Pompidou Center. The Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges-Pompidou is its full name, although the modern art museum is known to Parisians simply as Beaubourg (for the neighborhood). Georges Pompidou (1911-74) was the president of France who launched the project. Unveiled in 1977, three years after his death, the Centre Pompidou was soon attracting more than 8 million visitors a year -- five times more than intended. Hardly surprising, then, that it was soon showing signs of fatigue: the much-vaunted, gaudily painted service pipes snaking up the exterior needed continual repainting, while the plastic tubing enclosing the exterior escalators was cracked and grimy.

Place Georges-Pompidou, a gently sloping piazza with a giant gold flowerpot in one corner and the Atelier Brancusi in the other, leads to the center's sprawling, stationlike, concrete-floored entrance hall, with huge, psychedelically colorful signs, ticket counters on the back left, and an extensive art shop topped by a café to your right. Head left for the escalator that climbs the length of the building; on your way up you'll have spectacular views of Paris, ranging from the Tour Montparnasse, to the left, around to the hilltop Sacré-Coeur to the right. The Musée National d'Art Moderne (Modern Art Museum, entrance on Level 4) occupies most of the center's top two stories.

One level is devoted to modern art, including major works by Matisse, the Surrealists, Modigliani, Marcel Duchamp, and Picasso, the other to contemporary art since the '60s, including video installations. In addition, there are a public reference library, a language laboratory, an industrial design center, two cinemas, and a rooftop restaurant, Georges, which is noted for its great view of the skyline. Audioguides with English commentary are available for most exhibits. COST: EUR10, including Atelier Brancusi; EUR7 for permanent collection only; EUR7-EUR9 for temporary exhibits; free 1st Sun. of month. Métro: Rambuteau.