Paris is home to many beautiful architectural works and the Paris Opera is no exception. Designed in the late 1800s by famed architect Charles Garnier (who also designed the Royal Opera of Monte Carlo) for the King of the 3rd republic it took over 14 years to build! The beautiful Opera house stands centrally located in Paris with many American restaurants including Chipotle, McDonalds, and Pizza Hut, right around the corner. In case your craving a high calorie, high sodium, cheesy American plate. Which, I might add, you will NOT find at any Parisian restaurants. The Baroque style building stands tall in the center of the street with the Gold statues decorating the top of the building, creating the perfect backdrop for a #selfie! As you walk up the front steps there is a large monument with a golden bust of Charles Garnier. Also a popular picture destination. What many people don't know however is that if you look closely at the bottom of the monument there is an engraving of Garmier's original blueprints for the Opera house.
The inside of the opera house is full of rich history including the huge chandelier that inspired the famous Phantom of the Opera scene. Apparently it is rumored to have fallen during a performance although no one knows for sure.
If you wish to learn more about the history of the Palais Garnier they do offer tours on Weekdays. You can book your tour on Parisopera.com. I chose to go for a live event instead of the tour which I thoroughly enjoyed. As I walked into my red velvet coated box seats complete with curtains and a coat hanger I really did feel like royalty.
I had amazing views of the giant stage (the biggest in the world at one time) as I watched the enchanting performance of Hippolyte et Aricie by Jean-Phillipe Rameau.
At intermission I headed out to the glamorous Kings reception hall designed specifically for the King to host his guests in. Lavishly decorated with baroque paintings covering the ceiling as well as Versailles style chandeliers I can only imagine what types of Party's were held here.
The Paris Opera is a must see for anyone visiting Paris, even if you're not into Opera. There are still many historical and artistic wonders to be discovered in this beautiful monument.
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