Visit the Opera Quarter in Paris: Place Vendome, Opera Garnier, Madeleine

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Travel / Tours / Paris / Opera

Visit the Opera Quarter (and its surrounding area) in Paris


Sections:	Introduction
	Palais Royal
	Place Vendôme
	Opéra Garnier
	Galeries Lafayette
	Sainte Marie Madeleine
	Place de la Madeleine
	Further information
	Links

INTRODUCTION

This page introduces some of the places which can be visited in the Opera Quarter, to the north of the Louvre museum.

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PALAIS ROYAL

The Palais Royal ("royal palace") is used by the Council of State (Conseil d'Etat), but the gardens are open to the public. Antique shops line the edges of the main square. It was in these gardens that speeches were made which encouraged the crowd to overthrow the French king Louis the Sixteenth. Two days later the Bastille fortress was stormed and prisoners who were held there were released, marking the start of the French Revolution.

PLACE VENDOME

The column in the centre of Place Vendôme (inspired by the Column of Trajan in Rome) was put up in honour of Napoleon Bonaparte, whose statue can be seen at the top. The base was constructed using the metal from 1200 cannons which were captured by the French army at the Battle of Austerlitz.

At Number 15 is the entrance to the Paris Ritz. This is where Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed were staying before the car crash in which they both died. It is also the location at the start of the book The DaVinci Code.

Napoleon's statue

Entrance to the Paris Ritz

The Da Vinci Code (book)
Author: Dan Brown
Publisher: Bantam Press
Date: July 2003
paperback version ; illustrated edition

The Rough Guide to the Da Vinci Code: History, Legends, Locations (book)
Publisher: Rough Guides
Date: November 2004

OPERA GARNIER / OPERA BASTILLE

Near to the Metro station called Opéra is the Opéra Garnier, sometimes also known as the Paris Opera. This building, completed in 1875, was designed by Garnier. The story of the Phantom of the Opera, turned into a well-known musical by Andrew Lloyd-Webber, was inspired by this building (it is built above an underground lake: this gave the French author Gaston Leroux his idea for the hiding place of the phantom).

The majestic front of the Opera Garnier

View of the back (from the top of Galeries Lafayette)

The Phantom of the Opera (Penguin Popular Classics) (book)
Author: Gaston Leroux
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date: May 1995

Phantom of the Opera [Complete Version] [film soundtrack] (2 CDs)
Label: Sony Classical
Date: December 2004

Today most operas are performed not at the Opéra Garnier, but at the Opéra Bastille (further to the east). This is a modern building next to Place de la Bastille.

The Opera Bastille

Place de la Bastille

GALERIES LAFAYETTE

On the north side of the Paris Opera House is Boulevard Haussmann. This is the location of the main shop of one of Paris' most famous department stores: Galeries Lafayette. At the top of the building is a balcony from which you can enjoy fine views across Paris.

Inside Galeries Lafayette

The store has a section for Paris souvenirs

Go up to the 8th floor for fine views, including ...

... the Eiffel Tower to the south ...

... and Sacre Coeur to the north

SAINTE MARIE MADELEINE

The Madeleine building, in the style of a Greek temple, was constructed on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte. It became a church in 1814, when it was dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. The design at the front above the pillars represents the Last Judgment.

PLACE DE LA MADELEINE

There are a number of attractive food shops in the streets around Place de la Madeleine. The Hédiard store sells a selection of jams, wines, teas and fruits. Opposite Hédiard is Fauchon. Among the products sold here are a fine selection of cakes and biscuits.

The bright store front of Hédiard

Cake display at Fauchon

There are a number of cafés and tea-rooms in the area. At 16 Rue Royale is La Durée, which is well-known for its tasty macaroons and pastries (it also has a shop on the Champs Elysees).

At the tearooms of La Durée: strawberry millefeuille ...

... and macaroons

Time for tea

Paris Boulangerie-Patisserie: Recipes from Thirteen Outstanding French Bakeries
Author: Linda Dannenberg
Publisher: Gramercy Books
Date: March 2005

FURTHER INFORMATION

Book a trip to Paris:
Anderson Tours: Travel/Tours/Company/AndersonTours
International Friends: Travel/Tours/Company/InternationalFriends

Useful websites:
Ritz Paris: http://www.ritzparis.com
Opéra National de Paris: http://www.operadeparis.fr (location of Opéra Garnier: map)
Galeries Lafayette: http://www.galerieslafayette.com/magasin/home.do?magasinid=87&f=international_customers
Sainte Marie Madeleine: http://www.eglise-lamadeleine.com (French only)
Hédiard: http://www.hediard.fr
Fauchon: http://www.fauchon.fr
La Durée: http://www.laduree.fr
Musée Grévin: http://www.grevin.com
Paris Story: http://www.paris-story.com

Independent travel to Paris:
To book a Eurostar train ticket from London to Paris: Shop/Company/Eurostar
To book a Eurolines coach ticket from London to Paris: Shop/Company/NationalExpress
To book a flight to Paris: Travel/Transport/Air

Hostels/hotels in Paris:
Click here for: Accommodation in Paris

Weather forecast for Paris:
See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=0040

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LINKS

Visit Paris: Travel/Tours/Paris
Visit other parts of France: Travel/Tours/France

Home page: Home

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