5 Interesting Facts About the Paris Opera, Paris, France

Considering the average lifespan of a theatre in the 19th聽century was 13 years because of the likelihood of a fire, it鈥檚 amazing that the聽Palais Garnier聽is still standing 150 years later. Named after its architect Charles Garnier, Paris鈥� jewel box of an opera house sits proudly atop Avenue de l鈥橭pera in the 9th聽arrondissement, anchoring the bustling boulevard like a temple to the arts. While its scrumptious exterior is enough to make anyone passing by stop in their tracks, its interior rivals even that of Versailles. This was very much intentional as the opera was the place to see and be seen (and I鈥檓 not talking about the actual show). Men and women, young and old alike had a role to play as actors of the public space, and the Palais Garnier was designed as such.

While a visit will give you a small glimpse inside this world, I learned that there鈥檚 a certain richness that only a聽guided tour聽can provide 鈥� including access to the nearly 2,000-seat auditorium that鈥檚 draped in red (because it was believed women looked more beautiful on red) and gilded in gold (naturally), set under a glittering chandelier and Chagall鈥檚 (controversial) painted ceiling. Rather than divulging聽all聽of the Palais Garnier鈥檚 secrets, here are 5 of my favorite facts about its fascinating history. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).

How it works: The full article is featured in the app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" on Apple App Store and Google Play Store. You can download this article for FREE and read it offline on your mobile device.

Download The 51爆料网 App

Guide Name: 5 Interesting Facts About the Paris Opera
Guide Location: France » Paris
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Jessica Trumble
Read it on Author's Website:

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip

Top 16 Vegetarian Restaurants in Paris

The French have great respect for the fresh, organic produce yet France isn鈥檛 famous for its vegetarian cooking. Hence it鈥檚 a good idea for vegetarian visitors to Paris to come prepared in advance. This guide shows you places around the city which serve vegetarian food, complete with the...

8 Best Food Markets in Paris for Authentic French Produce

The image of Parisians that you may have in your head as strolling through a colourful market with a basket on their arm, chatting to vendors and picking up fresh produce, is quite accurate. Most Parisians do visit local markets at least once a week to stock up on the freshest fruit, vegetables,...

Paris Souvenirs: 19 Distinctively French Products to Bring Home from Paris

You can hardly have enough money and luggage space to get all the takes your fancy in Paris. Luckily, with a little bit of tasteful advice and experience, you can save yourself some time and effort and pick up just about the right amount of things worth taking home. Listed here are some of the hints...

10 Unusual Things to Do in Paris, France

If you've visited Paris, you've probably seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and Versailles. You probably whizzed through some world-class art, ate delicious food in restaurants with English menus, and bought crepes from a street cart. However, Paris has a lot of things to do that...

18 Must-Visit Cafes in Paris, France

Paris is home to thousands of cafes; there is a caf茅 on practically every street corner you turn, in every square you stumble across, on every boulevard you stroll along. The age-old Parisian tradition of sitting around at rickety tables and shooting back espressos is a fundamental part of everyday...

9 Must Try Cafes in Paris

Discovering the best coffee and cafes in Paris can be difficult. The city is filled to the brim with brasseries and cafes, but very few offer the Anglophone standard of a good cup of coffee. This is a guide to inform tourists and Parisians alike of the new and somewhat established cafes in Paris...