Discover The Louvre Museum In Paris
One of the most famous museums in Paris is the Louvre. However, what a lot of people tend to overlook is this is a museum that has managed to become the worlds largest one in the world and it is definitely one of those museums you are going to need to go and see. The problem is this is a huge museum as well and has quite a few exhibits that is going to take you through all parts of the world and time frame. So you need to make sure you know about these to make sure you have a great time during your trip, but also to make sure you are going to have a great time and not miss anything you were trying to look for in the museum, but did not know what to look for.
Hours And Location Of The Louvre Museum
The museum is located in Paris obviously and it definitely has a very easy place for you to find, but Paris is a large city in Europe. So the location is going to be important for you to know about because then it makes it easier for you to find the directions you need to have and the information you need to have as well.
Rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris, France
Hours of operation is going to be seen as the following:
Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Saturday 9 AM – 6 PM
Wednesday and Friday 9 AM – 10 PM
Tuesday they are closed.
What Exhibits Should You See?
Well, this is going to come down to what you are looking for. However, one aspect that everyone is going to enjoy in the Louvre is the Mona Lisa. Now the problem is if you are coming from an English speaking country it is very easy to get lost because the French do not use the English name for the famous art work by Da Vinci. Instead, they use the French name of La Jaconde. If you follow these signs you will be able to find what is arguably the most famous painting in the world. So this is definitely one of the must see places that you are going to want to go in and see.
If you get a chance you will want to explore the Marly and Puget courtyards. These courtyards are going to take you from some of the beautiful art pieces that you see in the interior art work. The courtyards that you are going to explore here is going to be full of outdoor statues that you are going to want to enjoy. When you are in the courtyards you will find they are from the 17th to 19th centuries, but they are done in such a way they are going to blow your mind.
In the decorative arts wing you are going to find that it is going to make a difference in how you perceive arts. The amount of art that you see here is going to be something that you are going to enjoy because it is going to allow you to have a great time in exploring art works that are not meant to be the best art work in the world for display. Instead this wing is going to allow you to see some of the art works that are meant to be displayed as tapestries, crown jewels, weapons, and even furniture. So this is definitely one area that allows you to explore all of the different changes of time as the jewels have changed, but so has the furniture. All of this is considered decorative art pieces and definitely deserves a stop because it does allow you to explore the artworks that are not commonly discussed with regards to it being art.
Depending on the time you are at the Louvre, you may be able to take advantage of seeing some of the most light sensitive pieces around. These are the engravings, drawings, and even some of the older paintings the museum has in its collection. These are on display only in limited time exhibits and they are definitely going to be something that you need to be aware of because these are some of the art works that you can only see here or in pictures if you are lucky. So make sure you check the calendar for the special events and monitor the Louvre Facebook page here.
Now you may want to explore some of the very early art works as well. These mainly come from Africa, but also from Asia and Oceania. The artworks that are here date anywhere from the 700 BC period to 1900 AD. This is when the art works were more than just a piece of art. A lot of times the arts in this time period were meant to tell a story. This is one portion of the museum that you have to see as well. The art you see here is going to give you a good foundation for the basis of arts that have come out of this region. At the same time, since this extends over such a long time period it allows you to see more of the arts and how they have evolved over time and how the introduction of new materials and mediums has made a difference in the arts that you are seeing.
How Long Should You Set Aside For A Trip To The Louvre Museum
Well the answer to this question really comes from if you want to run through the museum and miss somethings or if you want to take your time. If you want to hurry up and have a chance on missing some of the classic art works or just get a highlights type of tour then you can cover the entire place in just a little bit under or over 2 hours. However, you will be missing out on quite a bit of attractions in the location and this can easily lead to you being disappointed that you did not see something or completely missed out on something else.
To really take in the museum and explore all the art works and pieces you will want to set aside a good five to maybe even six hours. Now this may seem like a long time to go without having a break for food or drink, but the good news is the Louvre has a cafe which is named Paul, which is a French style bakery. However, if you are really in the museum a long time soaking in all the art works then you will enjoy Angelina, which is a tea room, but it does have a terrace and a lot of the traditional French style foods on the menu.
Where Can I Buy Louvre Tickets Online?
Sometimes you do not want to wait in line for a long time to get into a place. This is very true of the Louvre since it is a popular museum. So you can easily avoid the wait in line a couple of ways. One is to get up really early and wait at the gate for a couple of hours to get tickets and be the first one in. The other way and the more sensible way is to go out and buy your tickets online. Then you will have the tickets in advance and just like when you get a membership to a club or a zoo be able to go straight the front of the line.
If you want to get tickets for the Louvre online you can do so here.
Our Final Thoughts On The Louvre – Musee de Louvre
The Louvre is definitely a place you are going to want to put on your Paris bucket list. No matter how many times you have been in France you will find the Louvre, because of the various exhibits and rotating and limited display definitely has some great things for you to see. So you will want to make sure you stop at this museum to go and see what they have to offer because it is simply an amazing place for you to visit and enjoy.
Images From The Louvre
Other Important Links
Want to explore more of Paris? Check out our Paris travel page.
Do you want to learn even more about France? Check the France travel page we have.
Have a need to explore Europe even more? View our Europe travel page.
