La Madeleine accommodation from AU$75

La Madeleine is both a church dedicated to Mary Magdalene and a temple built to honour Napoleon’s army. In 1806 Napoleon commissioned Pierre Alexandre Barthelemy Vignon to build it. Vignon died in 1828 before completing the project, which was finished by Jacques Marie-Huve. The church was consecrated in 1842.

Things to see and do

La Madeleine has 52 Corinthian columns, a pediment depicting the Biblical tale of the last judgment, and two heavy bronze doors. Beyond these doors, three high domes are decorated with Renaissance art. A statue of Mary being carried to Heaven by angels sits above the high altar. There’s a pipe organ that still gets some action these days, and if you’re lucky you can catch a classical concert. There’s even a tunnel-shaped restaurant in the foyer.

The Palais Garnier (Opera de Paris) was built in 1875 for the Paris Opera, France’s premier opera company. Everything about this theatre is spectacular: its facades come with statues, decorations and stone columns, its interior includes a grand staircase, and chandeliers hang in its Grand Foyer. The theatre itself has Europe’s largest stage, 1,979 seats, a ceiling painting showing scenes from famous operas and a horseshoe shape decorated with red and gold. It’s no wonder the Phantom of the Opera chose to haunt this Baroque beauty.

For more sightseeing, make sure you pay a visit to the Arc de Triomphe, the gigantic arch in the Place Charles de Gaulle that honours all those who fought for France. It’s also worth dropping into the Church of St. Augustine, a Romano-Byzantine Roman Catholic church guarded by a Joan of Arc statue.

Shopping and dining

The streets around La Madeleine have cafes, restaurants, shops and big department stores like Printemps, and you can check them out with a walk around the block. Head to Opera Garnier by walking down Boulevard Haussmann, which is lined with shops including Galleries Lafayette, one of Paris’s grandest and most upmarket shopping malls.

Getting here and around

Snap up some Paris - Madeleine accommodation and book your flight to Paris with us too. You can get around the city on the Paris Metro or hire a car if you want to do a little more exploring around France. This part of Paris will leave you feeling as triumphant as the arc that towers above it.