A mixture of colorful gateway into Paris’ ancient and arty Marais, the Pompidou stands out among the crowd; Renzo Piano and Richer Rogers’ winning design exposes, literally, the guts of the museum cultural center for all to see. Lovingly referred to as “Beaubourg” by many Parisians and the “gerbil cage” or “cruise liner” by foreign visitors, the Pompidou testifies to France’s surprising sense of architectural adventure, and bien sûr the lasting personal marks of its presidents.

The museum’s collection contains over 50,000 works from across the 20th century—only a fraction of those are exhibited at the huge gallery. Start your journey with contemporary art on the fourth floor and work your way up—and back in time—through Ono, Klein, Calder, Dufy, and Picasso. Canonize your visit with a new classic: une coupe de champagne on the sixth floor terrace café, aptly dubbed, Georges.