The Louvre, Paris, is essentially one of the most iconic, largest and most famous museums in all the world. It has five levels, 300 rooms, covers over 652,000 square feet, and holds over 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of Art.
With an estimated fifteen thousand visitors every day! Seventy per cent of which are foreign.
The Louvre was originally a fortress built in 1190, then in the 16th century became a Royal Palace. After the French Monarchy moved to the Palace of Versailles in 1793, the Louvre became a museum. It opened to the public with a total of 537 paintings. During WWII it was used as a storeroom for stolen Art by the Nazis.
The largest of the three glass pyramids built 1989 is now the main entrance.
Having already purchased our museum passes, we were able to skip the long line and headed to the entrance.
book your tickets in advance
Once inside the pyramid, after the tight security, you go underground to an area that reminded us of an airport terminal. There are hallways, stairs and escalators with people going in every direction.
There are five levels of Paintings, Sculptures, Decorative Arts and Ancient Antiquities from all over the globe in the Louvre. Everything you could imagine and more.
Full disclosure – we are not the most prominent art connoisseurs. We do enjoy a few pieces here and there, but we are not the types to spend all day studying articles. However, today, we were on a mission to see the most famous painting in the world!
After several sets of stairs and hallways where everywhere you look is a photo-worthy work of Art, we found it. In a room, all to its own behind a roped area was, the Mona Lisa.
(Update: there is now a queuing system in place)
Mona Lisa
Da Vinci’s The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous pieces of Art protected behind thirteen centimetres of bulletproof glass with security guards either side. Posed for the many clicks of cameras and cell phones like that is “Her” purpose.
There are many stories about who the Mona Lisa was and what she represents. Even rumours of hidden messages in the artwork itself.
What is known is that ‘She’ is an oil, painted on wood in c1503. And because ‘She’ is priceless, and cannot be bought or sold, ‘She’ belongs to the public, by French Heritage Law.
Now with that endeavour and a little piece of history forever captured in our memory, we returned to the Grand Hallway. We walked from one end to the other gazing at the countless works on display.
the louvre grand hallways and king’s apartment
The scale of the Louvre and all the relics within its walls will bend your mind. It is astounding when you walk through Napoleon’s Apartment; for example, your eyes almost can’t comprehend the torrent of precision craftsmanship at every angle. Because the mouldings, the casework, the picture frames, the chandeliers and furniture is genuinely elegance in overload.
You start to think about all the sections you aren’t allowed to see. Are there secret doorways and stairwells leading to hidden rooms and tunnels? Think of the history that has taken place in these very quarters and the famous reflections captured in the mirrors.
You may hear the laughs shared over the many meals and the echos of boots down its long corridors. Possibly even young children were running around and playing the quintessential game of hide-and-seek with endless hiding spots.
our takeaway
Considering we aren’t art enthusiasts, we still spent over three hours strolling through the rooms and levels. Nevertheless, we only ended up visiting a fraction of what this museum has to offer. Thirty-five thousand pieces of Art make their home here, and for a day, it will be yours as well.
When you need a break, we suggest the covered courtyards with the sculptures. We found it very quiet and peaceful and a fantastic spot to get away from the crowds. There are lots of delightful statues to survey and attempt to decipher.
So for those who dream of such visual stimuli, make sure to plan on spending all day here. Get a locker for your personal items such as your coat and remember to take extra camera batteries.
remember the gardens
Once you leave the Art inside, you must stroll through the Louvre Gardens. Take in the Parisian architecture and landscaping intertwined with sculptures of all types. Grab a cup of coffee sit and reflect on one of the most extraordinary experiences you will have. Watch the people and admire everything in front of you, after all, this is Paris. A moment in time!
The louvre – In a nutshell
- Address: Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
- Closed Tues. open 9 am – 6 pm Wednesday to Monday, with extended hours Fridays and Wednesdays until 10 pm
- Entry Free – 17€ purchase tickets online to avoid queues. (free with Museum Pass or Paris Pass)
- The nearest metro stations are Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre (lines 1 and 7), Louvre-Rivoli (line 1), Tuileries (line 1), and Pont-Neuf (line 7).
- If you are travelling by bus, you have the choice of the following services: 95, 21, 27, 69, 72, and 76.
- Lockers available for personal belongings
- Wear comfortable shoes – you’ll be doing a lot of walking
- I suggest taking a bottle of water too. It got considerably hot inside
- There are cafes inside the Louvre
- Give yourself several hours to explore
- To skip the line, either purchase a museum pass – as we did, or buy a ticket in advance. We use Viator
location map
book your tickets in advance
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