Galeries Lafayette & Printemps
Galeries Lafayette & Printemps is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Paris audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~60 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type landmark
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Paris Paris guide
About Galeries Lafayette & Printemps
Paris's grandest department stores side by side on the Boulevard Haussmann, crowned by the 1912 Art Nouveau steel-and-glass dome of Galeries Lafayette, the most spectacular department store interior in the world, with a free rooftop terrace overlooking the Opera.
The Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann is Paris's most celebrated department store and one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, receiving over 40 million visitors annually, more than the Eiffel Tower. Its central hall, capped by the extraordinary 1912 Byzantine-Art Nouveau dome of stained glass and steel, 43 metres high, is one of the most stunning interior spaces in Paris. The dome was designed by architect Ferdinand Chanut and Georges Chedanne. The store's free rooftop terrace offers one of the finest free views in central Paris, directly overlooking the Opéra Garnier. Printemps next door, opened in 1865, nearly three decades before Galeries Lafayette, has its own magnificent glass-roofed restaurant and is particularly celebrated for fashion and beauty. Both stores exemplify the Paris department store tradition that transformed shopping from transaction into theatre.
Did you know? Galeries Lafayette receives over 40 million visitors per year, more than the Eiffel Tower, making it technically the most visited site in Paris; the 1912 Art Nouveau dome took three years to build and uses over 1,000 panes of coloured glass.
How long should you spend at Galeries Lafayette & Printemps?
Plan about ~60 min at Galeries Lafayette & Printemps. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Galeries Lafayette & Printemps worth visiting?
Galeries Lafayette & Printemps is one of the 44 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Paris, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Paris
Hear the story of Galeries Lafayette & Printemps
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