The founders of La Samaritaine department store, Ernest Cognacq and his wife, Louise Jay, were fabled for their exquisite taste.

To see what they accumulated from around the world, head for this museum in the 16th-century Hôtel Denon, with its Louis XV and Louis XVI paneled rooms. Some of the 18th century’s most valuable decorative works are exhibited, ranging from ceramics and porcelain to delicate cabinets and paintings ( e.g. Canaletto, Fragonard, Greuze, Chardin, Boucher, Watteau, and Tiepolo).