The Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous and glamorous streets in the world, running from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. The wide avenue is lined with shops, movie theaters, museums such as the Grand Palais, restaurants and cafes, including the famous Fouquet's. In December, the Champs-Élysées turns into a winter wonderland, adorned with festive Christmas lights and decorations. On Bastille Day, July 14th, the Champs-Élysées hosts the annual military parade, a not-to-be-missed spectacle complete with tanks, legionnaires, and even dog battalions.
That ornate building that looks like a wedding cake in the center of Paris is the Palais Garnier, the older of Paris' two opera houses. It was immortalized as the setting in Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera." Completed in 1875, the Opera Garnier's interior is as lavish as the outside. Later, the ceiling was painted in a more modern style by Marc Chagall, which caused controversy because many felt it clashed with the 19th century neo-baroque architecture. Today, the opera performances have moved to the modern Opera Bastille, built on the site of the infamous Bastille prison, which has made ballet the mainstay of the Opera Garnier. You can visit the Opera Garnier during the day, but the best way to experience the grandeur of the building is to see a ballet performance there one evening.
Palais Garnier
at the corner of rue Scribe and rue Auber
75009 Paris
France
011-33-17-125-2423
www.operadeparis.fr
The Conciergerie, situated on the Ile de la Cité, has had a long and colorful history. The building is the remainder of the first royal palace, the Palais de la Cité, in Paris. During the French Revolution, the Conciergerie served as a prison. It had a nasty reputation and was known as the "anti-chamber of the guillotine." Queen Marie Antoinette was one of its most famous prisoners. Today, much of the Conciergerie is used as the Paris courthouse, and only a part is open to the public. On the outside of the building, notice the 16th-century clock on the clock tower. It replaced the first public clock in France from the 14th century. After your visit, continue to the Sainte Chapelle and the Notre Dame, just a stone's throw from the Conciergerie.
Conciergerie
2 Boulevard du Palais
75001 Paris
France
011-33-15-340-6092
conciergerie.monuments-nationaux.fr/
The golden dome of the Invalides can be seen from all over Paris. For a majestic view, approach the Invalides from the right bank of the Seine, and walk across the Alexander III bridge, a gift from the Russian tsar and the most beautiful bridge in Paris. Louis XIV, the Sun King, built it as a military hospital and residence for veterans in 1676. Today the Invalides houses the military history museum and the tombs of Napoleon, his generals and family members in an ornate marble hall under the dome. Also worth a visit is the nearby Rodin Museum.
Hôtel national des Invalides
129 rue de Grenelle,
75700 Paris 07 SP
France
011-33-81-011-3399
invalides.org/
The glowing red windmill on top of the Moulin Rouge is an iconic fixture of the Parisian night. The cabaret opened in 1889 and is famous for popularizing the can-can. Today, the Moulin Rouge is still going strong with nightly performances by its showgirls. The Moulin Rouge is located at the foot of Montmartre. Climb the snaking rue Lepic to the top of the hill to explore the quaint neighborhood and enjoy a spectacular view of Paris in front of the Sacre Coeur church.
Moulin Rouge
82 boulevard de Clichy
75018 Paris
France
011-33-15-309-8282
moulinrouge.fr/
