The Grand Palais is one of Paris's great exhibition buildings, built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle and still impressive for the scale of its glass-roofed nave. It marks the moment when 19th-century grandeur began to slide into modern engineering.
The building hosts major art, design and cultural exhibitions, so what you see depends on the programme. Even from outside, it pairs well with a walk across Pont Alexandre III or along the Champs-Élysées.