Off the beaten path in Florence

When the crowds of tourists surrounding the Duomo, Uffizi and David get to you, spread your wings and get out to some of the lesser known, but not in any stretch, less significant sites of Florence.

1) NO TIME LIKE THE RECENT PAST WITH A MODERN MAESTRO

There are a gazillion museums in Florence, but only a handful postdate the Renaissance. Start your circuit with the modern sculptures at Museo Marino Marini (Piazza San Pancrazio; www.museomarinomarini.it), a spacious and airy museum that features the work of only one Italian artist, known for his stylized equestrian statues. The museum is a Florentine anomaly: not only is the art from the 20th century, but there's also a good chance you'll have the whole place to yourself. Take full advantage. Open stairways, balconies and landings let you examine Marini's work from every angle.

2) THE OTHER PIETÀ

No one packs a house like Michelangelo. To see the artist's Pietà in Rome, you could wrestle the crowd in St Peters and try to glimpse the top of Mary's head. Or you could visit the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Piazza del Duomo, 9; www.operaduomo.firenze.it; 6 euros) and walk right up to the Pietà that Michelangelo carved just before his death. He never finished it (the woman on the left was completed by another artist). The museum, oddly empty and under the shadow of the duomo, also houses Donatello's masterpiece, Mary Magdalene, and the original baptistry door panels by Ghiberti.

3) FINDING RELIGION

The Museo de San Marco (Piazza San Marco) makes a compelling case for living as a monk. It's a former Dominican convent from the 15th century and, today, the stone hallways are as quiet as, well, a monastery. Inside, you can see the frescoes of ”The Last Judgment” and “The Annunciation” by Fra Angelico, but the highlights are the rooms — each with a small window and a fresco painting by him from the 1400s. The frescoes depict biblical scenes meant to encourage religious contemplation by the monk who lived in the cell.

4) STONE AGE

You can't go far in Florence before you bump into something from Ferdinand I de'Medici, the grand duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609. In this case, it's the Museo dell'Opifico delle Pietre Dure (Via degli Alfani, 78), a humble gallery of stone mosaics and inlays. In the 1500s, the museum was a workshop that Ferdinand I set up to teach craftsmen the art of stonework. And the results are impressive: mosaics of precious and semiprecious materials like lapis, mother of pearl, slate, jade and seashells and so detailed you'll swear you're looking at a photograph.

5) THE LAST SQUARE

The Piazza della Santissima Annunziata is Florence's prettiest square. On one side is the Spedale degli Innocenti (Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, 12), a 1419 beauty by the Renaissance architect and whiz kid Filippo Brunelleschi, which combines huge archways, Corinthian columns and geometric grace. A bronze statue of Ferdinand I by Giambologna is in the square's center. It depicts Ferdinand on a horse forever staring at the second floor of Palazzo Budini Gattai (www.budinigattai.com) — the former bedroom, locals will tell you, of his true love.

6) A FRESH VIEW

After a half-century of neglect, the 10-acre Villa Bardini Gardens (Via de Bardi 1r; bardinipeyron.it) reopened in 2005, and well-heeled Florentines now stroll its terraced flower and vegetable gardens. The sweeping hilltop views offer spectacular views of the Duomo, Santa Croce and Fiesole. If there’s time to linger, pop into the Roberto Capucci Museum in the 17th-century Villa Bardini, which recently opened as the impressive fashion archive of the Roman designer (Villa Bardini, 2, Costa San Giorgio; www.fondazionerobertocapucci.com).

7) PARADISE FOUND

In a town of blockbuster art shows, seek out smaller gems. Among the unsung works is Benozzo Gozzoli’s “Procession of the Magi,” which was recently restored to its Technicolor glory at the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi (Via Camillo Cavour, 1; www.palazzo-medici.it;). Commissioned by Cosimo de’ Medici in 1459, the fresco turned the chapel into a vision of paradise, with cheetahs and birds, as imagined by the newly emerging merchant class. Book ahead — the intimate space is open only to small groups.

8) URBAN TAN

Taking a page from Paris  (www.paris.fr/parisplages) and Berlin, an urban beach has washed up on the Arno River by San Niccolò, a wide swath of sand studded with beach umbrellas, deck chairs and bikini-clad Florentines. Unlike the beaches in those other cities, however, the sand here is a natural phenomenon, an ideal spot for a sun-drenched espresso while watching the city’s younger set take their city back.

Contributions by DANIELLE PERGAMENT and ONDINE COHANE the NewYork Times

Palais Garnier - Theatre de l’Opera- The Paris Opera House

The construction of the Paris Opera house, or the Theatre de l’Opera, was initiated by Napoleon III as part of his grand renovation plans for Paris. A competition was held to choose an architect, and an unknown architect named Charles Garnier was the winner. The buildings appearance is distinct; it blends several architectural styles and building materials. Garnier is quoted as that the style is neither Greek nor Roman but done in Napoleon III style. Construction of the Opera began in 1861, but due to the enormous expensis involved, it wasn’t finished until 1875, five years after the fall of Napoleon III. The theater opened on January 5, 1875.

The opera’s grand staircase is one of the most famous parts of the theater. It is made on white, green, and red marble that came from quarries in France’s colonies. The staircase has always been a place where famous Parisians have gone to see and to be seen.

The grand foyer in a theater is the space right outside the auditorium. It’s the place where guests can relax and chat with fellow audience members before the show or during the intermission. Before designing the Opera, Garnier traveled throughout Europe, visiting is most famous theaters. While he was very traditional in the design for the stage and auditorium, he was more innovative with the foyer. In the nineteenth century, most theaters had separate foyers- one for the nobility and one for the upper classes. Garnier overcame these divisions and created just one foyer, the grand foyer, which was open to anyone who could afford the price of a ticket.

The magnificent red and gold auditorium had its ceiling painted by Marc Chagall in 1964 evoking some of the most famous operas and ballets of the repertoire. This painting proved controversial, with many people feeling Chagall's work clashed with the style of the rest of the theatre. It was also installed directly onto the old mural, destroying it. The work surrounds a central chandelier, which weighs over six tons.

The Opera Garnier is open for visitors who wish to see this magnificent building.

The 14 Top Must See Sites of Paris

Paris, the capital of France, is busting with activity, sites and museums.  You can take to the streets on a bicycle, by foot, by metro or by bus.  Or you can simply relax at one of the numerous parks, café’s or restaurants.

Some of the most famous highlights as not to be missed they include:

1. Musée du Louvre - This enormous building, constructed around 1200 as a fortress and rebuilt in the mid-16th century for use as a royal palace, began its career as a public museum in 1793. As part of Mitterand's grands projets in the 1980s, the Louvre was revamped with the addition of a 21m (67ft) glass pyramid entrance. Initially deemed a failure, the new design has since won over those who regard consistency as inexcusably boring. There are vast rooms full of paintings, sculptures and antiquities, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory (which looks like it's been dropped and put back together). Along with a new wing devoted to islamic art.  If the volume of art becomes unbearable, your best bet is to pick a period or section of the Louvre and pretend that the rest is somewhere across town.

2. Catacombes - In the late 18th century, Paris decided it had a problem with its cemeteries, namely that they were full, if not overflowing. Faced with potential outbreaks of disease, not to mention aesthetic concerns, the city authorities decided to exhume the bones of the buried and relocate them in the tunnels of several disused quarries. The decision to do this was made in 1785 and led to the creation of the Catacombes. Visitors to this disturbing 'attraction' will find themselves 20m (65ft) underground, working their way along corridors stacked with bones. People over 60 can get in for free, which says a lot about the French sense of humour. The tunnels, which were used by the Résistance during WWII as a headquarters, are south of the Seine.

3. Bois de Vincennes - Located at the eastern edge of Paris it is a wonderful location to visit with children.  It is a landscaped forest that has a chateau, a medieval keep, ornamental boating lakes and a zoo. It will keep you and the children entertained all day. Or a little closer to the city center is the Jardin du Luxembourg a garden where people go to relax and sail toy boats in the fountain. There is also a large enclosed children’s play area with swings, slides and climbing apparatus’.

4. Centre Georges Pompidou - The Centre Georges Pompidou, displays and promotes modern and contemporary art. Built between 1972 and 1977, the hi-tech though daffy design, where the building seems to be “turned inside out”, has recently begun to age, prompting face-lifts and closures of many parts of the centre. Woven into this mêlée of renovation are several good (though pricey) galleries plus a free, three-tiered library with over 2000 periodicals, including English-language newspapers and magazines from around the world.

5. Notre Dame - The city's cathedral ranks as one of the greatest achievements of Gothic architecture. Notre Dame was begun in 1163 and completed around 1345; the massive interior can accommodate over 6000 worshippers. Although Notre Dame is regarded as a sublime architectural achievement, there are all sorts of minor anomalies. These include a trio of main entrances that are each shaped differently, and which are accompanied by statues that were once coloured to make them more effective as Bible lessons. The interior is dominated by the spectacular and enormous Rose Windows, and a 7800-pipe organ that was recently restored but has not been working properly since. From the base of the north tower, visitors can climb to the top of the west façade and decide how much aesthetic pleasure they derive from looking out at the cathedral's many gargoyles - alternatively they can just enjoy the view of a decent swathe of Paris. Under the square in front of the cathedral, an archaeological crypt displays in situ the remains of structures from the Gallo-Roman and later periods.

6. Sainte Chapelle - Lying inside the Palais de Justice (law courts), Sainte Chapelle was consecrated in 1248 and built to house what was reputedly Jesus' crown of thorns and other relics purchased by King Louis IX earlier in the 13th century. The gem-like chapel, illuminated by a veritable curtain of 13th-century stained glass (the oldest and finest in Paris), is best viewed from the law courts' main entrance - a magnificently gilded, 18th-century gate. Once past the airport-like security, you can wander around the long hallways of the Palais de Justice and, if you can find a court in session, observe the proceedings. Civil cases are heard in the morning, while criminal trials - usually reserved for larceny or that French specialty crimes passionnel - begin after lunch.

7. Musée d'Orsay - Spectacularly housed in a former railway station built in 1900, the Musée d'Orsay was re-inaugurated in its present form in 1986. Inside is a trove of artistic treasures produced between 1848 and 1914, including highly regarded Impressionist and Post-impressionist works. Most of their paintings and sculptures are found on the ground floor and the skylight-lit upper level, while the middle level has some magnificent rooms showcasing the Art-Nouveau movement. 

8. Musée Rodin - Located at the house where he lived and worked the museum displays the lively bronze and marble sculptures by Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin, including casts of some of Rodin's most celebrated works. There's a shady sculpture garden out the back, one of Paris' treasured islands of calm.

9. Eiffel Tower - This towering edifice was built for the World Fair of 1889, held to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. Named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel, it stands 320m (1050ft) high and held the record as the world's tallest structure until 1930. Initially opposed by the city's artistic and literary elite - who were only affirming their right to disagree with everything - the tower was almost torn down in 1909. Salvation came when it proved an ideal platform for the antennas needed for the new science of radiotelegraphy. When you're done peering upwards through the girders, you can visit any of the three public levels, which can be accessed by lift or stairs. Just south-east of the tower is a grassy expanse that was once the site of the world's first balloon flights.

10. Avenue des Champs-Élysées - A popular promenade for the ostentatious aristos of old, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées has long symbolised the style and joie de vivre of Paris. Encroaching fast-food joints, car showrooms and cinemas have somewhat dulled the sheen, but the 2km (1mi) long, 70m (235ft) wide stretch is still an ideal place for evening walks and relishing the food at overpriced restaurants.

11. Cimetière du Père Lachaise - Established in 1805, this necropolis attracts more visitors than any similar structure in the world. Within the manicured, evergreen enclosure are the tombs of over one million people including such luminaries as the composer Chopin; the writers Molière, Apollinaire, Oscar Wilde, Balzac, Marcel Proust and Gertrude Stein; the artists David, Delacroix, Pissarro, Seurat and Modigliani; the actors Sarah Bernhardt, Simone Signoret and Yves Montand; the singer Edith Piaf; and the dancer Isadora Duncan. The most visited tomb, however, is that of The Doors lead singer, Jim Morrison, who died in Paris in 1971. One hundred years earlier, the cemetery was the site of a fierce battle between Communard insurgents and government troops. The rebels were eventually rounded up against a wall and shot, and were buried where they fell in a mass grave.

12. Place des Vosges - The Marais district spent a long time as a swamp and then as agricultural land, until in 1605 King Henry IV decided to transform it into a residential area for Parisian aristocrats. He did this by building Place des Vosges and arraying 36 symmetrical houses around its square perimeter. The houses, each with arcades on the ground floor, large dormer windows, and the requisite creepers on the walls, were initially built of brick but were subsequently constructed using timber with a plaster covering, which was then painted to look like brick. Duels, fought with strictly observed formality, were once staged in the elegant park in the middle. From 1832-48 Victor Hugo lived at a house at No 6, which has now been turned into a municipal museum. Today, the arcades around the place are occupied by expensive galleries and shops, and cafés filled with people drinking little cups of coffee and air-kissing immaculate passersby.

13. Les Invalides  - This large complex takes its name from the fact that it was commissioned by Louis XIV to house many of his wounded and homeless soldiers.  At one time it was home to over 6,000 soldiers but now is better known for being the place of Napoleons tomb and the Musee de l’Armee.  The Musee is one of the most comprehensive museums of military history in the world, with exhibits ranging from the Stone Age to the Modern Age with uniforms, weapons and models of battles and fortifications.

14. Musee Picasso - Located in the Marsais District it is the largest of the Picasso Museums in the world.  Housed in a 17^th century building it holds many of the artists most inspired and seldom exhibited works from all of his periods, Blue, Pink and Cubist as well as over 3000 sketchbooks and sketchbooks.

Le Marais District of Paris

Le Marais, which means "the marsh" in French, is a district in Paris, France. though it is far from a March today. The name Le Marais also comes from "maraichers", i.e. vegetable gardens. The area was outside the original 12th century walls of Paris. These marshlands were cleared by the Knights Templar to create a garden for its chapter house and soon other religious orders followed suit.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the aristocracy built large residences in the area, a trend which was accelerated by the creation of the Place Royale (which would become the Place des Vosges) by Henri IV in 1605 but with the moving of the royal court from the Louvre in 1682 to Versailles the aristocrats followed suit. This departure, led to a decline in the district.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century and in the first half of the twentieth century, the area surrounding the Rue des Rosiers was revived becoming the home to many Jews from Eastern Europe. During the German occupation of Paris, the Marais was a target for the Nazis. Following Liberation in 1944, the district again went slowly into a decline. Though the rue des Rosiers is still a major centre of the Paris Jewish community. Walls feature announcements of Jewish events, there are bookshops specializing in Jewish books, and there are also numerous restaurants and other outlets selling kosher food. The synagogue 10, rue Pavée not far from rue des Rosiers is a strong religious center.

In 1969, began another revival. Andre Malraux made the Marais the first protected sector (secteur sauvegarde) of Paris. This protection measure can lead to odd results. As when shops are closed and sold their facades cannot be redone when changing businesses, as such you can find shops with a traditional "bakery" front selling fashionable clothing.

The since the 1980’s the neighbourhood again experienced a rejuvenation and a growing gay presence, with many trendy cafés, nightclubs, cabarets and shops. These establishments are mainly concentrated in the southwestern portion of the Marais, many on or near the streets Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie and Vieille du Temple.

Le Marais today is a vibrant and interesting community which is spread across parts of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, on the Rive Droite, or Right Bank, of the Seine.

One of the most interesting streets in the area is the famous rue des Francs-Bourgeois, one of the rare streets of Paris with all of its shops open on Sunday.
Other features of the neighbourhood include the Musee Picasso, the houses of Nicolas Flamel and Victor Hugo, the Musée Cognacq-Jay, Hôtel de Sully and the Musée Carnavalet.

MUSÉE DU QUAI BRANLY- a Green Building, 37 quai Branly, Paris France

As a dazzling showcase for art from the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, the slick Jean Nouvel–designed Musée du Quai Branly, almost at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, is implicitly intended to rectify the cultural arrogance at the heart of France’s colonial expansion during the 19th century. During this imperial adventure, the country accumulated a rich hoard of what was once known as “primitive art.” Though Nouvel’s design has had mixed reviews architecturally, there’s no denying that the museum houses one of the richest, most interesting, and best-displayed collections of African, Asian, North and South American, and Pacific-island art in the world.
But it is not just the exhibitions which draws one to the Musee du Quai Branly. The Museum also sports something, which is catching on in the big cities. A Green facade, a living wall. An exterior wall that is covered in vegetation. Not some vine that is clinging to the wall but something deliberate; a “vertical garden”. There are three types of green walls. Living walls, green facades and retaining living walls. A green façade is vines and climbing plants or cascading ground cover, which grows on supporting structures and roofs. Living walls are composed of pre-vegetated panels, modules, planted blanks that are affixed to a structural wall or free-standing frame. Green walls have been found to cut air pollutions, cut down on the noise pollution as well as cooling the surrounding area. Instead of concrete and brick reflecting the sun and heating up the surrounding area the green wall absorb the heat.

SMALL MUSEUMS IN PARIS - ANYONE CAN FIND THE LOUVRE, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE CITY’S LESSER-KNOWN TREASURES.

MUSÉE DU QUAI BRANLY - As a dazzling showcase for art from the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, the slick Jean Nouvel–designed Musée du Quai Branly, almost at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, is implicitly intended to rectify the cultural arrogance at the heart of France’s colonial expansion during the 19th century. During this imperial adventure, the country accumulated a rich hoard of what was once known as “primitive art.” Though Nouvel’s design has had mixed reviews architecturally, there’s no denying that the museum houses one of the richest, most interesting, and best-displayed collections of African, Asian, North and South American, and Pacific-island art in the world.

37 quai Branly; 7th; 01-56-61-70-00

MUSÉE MARMOTTAN MONET - The Musée Marmottan Monet is not only one of Paris’s greatest small museums but an international star for its spectacular collection of some 165 paintings by Claude Monet. Formerly the hunting lodge of the Duc de Valmy, it was purchased by Jules Marmottan, a wealthy 19th-century industrialist. Two subsequent donations—a stunning collection of paintings from Victorine Monop de Monchy, daughter of Docteur de Bellio, whose patients included Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Sisley, and Renoir, and the private collection of Michel Monet, Monet’s second son—transformed the museum into the little gem that it is today.

2 rue Louis-Boilly; 16th; 33-1-44-96-50-33

MUSÉE DES ARTS ET METIERS - Founded in 1794 and today occupying the former priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, the offbeat Musée des Arts et Metiers is devoted to scientific discovery and mechanical and industrial inventions, which are organized according to seven themes: scientific instruments, materials, construction, communication, mechanics, energy, and transport. Perhaps the most famous instrument in its collection of some 80,000 objects is Foucault’s pendulum, which was popularized by a novel by Italian writer Umberto Eco.

60 rue Réaumur; 3rd; 01-53-01-82-00

MUSÉE DE LA MUSIQUE - At the Musée de la Musique, in the Parc de la Villette, instruments from the unequaled collection of the Paris Conservatoire—from early horns and Stradivarius violins to modern synthesizers and Gibson electric guitars—come alive through headphones with commentary (in English) on instrumental developments over the past five centuries. The audio program also includes Conservatoire faculty members answering questions and demonstrating, say, the right way to play Javanese temple bells.

221 avenue Jean-Jaurès; 19th; 01-44-84-44-84;  www.cite-musique.fr

MUSÉE NISSIM DE CAMONDO - Facing the Parc Monceau, the Musée Nissim de Camondo is one of the most engaging and poignant of the city’s small museums. Built just before World War I by Moïse de Camondo, scion of a family known as the Rothschilds of the East, the house was designed to showcase his antiques. And after admiring the dazzling silver tureens made for Catherine the Great, wander through the spacious, bright kitchens. Restored to an as-built state, the fittings include remarkably modern water purifiers and a copper sink with a steam jacket to keep dishwashing water hot. And the vast stove, with separate ovens and a rotisserie, still inspires envy.

63 rue de Monceau, 8th; 01-53-89-06-40; www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr

MUSÉE CARNAVALET - Housed in two adjacent hôtels particuliers in the Marais, the Musée Carnavalet tells the story of Paris from prehistory to the early 20th century through archaeological finds, paintings, furniture, and objets d’art. There are rooms from the ancien régime, a Revolutionary collection that spans 12 rooms, and a section devoted to French literature that includes letters written by Madame de Sévigné (who lived here from 1677 to 1696) and a replica of Proust’s cork-lined bedroom. The museum’s shop has a fantastic selection of books about the city. (Buy an English-language guidebook here before you enter the museum—the information inside is all in French.)

23 rue de Sévigné; 3rd; 01-44-59-58-58

MUSÉE COGNACQ-JAY- This charming museum, housed in the carefully restored 16th-century Hôtel Donon, in the Marais, paints an interesting portrait of a slightly fussy, early-20th-century bourgeois collector. Ernest Cognacq, founder of the Samaritaine department store, and his wife, Louise Jay, amassed a surprisingly rich and varied collection that includes French Rococo artists like Fragonard, Watteau, Boucher, and Greuze, plus a smattering of Guardis and Canalettos, and a few more “highbrow” works by Rubens and Ruisdael. The paintings are complemented by the couple’s furniture, porcelain, tapestries, and sculpture.

8 rue Elzévir; 3rd; 01-40-27-07-21

MUSÉE DE LA VIE ROMANTIQUE - Housed in an elegant little villa that was once home to the artist Ary Scheffer, the Musée de la Vie Romantique recalls the days when the surrounding neighborhood (between Pigalle and the Gare Saint-Lazare) was known as the “new Athens” because of the many artists, writers, and composers who lived there. Writer George Sand, the focus of the museum, was at the center of this creative community, which included Chopin, Delacroix, the poet Alfred de Musset, and other Romantic figures. The portraits, books, and letters here evoke that passionate age with charm.

16 rue Chaptal; 9th; 01-55-31-95-67

MUSÉE DE L’ORANGERIE - Located in the old Orangery in the Jardin des Tuileries, this is an art gallery of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.  It is most famous for being the permanent home for eight Water Lilies murals by Claude Monet. The museum was chosen and arranged personally by Claude Monet in two oval rooms to have the correct light and balance for contemplation of these masterpieces.  The museum also contains the Walter-Guillaume Collection containing works by Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Rousseau, Chaim Soutine, Alfred Sisley, and Maurice Utrillo, among others.

Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde; 1^st

MUSÉE DU VIN – Located in the 16^th arr on Rue des Eaux, named after the mineral water sources discovered herein the 17^th and 18^th centuries.  The exhibits fill a site used in the Middle Ages as a limestone quarry before conversion into cellars by the wine-producing monks of the Minime Order.  These cellars were also used for wine storage in the 1950s by the Eiffel Tower restaurant.   Today, on a walk through the winding stone-walled corridors, visitors discover historic objects connected with wine production and the evolution of winemaking techniques.   The museum also offers wine-tasting classes.

5 Square Charles Dickens - Rue des Eaux; 16^th; museeduvinparis.com

MUSÉE DES EGOUTS DE PARIS – or as it is translated, the Paris Sewer Museum, as strange as it seems to want to walk under a city of beauty, it is one of the 50 most visited attractions in the French capital, and has only gained in popularity since Ratatouille (2007). Paris has 1,300 milers of sewers, one of the most extensive in the world.  Only aw small part of the system is open to the public and obviously does not involve wading in actual sewage, which is carried in enormous pipelines.

Pont de l'Alma, face au 93 quai d'Orsay; 7^th

MUSÉE DU JACQUEMART-ANDRE – is the result of the 19^th century Parisian society couple Edouard Andre and Nelie Jacuemart.   Housed in their elegant 16-room villa, the museum showcases their personal collection of antiques from their travels and remarkable good taste as amateur art buyers.  It also captures the atmosphere of Parisian high society with salons for balls and state dinners, smaller rooms for making and entertaining and lush bedrooms for relaxing

158 blvd Haussmann; 8^th; musee-jacquemart-andre.com

FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON - Is Paris' newest Museum.  Opened in 2014 it is located on the outer rim of Paris in the Bois de Boulogne.   Designed by Frank Gehry the museum resembles a ship with giant glass sails making up the exterior façade, with water traveling towards and right through the building itself; while inside is a series of changing contemporary art exhibitions curated by the LVMH group.   The restaurant is top notch with several themed menus in the evenings.

8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Bois de Boulogne; www.fondationlouisvuitton.com