Which Paris arch anchors the start area of the Bastille Day parade route?

The Bastille Day parade starts at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The modern 14 July military parade proceeds along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, beginning around Place Charles de Gaulle, the great traffic circle centered on the Arc de Triomphe. Troops, vehicles, and ceremonial units then move southeast toward Place de la Concorde, where the president and invited dignitaries watch the proceedings.

The parade has been associated with France’s national celebration since 1880, although its route has changed at various points. Before the First World War, celebrations were held at the Longchamp Racecourse. The Champs-Élysées became the enduring route after the 1919 Victory Parade following the First World War.

The Arc de Triomphe is not the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, a smaller arch near the Louvre and the Tuileries. Nor is the route anchored by the historic gates Porte Saint-Denis or Porte Saint-Martin. The monument’s position at the top of the Champs-Élysées makes it the parade’s unmistakable starting landmark.