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By Root 1152 0

the Pompidou is certainly the city’s most unique-looking building. Most Parisians have warmed to the industrial, Lego-like exterior that caused a scandal when it opened in 1977. Named after French president Georges Pompidou (1911–74), it was designed by then-unknowns Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. The architects’ claim to fame was putting the building’s guts on the outside and color-coding them: water pipes are green, air ducts are blue, electrics are yellow, and things like elevators and escalators are red. Art from the 20th century to the present day is what you can find inside. The Musée National d’Art Moderne (Modern Art Museum, entrance on Level 4) occupies the top two levels. Level 5 is devoted to modern art, 1905–60 including major works by Matisse, Modigliani, Marcel Duchamp, and Picasso; Level 4 is dedicated to contemporary art from the ‘60s on, including video installations. Outside, next to the museum’s sloping plaza—where throngs of teenagers hang out (and there’s free Wi-Fi)—is the Atelier Brancusi (Brancusi Studio). This small, airy museum contains four rooms reconstituting Brancusi’s Montparnasse studios with works from all periods of his career. On the opposite side, in the Place Igor-Stravinsky, is the Stravinsky Fountain, which has 16 gyrating mechanical figures in primary colors. | Pl. Georges-Pompidou, Beaubourg/Les Halles | 75004 | 01–44–78–12–33 | www.centrepompidou.fr | €12 May–Aug., €10 Sept.–Apr.; €8–€9 for temporary exhibits; free 1st Sun. of month | Wed.–Mon. 11–9, temporary exhibitions 11–10; Atelier Brancusi 2–6

QUICK BITES: There are many cafés around the Centre Pompidou, but Dame Tartine (2 rue Brisemiche | 01–42–77–32–22 | Station: Rambuteau) overlooking the Stravinsky fountain, with its colorful sculptures, is a good choice. You won’t go wrong with a homemade quiche, salad, or a classic cassoulet.

Galerie Vivienne.

The grand dame of Paris’s 19th-century passages couverts, or covered arcades, a walk through this beautifully restored galerie, with its tiled floor, will send you back to a time of gaslights and horse-drawn carriages. Parisians came to passages like this one to escape the muddy streets, and browse the boutiques under the glass-and-iron roofs—the world’s first shopping malls. Today, the Galerie Vivienne still attracts top-flight shops such as Jean-Paul Gaultier (6 rue Vivienne), as well as some more affordable ones. If you need a break, A Priori Thé has been comforting travelers for more than 20 years with its teas and sweets. Or pull up a stool at the wine bar at Legrand Filles et Fils, a family-run épicerie (grocery) and wine shop. | Main entrance at 4 rue des Petits-Champs, Louvre/Tuileries | 75002 | Station: Palais-Royal/Bourse.

Les Arts Décoratifs.

(Decorative Arts Center).

Sharing a wing of the Musée du Louvre, but with a separate entrance and admission charge, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs is home to a stellar collection of decorative arts. Spread across nine floors, the vast holdings include altarpieces from the Middle Ages and furnishings from the Italian Renaissance to the present day. Renovated in 2006, the museum has period rooms reflecting the ages. The arts center comprises two other museums—more aptly called departments—which play host to temporary exhibitions: the Musée de la Mode et du Textiles (Museum of Fashion and Textiles) and the Musée de la Publicité, dedicated to advertising and publicity. There is also a quiet restaurant, Le Saut du Loup, with an outdoor terrace that serves lunch even on Monday when the museum is closed. | 107 rue de Rivoli, Louvre/Tuileries | 75001 | 01–44–55–57–50 | www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr | €8–€16.50 | Tues., Wed., and Fri. 11–6, Thurs. 11–9, weekends 10–6 | Station: Palais-Royal.

QUICK BITES: Once patronized by Proust and Gertrude Stein (who loved the chocolate cake here) Angélina (226 rue de Rivoli, Louvre/Tuileries | 75001 | 01–42–60–82–00), founded in 1903, is an elegant salon de thé (tearoom), famous for its chocolat africain, a jug of incredibly thick hot chocolate served with whipped cream (irresistible even in summer).