Our team is pleased to present the following exclusive private visit experiences
OPERA GARNIER BACKSTAGE
This experience helps guests understand why the Opéra Garnier is as fascinating as the colorful characters on its stage. The public spaces of the Opéra Garnier are breathtaking, but the building holds many secrets. With an expert storyteller from the Opéra, you make your way through rarely seen areas, including the deep underground reservoir that inspired the “The Phantom of the Opéra.” You’ll also visit the “cabestans” room, below the stage, with its elaborate 19th-century machinery that was used to manage special effects and sets. The Opéra played a key role in the culture of the city and helped draw so many fashion houses and jewelry emporiums to this part of Paris. You’ll visit the Foyer de la Dance, where wealthy patrons would ply favored performers with trinkets and finery. You end the visit with a glass of champagne in the elegant Coco’s restaurant.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
- A PRIVILEGED WELCOME at the Palais Garnier by an expert storyteller from the Opera.
- A PRESENTATION of Charles Garnier’s vision for this entertainment palace built for Napoleon III.
- A PRIVATE VISIT to the many backstage spaces for an unforgettable experience available to few.
- LEARN how Charles Garnier re-interpreted the Palace of Versailles while inventing his very own style.
- SEE THE FAMOUS underground “lake” that inspired the author of the “Phantom of the Opera.”
- MEET the Friends of the Opéra Garnier (AROP) while enjoying a drink at Coco’s restaurant.
- A DISCUSSION about the role the Opera Garnier and Bastille hold in France’s cultural history and contemporary life.
- THE GIFT of a pot of honey from the Opera Garnier beehives.
CLOS MONTMARTRE VINEYARD
The experience combines a private visit to this vineyard with behind-the-scenes spots that show why the rebellious quartier of Montmartre is the only place it could exist. You start with our expert storyteller at Sacré-Coeur — itself a controversial remnant of the French Civil War, built where once cannon emplacements stood — followed by a visit to the private Montmartre Museum, which preserves some of the original artist studios on the hill. Here you’ll learn more about how Montmartre went from being a center of working-class revolution to a neighborhood of cabarets and bars, frequented by artists, dancers, and intellectuals during the Belle Époque. Afterward, you’ll visit the vineyard, with its lovely view over northern Paris and its suburbs. Here, with an expert guide, you’ll learn how this green haven was preserved amidst the bustle of the city, the challenges of growing grapes here, and you’ll taste both red and rosé wines derived from the very vines you’ve touched.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
- A PRIVILEGED WELCOME at the foot of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica by our expert storyteller.
- A PRESENTATION of the Montmartre quartier and the influence of its people’s rebellious spirit.
- A PRIVATE VISIT to the Clos Montmartre vineyard after a moment inside the Museum of Montmartre.
- LEARN about the Belle Époque, the Commune civil war, and how the vineyard came to be here.
- TASTE the Clos Montmartre red and rosé wines while learning about this urban vineyard.
- MEET with members of the winemaking group that oversees the vineyard.
- A DISCUSSION about urban vineyards and winemaking techniques.
- A GIFT of a limited edition Clos Montmartre wine tasting glass.
EQUESTRIAN ACADEMY OF VERSAILLES
At the pinnacle of French horsemanship, the Royal Stables of the Palace of Versailles welcome you to an unforgettable, private visit. Just in front of the palace, an expert guide will open the doors to the majestic compound, designed by the top architect of Louis XIV, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, and completed in 1682. Now the home of the Equestrian Academy of Versailles, founded by the celebrated maestro Bartabas in 2003, the Royal Stables have become the venue for a unique troupe of horses with riders who become dancers, fencers, singers, and practitioners of Kyudo, the Japanese art of archery. With your guide, you’ll visit the superb purebreds of the Academy, including the magnificent Lusitanians that so fascinated the Sun King. You’ll then have privileged seating for the show, “La Voie de l’écuyer,” or “The Way of the Cavalier,” showcasing world-class horsemanship and choreography. Afterward, you’ll enjoy a glass of champagne with one of the troupe members.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
- A PRIVILEGED WELCOME by an expert storyteller from the Equestrian Academy of Versailles.
- A PRESENTATION of the different types of horses with the storyteller.
- A PRIVATE VISIT to the Grand Stable of the King and the Academy founded by Bartabas.
- LEARN how Bartabas transformed the Royal riding arena into a stage for his choreography.
- SEE THE SHOW “The Way of the Cavalier” with reserved seats in the third and fourth rows.
- MEET A RIDER from the troupe while enjoying a cocktail or flute of champagne in the foyer overlooking the palace.
- A DISCUSSION of the techniques of dressage that you just saw during the show.
- THE GIFT of a special English edition of the “Connaissance des Arts” magazine produced by the academy.