GETTY CENTER

Nestled in the heights of Brentwood, the Getty Center is a major cultural center and research hub, opened in 1997. Overlooking the ocean and backed by the San Gabriel Mountains, it could be the Acropolis of Los Angeles. The buildings, designed by architect Richard Meier, form a very modern, sleek and daring ensemble of curves and straight lines, accessed by a small train that departs from the parking lot. The site includes part of the J. Paul Getty Museum - the other part being integrated into the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades - as well as the Getty Research Institute and the Getty Conservation Institute.

The museum's permanent art collection is one of the finest and largest in the world. It is brimming with paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts and sculptures from before the ^20th century, as well as American, European and Asian photographs from the ^19th and ^20th centuries, and modern and contemporary sculptures. Van Gogh's Iris is undoubtedly one of the most popular paintings. All these works are displayed in four pavilions oriented according to the four points of the compass, while the Exhibitions Pavilion hosts temporary exhibitions.

Allow half a day. If you can, go in the afternoon: the breathtaking views of Los Angeles become even more colorful as the sun sets. Please note that the parking ticket can also be used for the Getty Villa - except on Mondays and Tuesdays - as long as you visit both sites on the same day.