With its curved-glass roof and florid Belle Époque ornament, the Grand Palais is unmistakable when approached from either the Seine or the Champs-Élysées and forms a voluptuous duo with the Petit Palais, on the other side of avenue Winston-Churchill. Both these stone buildings, adorned with mosaics and sculpted friezes, were built for the world's fair of 1900, and, as with the Tour Eiffel, were not intended to remain as permanent additions to the city. But once they were up, no one seemed inclined to take them down. Today the adjoining galleries play host to major exhibitions, but the giant iron-and-glass interior of the Grand Palais itself is closed for renovation until 2007, when it will reopen as a exhibition space for contemporary art. Adjoining galleries are used for special exhibitions; for visits before 1 PM you'll need a reserved ticket, which is a bit more expensive. COST: EUR10.10 until 1 PM with reservation, EUR9 after 1, no reservation. Métro: Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau.