Palais Garnier

The Palais Garnier, in Paris

The Palais Garnier is the sumptuous opera house of Paris, a masterpiece of nineteenth-century architecture. The Paris audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this lavish monument, at the end of the Avenue de l'Opéra, a jewel of the operatic life of the capital.

The sumptuous opera house of Paris

At the end of the Avenue de l'Opéra, which leads straight to the Louvre, stands the Palais Garnier, the great opera house of Paris. Inaugurated at the end of the nineteenth century and designed by the architect Charles Garnier, it is a masterpiece of the eclectic and lavish style of the Second Empire. Its façade richly adorned with columns, sculptures and gilding announces a sumptuous interior: the great marble staircase, the foyer rivalling with a castle gallery, and the Italian-style hall topped with a ceiling painted by Chagall. A mythical place, it is said to have inspired the famous novel of the Phantom of the Opera.

What to see

You admire the façade richly adorned with columns and gilding, the great marble staircase, the lavish foyer and the Italian-style hall with a ceiling painted by Chagall, at the end of the Avenue de l'Opéra. The Palais Garnier is the sumptuous opera house of Paris. It is a major stop for lovers of art and music.

Practical information

The Palais Garnier lies at the end of the Avenue de l'Opéra, in the heart of Paris, reachable on foot and by public transport. The façade can be freely admired; the visits and shows follow their own programme and access conditions, which vary. It is best to check the agenda before coming.

Who designed the Palais Garnier?

The architect Charles Garnier, at the end of the nineteenth century; this sumptuous opera house of the Second Empire is said to have inspired the famous novel of the Phantom of the Opera.

Where is the Palais Garnier?

At the end of the Avenue de l'Opéra, in the heart of Paris, in France.