The Louvre
Paris, and possibly the world’s, most famous museum
The famous glass pyramid outside the original Louvre complex | photo.ua / Shutterstock
Although you’ll see The Louvre labelled as a museum, it’s more like a gigantic vault packed with some truly mind-bending human creativity.
Once a royal palace, this sprawling Parisian icon on the Right Bank of Seine was founded in 1793 to become a public space where the recently seized royal collection could be displayed for all to see. Not much has changed since then, aside from the number of priceless works increasing exponentially and the addition of a gigantic glass pyramid.
Your starting point with any Louvre trip is booking an advanced ticket online. The Louvre is up there with the most visited museums and indeed tourist attractions on earth, with notoriously long wait lines for those who turn up on the day.
The Louvre runs altering opening times, opening each day at 9am and closing at 6pm Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and 9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays, the Louvre shuts completely to allow for upkeep, restoration and preservation. There’s never really a ‘quiet time’ to visit, but the busiest times are during summer and around the Christmas period, so swerve these if you can.
On arrival, enter through the less-crowded Carrousel du Louvre underground entrance rather than the perennially-packed pyramid.
Yes, the Mona Lisa needs to be on your list, but skip the temptation to rush there first. There are 35,000 artworks and artefacts in the Louvre, some arguably more impressive than the smiling Gioconda, so go with a much bigger appetite for art.
Plan your time around the key wings. The Denon Wing houses Italian masterpieces and French romantic paintings, the Sully Wing features medieval foundations and the Venus de Milo and the Richeliau Wing showcases sculptures, decorative arts and the stunning apartments of Napoleon III.
A great tip if you’re on a timer is to check out the themed trails (available on the Louvre’s official website). For example, the Journey Along the Nile trail features treasures and artefacts from Ancient Egypt.
If you run out of energy, then Café Richelieu‑Angelina and Café Marly are definitely worth a stop, with excellent views of the museum paired with typical french cafe fodder.
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