Palais Garnier

Few buildings epitomize the opulence of France’s Second Empire like the Palais Garnier, the grand opera house in Paris. This historic home of the Paris Opera, which inspired Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, is renowned for its grand auditorium. Here, visitors can sit beneath a magnificent Marc Chagall ceiling painting and a dazzling, 7-ton chandelier, as heavy as an actual elephant. The lavish interior, with its intricate details and sumptuous decor, offers a glimpse into the extravagant world of 19th-century Parisian high society.