Centre Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou is the boldest building in Paris and home to the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe. Designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, it turned architecture inside out, putting its colorful pipes, ducts and escalators on the exterior so the interior could be open and flexible. Love it or question it, the structure is a landmark of twentieth century design and a statement in the heart of the Marais district.

Inside, the Musee National d'Art Moderne traces the story of art from 1905 to today. You will find Matisse and Picasso, Kandinsky and Mondrian, Pollock, Warhol, Duchamp and a deep collection of contemporary installation and video art. The museum is far less crowded than the Louvre or Orsay, which makes it a relaxed place to spend a few hours surrounded by the names that defined modernism.

One of the great pleasures here is the view. The exterior escalators carry you up the glass facade with the rooftops of Paris unfolding below, and the top floor terrace offers a sweeping panorama that takes in the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur. Buying a skip-the-line ticket in advance is smart, because security checks at the entrance create the main bottleneck rather than the galleries themselves.

The Pompidou is closed on Tuesdays and open late most evenings, which is a great time for the view at dusk. Take metro line 11 to Rambuteau or line 1, 4, 7 or 11 to Chatelet, both a short walk away. The lively Beaubourg plaza in front, with its street performers and the nearby Stravinsky Fountain, makes the arrival part of the experience. The surrounding streets of the Marais are full of cafes, design shops and galleries, so it is easy to turn a museum visit into a relaxed afternoon exploring one of the most creative quarters in Paris.