The Avenue de l'Opéra (French pronunciation: [avny də lɔpeʁa]) was created from 1864 to 1879 as part of Haussmann's renovation of Paris.

It is situated in the center of the city, running northwest from the Louvre to the Palais Garnier, the primary opera house of Paris (until the opening of the Opéra Bastille in 1989).

It had the additional advantage that the demolition required for its construction cleared the area between the Louvre and the grand boulevards, which had been occupied by a slum district, dense with poor-quality housing and numerous narrow streets, that was considered unhealthy and dangerous.

Elegant stores selling luxury leather goods and jewelry, and the Café de la Paix, are located here.

[2] The avenue itself is very popular with tourists and is lined with shops selling fancy souvenir Parisian merchandise (articles de Paris), as well as travel agencies and banks.

[2] A decree of 3 May 1854 initiated a project to create an "Avenue Napoléon", running from the Louvre to the place where the Rue de la Paix joins the boulevards.