Make for the heights!

Exactly 50 years ago, in September 1958, the General de Gaulle decreed the first works of La Défense : this was the very start of what wa thought as the future European biggest business district.
Now, this area leads the French tertiary sector: 150 000 clerks work here for the most important companies of the French stock exchange (mainly banks and insurance groups). It's lively, and dynamic, and it has renewed its attractiveness over the last twenty years.
Take tube line 1 to Grande Arche or RER A to La Défense (check the fare before boarding) and discover a futuristic hive of activity : indifferent business women and white collars make their way to their office while foreign visitors and provincials enjoy the piazza.
The surroundings are dominated by the magnificent Great Arch . This monument was inaugurated in 1990 to complete the skyline starting from the Louvre across Paris (through Concorde, Champs-Elysées, and Arc-de-Triomphe). It personifies a time of major architectural changes in Paris, as stimulated by the former French president François Mitterrand.
Reach its top by one of the glass lifts: from the belvedere, you'll be able to observe the West side of the city: at right hand, don't miss the skyline of the Eiffel Tower and the Montparnasse Tower . Also check the inner courtyards: they were designed by the French visual artist Jean-Pierre Raynaud. If you love technology, visit the Computer museum (Musée de l'Informatique) : it opened in April 2008 and gathers the only French permanent collection on the matter.
At lunchtime, enjoy the new restaurant called Ô110: it has a warm atmosphere and chocolate-coloured walls. Its two chefs, Stéphane Milon and Stéphane Sallard, are strong on traditional French cooking with a twist. For a cheaper option, you can check the Brasserie or even the Cybercafé: nothing could be trendiest than updating your Tumblr from the Arch top!