The Louvre
The Louvre is the most visited museum and arguably the most renowned museum in the world
There are few museums anywhere in the world that have attracted more attention than the Louvre. The world's most visited museum, the Louvre is home to in excess of 35000 pieces of art dating from the earliest times to the 19th century and displayed in an exhibition space covering an amazing 650,000 square feet. Some famous pieces of art include The Madonna and Leonardo da Vinci’s Saint Anne, however there are literally thousands more works of art and historical pieces for visitors to view.
The Louvre has a lengthy and interesting history. During the 12th century, Paris was Europe's largest city. To protect the capital from the Anglo Norman threat king, Philippe Auguste, who was reigning at that time, decided to build a garrison to reinforce its western defences on the shores of the River Seine. The large fortress comprised of a moat, a huge tower at the centre of the structure plus other towers encompassed narrow gates at the wall on south and east sides. The solid building had two inner buildings butt against the exterior walls on the south and west sides. This magnificant structure lost its ability to be Paris' defence fortress as the city grew far beyond the original wall by the mid 14th century. Other defences were developed under King Charles V which enclosed the Louvre within the expanding city. In 1364 he commissioned his architect, Raymon du Temple, to transform the ancient garrison into a splendid royal mansion.
Each section of the Louvre has its story to tell and bears the mark of a different influential personality. The Louvre was turned into a museum in 1791 and first opened its doors as such in 1793. The first pieces on display were works of art that were donated or loaned by families that could afford to do so. Since then, the Louvre has simply grown in splendour and has had many galleries added and renovations done to turn it into the amazing museum that it is today.
The Louvre, as with most famous museums, offers floor plans, audio guides and guide books to visitors. It also features a number of cafes, media centres and even a bookstore for those that wish to bring a little of the Louvre home with them. The Tuileries Gardens offer a number of activities for the restless little ones who may not enjoy taking in the art of the Louvre as much as their parents. Instead, they can be amused with boat rides and trampolines and other play area activities in the gardens.
Nearby attractions: Jardin des Tuileries and Museum of Decorative Arts
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: Save time and skip the queueThe Louvre Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Address: 75001 Paris, France
Phone: 01 40 20 53 17
Official Website: The Louvre
The Louvre Reviews
Rated out of 5
Highly recommend to book timed entry tickets in advance. Also have a plan in place and a list of must sees if you want to cover the museum in an organized way. We only had a couple of hours but we were able to make the most of it because we had a good plan. The museum is spectacular and magnanimous. Over 35000 exhibit display across 3 wings. We really enjoyed it a lot. It’s a must see in Paris. The Mona Lisa was stunning .
Sritama Chakraborty - a week ago
It is such a spectacular museum! I highly recommend getting tickets in advance because otherwise the lines are extremely long! The Louvre really lives up to the expectation! It’s also HUGE! So prepare to spend the entire day there! A must see stop on a Paris trip!!
Emma Gray - in the last week
A very, very big and breathtaking museum. Do not underestimate the size and wonder of this museum.
A lot of people were at the Mona Lisa, of course, but there are many, many more pieces of art to admire. It's free for under 18s which I find very neat!
Matas Roda - in the last week
Although we came first and waited in line (with reserve), security didn't let us in. Despite it being written nowhere, those who came as a group were let in before us. At 9:45 a.m., we were able to get in with a fight. And you know the museum's collection is good.
Anar Guliyev - a week ago
It's the Louvre, what is there really to say?
Lot's of beautiful works of art. Couple of things to be prepared for:
1. This is one of the most popular museums in the world. There will be lines, there will be tons of people. I went on a cold and rainy day and it was still busy.
2. The museum layout is a little confusing. The maps you can take with you eliminate a lot of rooms, so get a feel for how the room numbers work so you can always figure out which way to go.
3. Everyone wants to see the Mona Lisa. It's chaos on that floor. Be ready for a very thick crowd all trying to get a picture of the famous painting.
4. Use the coat check. It's free. You aren't going to want to carry your coats around.
Dan Story - a week ago
Directions
| Metro / RER Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| M1 or M7 | Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre | 3 minutes |
How to get to The Louvre by Metro / RER
By Metro: From Metro Line 1 or 7 exit at Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre Station and proceed to your right (west) along Rue de Rivoli and then cross the road to your left and proceed through the arches at Place du Corrousel. The entrance to the the Louvre is in the Glass Pyramid ahead and to your left.
The Louvre is also easily accessed from the Batobus.
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Accommodations near The Louvre:
Photo Gallery
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One of many expansive halls exhibiting paintings by the masters inside The Louvre cc licensed photo by vic15 -
Photo Credit: Drew de F Fawkes - cc license via Flickr -
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