This picture doesn't do the structure justice: it's massive and sits at the intersection of several streets that converge in a circle around it. So to reach it, you take a tunnel from the Champs Elysées (a giant boulevard) under the street and up to the base of the structure. Once there, you can also take an elevator ride to the observation deck.
Info on the arch's history can be found here: http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Arc.
Info on the arch's history can be found here: http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Arc.
