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 – 6:00 PM
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 9:45 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
Many artworks to cover in a limited time. It is always crowded but worth visiting this amazing palace. Can be better organised for such a popular tourist attraction.
Al Right - in the last week
It was beautiful I spent a little under half a day there and I really enjoyed myself. The entire museum was beautiful but my favorite part was definitely the fine art upstairs. You can get free tickets on the website (if you meet certain requirements) but be sure to get them early whether the same day or a couple of days before if you’re going during the busy season.
natasha Rode-Christoffersen - 3 months ago
Stunning!
Starting from the outside - the building itself is a sight to see. It is totally understandable why it used to be an imperial palace. Great location for beautiful pictures of Paris. The molding and the statues on the building are impressive.
Moving on to the inside - the building is just as impressive. The ceilings are a work of art itself. The corridors are very spacious and nice to walk through.
Walls and walls of art, literally every style and time period you can imagine. Statues, gold, plates, rugs, mantles, paintings, Crown Jewels and many more.
The only downside of the Louvre is that it is GIANT, so please plan your trip ahead! Otherwise you won't see everything you'd like to see because you will run out of time.
We did not see the Mona Lisa, it was too crowded. But I was not sad about that, other works of art were even more impressive than the Mona Lisa.
M Kin - 3 months ago
A must see in Paris but be prepared to spend a lot of time exploring.
If you don’t want to wait in long lines, I would recommend booking through the Get Your Guide App. It’s worth the extra cost and you’ll have a guide to get you there and walk you through the highlights.
We went on a Monday and it was crazy busy. I imagine weekends are even more crowded.
kam ris - in the last week
Although it took a little time to queue up, about 1-hour. But the Louvre is a very worthwhile place. It was used for three hours that day, which was only part of the visit to the Louvre. It is recommended that it takes 4-5 hours to visit the whole Louvre.
Eltira Gaga - in the last week
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: szeke - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Sean X. Liu - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Carl Campbell - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Gael Varoquaux - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Carl Campbell - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Carl Campbell - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: bvi4092 - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: C. B. Campbell - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dullhunk - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Carl Campbell - cc license via Flickr
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