- Gold, marble, and mosaics – the magnificence of the murals.
- Music, dance, and ballerinas. Its phantom in literature and legend.
- The grand ceremonial staircase, the foyers – a spectacle of high society.
The thirteenth opera house to be built in Paris, the Palais Garnier is an architectural masterpiece recognized the world over. Its construction – awarded to Charles Garnier as the result of an architectural design competition – lasted 15 years and suffered a number of interruptions due to the Franco-Prussian war, the fall of the Empire, and the Paris Commune of 1871. It was formally inaugurated in January 1875. Apart from the 1900-seat auditorium and the ceiling painted by Marc Chagall in 1964, the opulent Grand Staircase and richly decorated foyers are testimony to an age where another spectacle – that of high society – took place during the intermission.
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Tour 1: Classic Tour 2hrs
Your guide will take you back in time to relive 19th-century Paris under Napoleon III, to discover the famous painters and composers whose works marked this grandiose building, sources of inspiration for Degas and Chagall.
Opening hours :
Daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on days with matinee shows)
Closed January 1, May 1 and on days with special events
Amenities :
Shop and vending stalls
Direct, no-lines access: reservation required for groups