Fabulous Opera Garnier - Paris

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite monuments of Paris: The National Opera Garnier. This building is simply magnificent. Often people see the Opera from outside without entering-- Big mistake. The monument ordered by Napoleon the 3rd was built in 1875 along with the “transformation” of Paris orchestrated by Haussmann. I highly recommend that you follow one of the guided visits to learn the details and history of the Opera that inspired Gaston Leroux to write “The Phantom of the Opera”.

The visit starts with the main entrance richly decorated with many little details that architect Garnier elegantly placed as an invitation to his musical palace. The staircase has its secret that you have to discover by yourself. Following the visit, you will discover the Italian style auditorium that will most probably push you to get a ticket for the next available show so you can better enjoy the view of this splendid room with its chandelier.

The most breathtaking room is the “Grand Foyer”. In my opinion, The Grand Foyer is simply Versailles in one corridor; you cannot get enough of it. The Grand Foyer is bordered by two prestigious rooms. The ceiling painted by Paul Baudry is a historical representation of music and comedy. Walking through this grandiose corridor between impressive chandeliers and columns is terrific and I wish everyone to experience this while visiting the city of lights.

The Opera is open for visits everyday from 10am to 5pm. The price for self-guided visit is 9 euros (5 euros for students or under 25 y.o.) and 12 euros (9 euros for students) for guided tours. Guided tours in English are held at 11:30am and 2:30pm every day from July 1st till August 31st and every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday otherwise.