Madeleine/Opera/Montmartre This district, which encompasses the opera house and its long avenues to the Palais Royal and place Vendome, is the hub of theatre and home to contemporary fashion. The landmark is the Opera Garnier, built by Charles Garnier in 1875, with a famous ceiling decoration from Chagall. You can visit this building and learn about the Phantom of the Opera! Behind the Opera, on Blvd Haussman, are the French department stores : Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. Fashion shows and many accommodations are available in these stores to foreign shoppers. The church of La Madeleine was started in 1764, but not completed until 1842, the church serves some high brow weddings and is known for its perspective across place de la Concorde. The chief attractions are the luxury food shops in the surrounding square, including Fauchon, La maison de la Truffe, and Hediards. The Place Vendome was designed in 17th century and is surrounded by very expensive jewelry boutiques such as Cartier. The famous Ritz Hotel is in front of the Place Vendome. Further to the east and north is the area of Montmarte with the basilica of Sacre Coeur, its quiet and winding streets that lead down to some of the more "colorful" parts of Paris in Pigalle - known for its peep shows. In the area, Blvd de Clichy and Pigalle, you can walk along the Rue Lepic famous for its fine food shops. To the north of the Butte Montmartre is the Marche aux Puces Saint Ouen, Paris’s largest fleamarket. Sites to See: Opera Garnier, Place de l’Opera, Place Vendome, Rue St. Honore, Les Grands Boulevards, La Bourse, Place des Victoires, Faubourg Poissonniere, Musee Baccarat, Sacre Coeur, Boulevard Clichy, Abesses Quarter, church of la Madeleine.