To walk through this area of Paris is to see Baron Haussmann's work
all around you. He tore down numerous old, cramped, dirty alleys
and streets and replaced them with the grand, wide boulevards of today.
He designed the buildings all to look similar and carry and air of impressiveness
and haute couture or high class with them. Now the area is
very commercial and always bustling with traffic and people.
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The single most notable sight to see is the Opera de Paris designed
by Charles Garnier. It is here that the story of the Phantom of the
Opera is based. Inside the Opera you can wander through parts of
the basement, grand ballrooms, and even take a look inside the auditorium
from a box seat.
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La Madeleine is one of the most well known buildings in Paris because
of its location and size. It is based on Vignon's design for Napoleon's
Temple of Glory, built after the Battle of Iena. It is located in
the Place de la Madeleine and is packed with food shops of the highest
caliber. Fauchon is a millionaire's supermarket with over 20,000
items. Just to the east is a flower market as well. It is a
beautiful area.
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There are eight broad boulevards that connect the Place de la Madeleine
to the Place de la Republique. Les Grands Boulevards were
formerly lined with cafes and lavish shops, but are now primarily filled
with larger businesses.
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The French stock market used to be located at the Palais de la Bourse
and is now just the Futures Market and the Options Market.
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The Bibliotheque Nationale contains two Gutenberg Bibles, original
manuscripts by Victor Hugo, Marcel Proust, and others. The new main
library has just been completed by the Gare d'Austerlitz on the Seine.
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Two of Paris' largest department stores are located behind (north) of the
Opera and are fabulous on the inside. Inside Printemps is
a gorgeous blue stained glass dome above a cafe on the top floor.
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