The Louvre is one of the largest museums in the world, with over 35,000 pieces of art housed in a gigantic, 60,000 square foot building. Located along the banks of the Seine, the glass pyramid outside the Louvre is a memorable landmark, and an often photographed view of the museum. Descend below to enjoy the large collection of works, including Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

The history of the Louvre museum starts with Philippe Auguste, as he built the Louvre in the late 12th century as a fortress on the edge of the city to protect Paris from Anglo-Norman invaders. The Louvre was retrofitted into a residence for Louis XIV in the 16th century, and remained a palace for several centuries, but also began to showcase the works that France had been collecting. The history of the Louvre museum took a dramatic turn in the late 18th century when the art collection took over entirely, and thus the modern Louvre was born. Different rulers build different sections as part of the palace expansion. King Henri IV built the Grande Galerie, which is over a quarter of a mile long, and at the time was the longest building in the world. Louis XIII completed the Denon Wing during his rein. Even Napoleon had a hand in the history of the Louvre museum, adding a wing in the 1850s.
A Louvre tour seeing every piece of work in the collection would take weeks.

The Louvre is divided into eight collections. Visitors would be wise to pick a few collections and dedicate their time during a Louvre tour to immersing themselves in just a few collections. An obligatory stop on the Louvre tour is at the Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, also known as the Mona Lisa. It is on display (First Floor/denon/room 13), behind a glass case, roped stanchions, and a throng of museum goers. Stop by for a look, then head off to another section to become more engulfed in the works. Other famous works include the ancient Greek statue Venus de Milo, dating to around 130 B.C., and the Virgin and Child with St. Anne by da Vinc. The painting depicts St. Anne, her daughter the Virgin, and the child Jesus.

Come in the early morning if you intend to visit it to avoid queuing for hours. Good to know: The first Sunday of each month the place is free of access.

What’s a visit to Paris without seeing the Louvre? The Louvre is essentially the most famous museum in the world and also home to the renowned Mona Lisa painting. For Da Vinci Code buffs, this is a must-see as well! Located in the 1e arrondissement, it is accessible by metro (Lines 1). The museum is open except on Tuesdays and national holidays from 9am to 6pm. If you want to beat the crowds and you don’t plan on seeing every little thing, show up on Wednesday and Friday evenings when it’s opened till 10pm. For budget-conscious travellers, the museum is free on the 1st Sunday of every month but beware, these special days are usually the most jam-packed! Admission prices are as follow: €9 regular admission and €6 for evening admission (after 6pm). However, lines are notorious and to be expected at the Louvre. It is best to buy a Paris Museum Pass, which allows you free entry into the museum and also gives you a chance to bypass ticket lines.

I showed up just before opening (9am) and was lucky to see that the security lines weren’t long so that only took two minutes for me to go through. When you get past security, you are instantly awestruck by I.M. Pei’s Glass Pyramid that is right in the centre of the great hall.

The Louvre has many rooms, all with different themes and whatnot. I spent four hours touring the rooms I was interested in whereas my travelling partner spent seven hours. With all the walking you’ll be doing, it’s best to not have anything else planned that day because the Louvre will take up a good chunk of your day in terms of time and energy. Make sure you wear good walking shoes because the hard marble is not sympathetic on your feet. I didn’t rent an audioguide so I cannot comment on the quality of that as well as tour guides. Non-flash photography is permitted in most of the rooms but there will definitely be some rooms (i.e. Large-Scale French Paintings, etc.) where photography or filming is an absolute no-no. I was really disappointed to see the audacity of tourists touching (yes, you read that right – touching!) the artworks an sculptures and taking boatloads of flash photos. Please have respect for the works of art because the flash damages the surfaces and makes them more susceptible to wear.

I am a devoted fan of the history between Napoleon and his first wife, Josephine. I was completely in awe of Jacques-Louis David’s paintings of them, especially "The Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine, 2 December 1804". I also particularly enjoyed the Greek and Roman arts. The Egyptian collection is not to be missed. There will always be something for everyone, which is why the Louvre appeals to everyone. Therefore, if you miss the Louvre and its majestic collections, you can’t really say that you visited Paris at all!

Famed across the world, this museum housed in the former royal palace is incredible - you could spend weeks wandering around this place and still not see everything. Never mind that the building itself is beautiful and some of the rooms that have been restored to their former glories are so elaborate and rich. There was a fortress built here in 1200 by Philippe-Auguste, with some of the walls now visible in the underground part of the Louvre, but the palace was started in mid-15th century by Francois I, and was enlarged many times after this. After the revolution, in 1793, part of the building was opened as a museum exhibiting art work that the royal family had accumulated, including La Giocanda (the Mona Lisa). But in 1981 the Louvre museum was enlarged and a new entrance added - the glass pyramid designed by IM Pei.

There are several entrance - the glass pyramid , but generally the quicker option is the underground access which is accessible from the metro. Details of opening times and the collection are on the museum's website www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home_flash.jsp but note it is closed on Tuesdays.

There are so many exhibits and sections that it's worth planning what you want to see - is seeing the Mona Lisa very important? Or Greek sculpture? There are three wings - Denon, Richelieu, and Sully each with different collections and very large, so don't expect to cover the entire museum in a visit. If you want to see the major tourist draws like the Mona Lisa be prepared for huge crowds, or come early or late in the day to avoid the worst crowds. But don't miss the many other incredible pieces in rushing to see those that are must see- otherwise you'll miss out on see something that you will find that speaks to you. I ended up in medieval artifacts gallery the last time I visited by accident, and saw intricate embroidery that was so fine and beautiful and I fell in love with them quite unexpectedly. Don't just look at pictures, sculpture, and artifacts for their history but take time to just enjoy them, to look closer and discover what you feel about them. Honestly, I remember very little except for items that I took time to reflect on for myself. The Louvre is just so full of exquisite pieces that you'll find something that intrigues you, and that is what makes this museum so special. So take time to enjoy!

No self-respecting art lover can visit Paris without visiting the Louvre. Close your eyes long enough to get past that pyramid and you're in for a treat.

It's overwhelming, no doubt. You just have to resign yourself to the fact that you're not going to see it all, or even close. In most museums, I don't pay much attention to the floor plan, but in the Louvre you'll want that map handy.

Wandering around aimlessly leads you to rooms housing small sculptures and artifacts - not what I was there to see. I wanted paintings! So I pulled out the map and followed the roads leading to painting-filled rooms.

The first stop for most people is the Mona Lisa. My travel partner, Ruud, mentioned that since she's everywhere, since everyone is familiar with her face, seeing her in person isn't as special. I disagree - I think that makes it more special. Sure, everyone has seen her in some form - but relatively few have seen the real Mona Lisa, and it's a sight to behold. Unfortunately, she's behind glass, which makes it infinitely more difficult if not impossible to really connect with and experience a painting, but seeing her is still a great experience.

Luckily, her room wasn't so crowded, so I got to spend quite a bit of time in front of her. Make time for the Mona Lisa. You won't regret it. After that, I checked my map and headed straight for the Netherlands/Flemish part of the museum for my Rubens fix. Ah, Rubens. He's everywhere, and I love it.

We visited on a Friday night, so admission was free for us young folks. We only had three hours, but we still got to see a lot and saved a little money in the process. An added bonus was all the art students that were there at that time. We loved peeking over their shoulders at their sketches. So many talented people!

It should go without saying: don't miss the Louvre.

Musée du Louvre
Wednesday-Monday 9-6pm
Wednesday and Friday 9-9:45 pm
Admission: 8,50 euros (9 starting July 1, 2007); 6 euros on Wednesdays and Fridays after 6pm (free for ages 18-25)

CROWED! We honestly only went to say we were there and to see the Mona Lisa, and one or two of the other major sights. If your plan is like this then go later in the afternoon, the price goes down as do the lines to get in. But any time of the day that you go the exhibits will be crowded. The Mona Lisa is quite the hike to get to, worse if you have a baby stroller or wheelchair and need to use elevators. There is a constant huge crowd in front of it, and it is much smaller than you would imagine so you need to get closer to see any real detail. There are other many interesting thins to be seen though, if you go during the week there are open work rooms where preservation and preparation are done right in front of you, and the ceilings are not to be overlooked either.