Formerly a royal palace, the Louvre in the French capital Paris is now the largest museum in the world. With its glass pyramid built in the 1980s, it is one of the absolute highlights for tourists in Paris.
The world-famous Louvre is located in the centre of Paris, on the Seine directly on the way from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame Cathedral. The former royal palace is now the largest museum in the world and is one of our top sights in Paris and France.
Spread over the three wings Sully, Richelieu and Denon, the Louvre exhibits works of art from all over the world. The most famous of these is, of course, Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of the Mona Lisa, but you can also admire the Venus de Milo or the Nike of Samothrace, among others. Apart from that, the Egyptian section of the Louvre is also world-famous.
Table of contents
PICTURES: Louvre in Paris
Photo gallery: Louvre in Paris
Visit to the Louvre
In the 1980s, the then President François Mitterrand commissioned the Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei to build the large glass pyramid in front of the Louvre as the new entrance to the museum.
Initially, the pyramid met with great resistance from critics, who claimed that Mitterrand had had the pyramid erected as a burial chamber for the socialists. Today, however, it is almost inseparable from the image of the Louvre.
In the pyramid, an escalator will take you down to the large entrance hall, where information brochures and folders are available in many languages. Take a map of the area with you! Although the way to the most famous exhibits is signposted, it is easy to get lost in the huge complex. The three wings branch off from this large hall.
The Louvre is busy all year round, so visitors must expect to queue for a while in front of the glass pyramid. However, not only the many impressive paintings and sculptures, but also the beautiful architecture of the famous building make up for the wait many times over.
Tip: Online tickets are a little more expensive, but at least you avoid the queue! Free entry and shorter queues are also available for Paris Pass or Paris Museum Pass holders. AND: From 1 October to 31 March, the Louvre in Paris can be visited for free on the first Sunday of every month!
Sights at the Louvre
It's easy to get lost in the huge Paris museum. Ideally, you should first use the museum map to find out which highlights you would like to see and set a route to avoid unnecessarily long walks. If you want to see as much as possible, you should save the "strolling through the works of art" for a second visit to the Louvre.
Tip: Don't take on too much at once! If you really want to see all the exhibited works, you would have to walk through the building. It is advisable to choose only a part of it that you are particularly interested in and to view the exhibits there at your leisure. If you are really interested in art, you can spend two (or more) days here without getting bored.
And now: What is there to marvel at and where?
Denon grand piano
The highlights in the Denon grand piano are:
- the world-famous "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci
- the headless goddess of victory "Nike of Samothrace".
- the "Wedding at Cana" by the Italian painter Veronese
- the "Coronation of Napoleon I at Notre Dame by Pope Pius VII".
- Various other art treasures by international painters such as Rembrandt, Hals, Delacroix, El Greco, Velàzquez, Goya or Michelangelo.
Sully Wing
The highlights in the Richelieu Wing are:
- the famous "Venus de Milo" statue
- The Babylonian "Code of Hammurabi", which is considered the oldest law code in the world.
- the impressive art collection from ancient Egypt
- Greek, Etruscan and Roman treasures from antiquity
- Information on the history of the Louvre itself
Richelieu Wing
The highlights in the Richelieu Wing are:
- French sculptures and paintings from the 14th-17th centuries
- Art from the Middle Ages
- the chambers of Napoleon
- Mesopotamian, Iranian and Islamic art treasures
Further links:
Official site of the Louvre with opening hours and admission prices
Info about the Paris Pass
