Spanish Easily the most famous museum in the world, as well as the largest art museum in the world, The Louvre in Paris is a museum to rival the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. Both of them are too much to see in a day! The Louvre has 8 major departments of art, and over 35,000 pieces of art, which stretches from ancient times to the early modern period. It contains originals of art from Da Vinci, Delacroix, Vermeer, and Rubens, as well as countless others to name. The museum’s collection is divided among eight departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; Prints and Drawings. So, unless you plan to go every day for a week it’s suggested to look on their website to see a theme of things you’d like to see for a thematic tour, or you can even plan out your visit on the brochures that are offered near the entrance when you walk in. In general, there are around one or two wings per day suggested, since there’s so much to see!
In addition to the Mona Lisa and the Venus De Milo, the two most famous pieces of art in the Louvre (and maybe in the world), there’re plenty of other famous works such as the Louvre’s medieval collections, which include masterpieces of Islamic art, the recently renovated Apollo Gallery and the Babylonian tablet called the Hammurabi Code.
The Louvre is filled with corridors and arches which create the perfect frame for almost anything. From the Pyramid to the Institut de France across the Pont des Arts, the opportunities are boundless. The beauty of the frame in this instance is the creation of another world contained within its confines, like a snow globe, a gateway to a fairytale. And while our gaze is fixated on the Pyramid in Cour Napoleon, it casts a shadow on the often-forgotten beauty of the Carré Cour. The completely enclosed courtyard is filled with spectacular details and great history. The Lescot wing, for example, on the southern part of the western wing of the Carré Cour, is the oldest remaining facade of the Louvre. Make sure you take some time to appreciate the statues!
If you want to get into the Louvre, there are a few ways how you can look for tickets, the lines are about 30 minutes long, but it’s worth the wait. Although, if you join a group, as a tour group member you get to walk right into the Louvre, so it might be worth your time and money to skip the wait! And if you’re wondering when they’re open, they have a bit of a complicated schedule but are actually open all the time. The Louvre is open Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, from 9 am to 6 pm, and Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 am to 9:45 pm. Admission is free for everyone on the first Saturday of each month in the evenings, but these times are PACKED, and it’s suggested to go on Saturdays in the daytime when you have the most time to examine everything without the crowds.
