OPÉRA

Located halfway between the 2^nd and 9^th arrondissements, Opéra is a modern district that has preserved its old-world charm.

The Opéra district is one of the most beautiful legacies of Second Empire urban planning. Restored under the reign of Napoleon III by Baron Haussmann, the characteristic architecture of this district is representative of the aesthetics of the time. There are great monuments, but also some museums and shops, making the district lively and attractive. The Palais Garnier, which stands in the middle of the Place de l’Opéra, is the home of classical dance in the pure French tradition. A true masterpiece of 19^th century theatrical architecture, this impressive building made of sculptures, stone, marble and gold is a spectacle in itself.

A popular area for fashion and design enthusiasts, it’s great to get lost in the endless corridors and floors of the Grands Magasins. Opened in 1884, Galeries Lafayette has become a true parisian institution. Its immense neo-byzantine-inspired dome is a masterpiece classified as an Art Nouveau heritage site by the city of Paris.

For those who love lively neighborhoods, Opera is the perfect place to live pleasantly in the heart of Paris !

BOURSE

Located a stone's throw from the Grands Boulevards, the Bourse district has a chic and epicurean atmosphere.

Once considered the “common place of merchants”, the Bourse de Paris is now the official market for shares in France. Its neoclassical building was designed by the architect Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, who also created the famous Père-Lachaise cemetery.

At the end of the rue Etienne Marcel, you come across the magnificent Place des Victoires, which is one of the five royal squares of Paris, alongside the Place Vendôme and the Place Dauphine. A symbol of a rich and powerful Paris, it is surrounded by remarkable private mansions dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. For foodies, visit the restaurants of the Galerie Vivienne, or rue Sainte-Anne, the main street in this Japanese quarter of Paris.

The Bourse district is a very central area on a human scale, where walking is preferred whatever the destination !

Montorgueil

A must-see stroll in the heart of old Paris with its small pedestrian and cobbled streets, famous for its authentic food shops, this lively district is named after its main artery, rue Montorgueil.

Located near Les Halles, the Montorgueil district can be reached via the Passage du Grand Cerf. At the time, it was at the heart of a working-class district with many factories and workshops. Even today, there are many second-hand furniture and craftsmen’s shops.

At 51 rue Montorgueil, in a sumptuous setting designed by Paul Baudry (decorator of the Opéra Garnier), is the Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Stohrer. Founded in 1730, it is the oldest pastry shop in Paris. At 78, the listed building Au Rocher de Cancale opened in 1848 when the street was just a succession of caterers specialising in the sale of oysters.

The heterogeneous population of this district changes according to the time of day: sometimes visited by tourists during the day who find the Paris of the postcards, by bankers and start uppers of the area who come to eat there at midday and by a clientele of young active people at the beginning of the evening who come to benefit from the many trendy bars.