The glamour of the 8th arrondissement sashays down Boulevard Haussmann and on to the 9th arrondissement. Here a trip to the opera and a dash of luxury shopping are the orders of the day along with a side of the city’s more out-of-the-way museums. The arrondissement also includes a little sliver of the neighbourhood of Pigalle, which will be covered in more detail in our post about the 18th.

Starting in 8e and drawing crowds down to 9e is the grand Boulevard Haussmann, considered by some – particularly those with more cash to splash – to be the city’s best shopping street. As well as housing many of the city’s more luxurious stores, this street also houses the famed Galeries Lafayette and the main Printemps flagship. Both department stores are shopping meccas, split into three separate stores each, with their main buildings dedicated to women’s fashion (men’s and homeware are housed elsewhere).

Lafayette, more than clothes

These aren’t just shops though. Along with fantastic foodhalls and an ever-changing list of events, exhibitions and celebrations, there are standalone attractions here that merit a visit in their own right, particularly the Galeries Lafayette. Housed in a magnificent building, the department store offers panoramic views of the city from its top levels along with an art gallery and exhibition space and it stages weekly fashion shows too. Even if you don’t plan on spending, these are spaces that are well worth a visit if you want to get a feel for the city.

The other great attraction in 9eme and a sight that shouldn’t be missed by any culture vulture is the Paris Opera, or Palais Garnier. Designed in 1860 but not finished until 1875, the opera building encompasses all of the most beautiful and glamorous elements of design from that period. It shares the Ópera National de Paris with the city’s second opera hall in Bastille but is by far the better place to attend a show since it’s so much more atmospheric and so much smaller than its newer counterpart. But buyers beware, some of the seats have awful visibility so be sure to double-check before you hand over your money if you’re going to see the ballet, classical music or opera.

Musée de la Vie Romantique is aptly named

The other major attractions in 9e are pretty varied. The Musée Grévin is Paris’s wax museum and home to hundreds of wax models – from George Cluny, Zidane and Elizabeth II to the leaders of the French Revolution. It’s a great trip if you’re travelling with kids, if you would like to get a better sense of French history or if you just want to take a photo with Brad Pitt or Charlie Chaplin.

On a more serious level perhaps the area’s best museum is the Musée de la Vie Romantique, the Museum of the Romantic Life. Out on the border of the arrondissement, in the neighbourhood of Pigalle, the museum is set in one of the city’s famous hotels particulares, once the home of George Sands. This is where she sipped tea with Chopin, Delacroix and Charles Dickens and was undoubtedly the site of many a heated discussion and brainstorming session. Visitors can wander from room to room and in fine weather, enjoy their own cup of cha out in the garden.

Orpheus by Gustave Moreau

Another great museum well worth a peak for the museum-hopping crowd is the Musée National Gustave Moreau. As the name suggests, it’s home to the work of Gustave Moreau, a French symbolist painter who worked almost entirely on biblical and mythological themes. A whopping 4,800 of his works in various levels of completion are housed in his two-storey one-time studio. You can get reduced-rate tickets if you hold onto your admission slip from Palais Garner or Musée d’Orsay.