231 metres.
I was then taken to the 18th floor of the La Défense offices, where I was shown a 1:1000 model for a presentation to the district and its plans for the next few years. It all looked quite impressive, as did the views from looking outside their windows, which overlooked not only La Défense but also the centre of Paris, with the Eiffel Tower and even Sacré-Cœur in full view.
For lunch, I went to the Eclipses Restaurant against the backdrop of the Grand Arch and kids playing in the water pool and the Agam Fountain to cool off from the scorching midday sun as the temperature rose.
Afterwards, I had a guided tour of an open-air museum known as the “museum without walls”, featuring over 50 contemporary artworks dotted over the area, interspersed with modern architecture. These included a large thumb and the installation of an upside-down car on top of a pole, just to name a couple.
As for their green initiatives, there are 3800 trees in the area, which makes up 5% of La Défense. There are small parks and shady areas to cool off, which were much needed in the harsh Parisian heat, totalling up to 37 hectares of green spaces. There are also plans to create a new 5-hectare urban park, which is scheduled for completion within the next three years. I also learned that the district aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% within the next five years.
Where to stay
It was then time to check in at the Melia Paris La Defense. My room offered a spectacular view of Paris, including (you guessed it) the Eiffel Tower. It looked particularly stunning at midnight with the light show at the iconic landmark.
Day 2:
The next morning, I went to discover some more biodiversity La Défense had to offer by visiting various parks and eco-gardens accompanied by Jardins de Gally. One particular feature that stood out was the waterfall feature in Diderot Park, standing at 14m. For an urban district, I was pretty impressed by the amount of greenery. Try seeing that in Canary Wharf.
For a complete change of pace, I visited the Zoo Art exhibition, a five-story building dedicated to urban graffiti art. Artists from all over the world have contributed here, with even the floors and ceilings used. I started from the top and worked my way down in what was a history lesson into the said art form. I could’ve spent a whole day in here, but as I was rushed for time, I had to blitz my way through some beautiful portraits.
I then walked across the other side of La Défense to visit Westfield Les 4 Temps, where I went on a guided tour. There was no time for retail therapy, as much as I wanted to check out the sales at Lacoste and Adidas stores, but instead I had a quick lunch of pizza and some virgin mojitos.
Still not quite satiated, I had a hearty meal of a veal and mashed potato dish at Muses, an elegant restaurant at the Hilton, right above Westfield. For dessert, there were pastries by renowned Michelin-starred pastry chef Nina Métayer. As I was getting pretty full, it would have been rude to refuse a sample of a chocolate and a citrus offering. To say they were amazing would be an understatement, as their attention to finer details in terms of presentation, and more importantly, taste, was unparalleled.
To burn off the food, I visited the Cité de l’Histoire to try out the Notre-Dame VR Experience. Set in a large, empty room, I was given a headset and sent back in time to the history of the famous cathedral, spanning centuries, right up to the present day, which included the rebuild following the 2019 blaze. Even if you’ve visited Notre-Dame before, this is an absolute MUST as you get an immersive experience with a fun history lesson.
For an evening treat, I went to see fellow compatriot Robbie Williams perform at the La Défense Arena, the biggest in Europe, where I was treated to hospitality treatment in the VIP Lounge. I wore a red Adidas jacket synonymous with his 90’s look for the evening, as did he with one of his costume changes from being in a spacesuit previously. He pulled out all the stops by putting on a show that wowed his adoring fans, which of course included the hits such as ‘Let Me Entertain You’, ‘She’s The One’, ‘Rock DJ’ and ending the show with the iconic, ‘Angels.’
As my Eurostar back home was cancelled owing to a fire near the tracks, I was stuck in Paris for an extra two days. Not that I minded too much as it allowed for extra sightseeing. But a special thanks needs to go out to the Renaissance Hotel who saved the day with allowing me to stay until I could go back home to London. Owned by Marriott Bonvoy, my room was dimly lit to the right amount, spacious, and had a comfortable bed, all of which I was grateful for, despite a freak incident that delayed my departure home.
La Défense may not be the Paris you see on postcards, but it’s a bold, modern marvel. And as my extended stay proved, it was not a bad place to be stranded at all.
