Once the site of a village named Chaillot on the outskirts of medieval Paris, the hill across the Seine to the northwest of the Eiffel Tower (map) is now crowned with the huge Palais de Chaillot:

Palais de Chaillot as seen fron the Eiffel Tower: note the
shadow of the tower on the right side of the Warsaw Fountains.

Built as conference halls for the Exposition Internationale of 1937, the palace replaced the earlier Palais du Trocadéro which had been built here for a similar purpose before the World's Fair of 1878.

On December 10, 1948, the United Nations, meeting in the Palais de Chaillot, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Today the two curved wings of the Palais de Chaillot house various museums.

The Passy wing, to the southwest, contains the Musée National de la Marine (Naval Museum) and the Musée de l'Homme (Ethnology Museum).

The Paris wing, to the northeast, shelters the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, including the Musée national des Monuments Français, as well as the entrance to the Théâtre national de Chaillot.

The high terrace of the Esplanade between the two buildings is a favorite spot to enjoy panoramic views of the Champ de Mars, the Eiffel Tower, the River Seine and indeed much of Paris. In the evening the terrace is filled with people young and old, sitting, standing, chatting, hanging out, playing music, dozing, and always—always—taking photographs of the spectacular vista.

(In fact, it was here, in 1940, that Adolph Hitler was photographed during his brief tour of the city after its capture by German forces.)

Below the palace to the southeast, the spacious Jardin du Trocadéro (9.39 hectares/23 acres) descend to the River Seine to act as a continuation of the vast Champ de Mars from which the Eiffel Tower rises.

The huge Warsaw Fountains extend through the center of the park, boasting 46 water jets. The 20 powerful water cannons aimed southwest can shoot jets of water 50 meters (55 yards) toward the Eiffel Tower (but no, they don't hit it...)

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