The Louvre Museum
The Louvre is a museum located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Formerly a royal palace, the museum was inaugurated in 1793. Today, it is the most visited museum in the world, with 10.2 million annual visitors in 2018. The Louvre holds over 500,000 works, of which over 36,000 are on display.
The Louvre is a huge museum that is divided into three wings: Richelieu, Sully and Denon. You will never have time to see everything! Prepare your visit to think about an itinerary. Here are three places I recommend:
The Grande Galerie (Italian paintings department, Denon wing): With 288 meters long, it is the largest room in the museum. It houses the splendid collection of Italian paintings. It is also adjacent to room 711 where the famous Mona Lisa is exhibited.
Cour Marly (sculpture department, Richelieu wing): The Cour Marly is an interior courtyard that was originally open to the air and was covered with a magnificent glass roof in 1993 by Pei, the architect of the glass pyramid. Masterpieces of French sculpture from the 17th and 18th centuries are displayed here.
The Sarcophagus Room (Egyptian Antiquities Department, Sully wing): This room retraces 4000 years of Egyptian art and funeral rites. You can discover the impressive sarcophagi that contained the bodies of the deceased. In the next room, room 322, the famous mummy of the Louvre is kept.
Prices
Opening hours
9:00-18:00 every day except Tuesday
15 euros full price / Free for under 26 years old
Metro stops
Palais Royal Musée du Louvre - Pyramides
Official website