Palais Garnier

Adjacent to the shopping pantheons, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, the opera designed by Charles Garnier in 1875 is an architectural feat open to the public.

A lavish setting

Under an opulent, 30-meters-high vault, the spectacular double staircase leads to the Grand Foyer, and to the different floors in the auditorium. As you enter the horseshoe-shaped theatre, prepare to be stunned by the beauty before you. The colossal auditorium is decorated in velvet and gilding, with a bronze and crystal chandelier outfitted with 340 lights, weighing nearly 8 tons, hanging above it all. Glance up, and you will find yourself utterly spellbound by the ceiling painted by Marc Chagall.

Barring show times, which can include classic or contemporary performances, you may also visit the museum-library, the Orchestra Gallery, the Grand Vestibule and most notably, the Grand Foyer. Inspired by the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, it has a breathtaking view from the Place de l’Opéra all the way to the Louvre. Guided visits and audioguides in several languages are also available.

Opéra Garnier and the Impressionists

One of the oldest and most prestigious classic dance companies in the world, the historic Opéra Garnier dance school still trains future ballet stars. It also inspired several works of art by the Impressionist painter Edgar Degas, a regular at the Opéra, whose famous painting “*The Dance Class*”, and the sculpture “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen” are both exhibited at the Musée d’Orsay.