Boulevard Haussmann, 2.53 kilometres long from the 8th to the 9th arrondissement, is one of the wide tree-lined boulevards created in Paris by Napoleon III, under the direction of his Prefect of the Seine, Baron Haussmann.

The elegant 9th arr. is known for its theaters, including the 1875 Palais Garnier opera house, nicknamed the “wedding cake” for its domed roof and intricate architecture. Shoppers head to the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores, and the old-world covered passages along the Grand Boulevards. In hip South Pigalle, gourmet restaurants give way to intimate museums that include the Musée Gustave Moreau.