The Louvre Museum sits on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris's 1st arrondissement, in a palace that began as a medieval fortress and became a public gallery during the French Revolution. It is one of the world's largest museums, with eight curatorial departments covering Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities, Islamic art, sculpture, decorative arts, paintings, and prints and drawings.
Why it is worth the trip
You can stand in the basement and see remnants of the fortress built by King Philip II in the late 12th to 13th century, then walk halls holding the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. The collection spans prehistory to the 21st century across nearly 70,000 square meters of permanent galleries, so each turn leads into a different era. The scale is immense, and the building itself, expanded and redesigned through the 19th and 20th centuries, is as much a subject as the art.
The best time to go
Arrive early in the morning, since popular locations draw long queues later in the day. The museum is closed on Tuesdays. If you want lighter crowds, avoid the first Sunday of the month, when free admission brings peak attendance.
How long to allow
Plan for a substantial visit; the scale of the collection often leads travelers to plan at least two visits to see everything. Prioritize the icons you most want to see to manage your time among the thousands of objects.
Getting there
The main entrance is the underground Hall Napoléon beneath the Louvre Pyramid, reachable via the Pyramid itself or through the Carrousel du Louvre shopping mall, with the nearby Palais Royal also connecting to it.
What to book ahead
Reserve your entry in advance and consider a Paris Museum Pass, which covers the Louvre and dozens of other sites across the city including the Palace of Versailles. Guided audio options have been offered for deeper insight into the works.
Nearby
The museum sits adjacent to the Tuileries Gardens, an easy anchor for a day of sightseeing, and you can continue nearby at the Musée d'Orsay or the Opéra Garnier.