Jardins du Trocadéro

Once you've got your fill of photos at the Palais de Chaillot, head down the hill toward the Eiffel Tower. Take the stairs on the right as you leave the palace, and the Trocadéro Gardens open up below.

Like the palace, the gardens were created for the 1937 exposition. Beech, linden, Atlas blue cedar and hazel trees fill the grounds with green, and in spring the cherry blossoms turn the whole scene pink. The paths along either side of the gardens also frame the Eiffel Tower beautifully among the trees. The gardens are known for their fountains and are decorated with numerous sculptures made from the 1930s onward.

A little farther down, you'll see the fountain at the center of the gardens. Known as the Warsaw Fountain, it is made up of more than twenty smaller fountains, and the jets of water make this feel like a lovely retreat in the middle of Paris. Look closely at the center and you'll spot golden sculptures of a bull and a horse's head.

From here we're walking to the entrance of the Pont d'Iéna. If you get there before the audio, just wait on the bridge. As you stroll, the story of the Eiffel Tower's history begins.