General Information

This work of Baron Haussmann runs from the Louvre to the Palais Garnier, which served as the main opera until 1989. Popular with tourists, the avenue is lined with travel agencies, banks and shops, but there are no trees. It’s a result of an agreement between Baron and the Palais’s architect, who desired the best view of the main facade of his work.

History: Highlights

First project (1854) called an ‘avenue Napoleon’ ran from the Louvre to the place where rue de la Paix joins Grand Boulevards. The second one appeared decade later. The fall of the Second Empire stopped the work for a while. The site was renamed Avenue de l’Opéra 3 years later and resumed soon. Last buildings along the avenue were built in 1879.