Why Is The Louvre Museum Paris Famous
Le Louvre Museum is famous as its collection is the largest and richest in the entire world. The museum showcases artworks and artefacts that represent human civilization and culture for about 11000 years. People from different parts of the world visit this attraction to catch a glimpse of the magnificent baroque-style palace.
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The magnitude and fame of the Louvre is such that it is easy to outshine other museums in the city of Paris. After contemplating all the works in the Louvre it is easy to ask yourself: but can there be more? There is. Paris is full of museums and each one is worth a visit.
My favorites are the Musée d’Orsay and the Pompidou Museum of contemporary art, but the list of options is much longer. If you want to know more you can read this article on Museums Paris.
More About The Louvre
How much are Louvre tickets?
There’s a large variety of Louvre tickets to choose from, with different costs attached. A basic e-ticket for the Louvre will only set you back around 17 a steal for the amount of incredible artwork that’s inside.
There’s so much to see that you might want to take a guided tour with a group to hit all the highlights, and that will cost you between 50 and 70. If you really want to make the most of your time in the Louvre, a private tour of the museum with an expert guide is available.
The Mona Lisa is it worth it?
Can you go to the Louvre without seeing the Mona Lisa? It would be like visiting Amsterdam without going on a canal boat, or visiting Pisa without taking hilarious photos.
But it’s a fair question is the Mona Lisa worth it? It’s the most famous portrait ever painted, but the reality is that this 77 x 53 cm painting draws a gaggle of selfie-stick-wielding monsters. There are couples craning their necks, peering through the smallest gaps in the throng to catch a glimpse of Lisa Gherardini’s timeless pose.
Yes, the security line to get within 15 feet of the painting is a chore. Yes, it will at times feel like a mosh pit as you bounce from shoulder to shoulder towards the back of the queue. But there’s something about a fleeting audience with the Mona Lisa that makes you feel part of a very special club. It’s a bucket-list exercise that you’ll smugly complain about for the rest of your life.
What to see at the Louvre?
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Can We Click Pictures At The Louvre Museum Paris
You can take videos and photos of the permanent collection at Louvre Museum Paris for personal use only. But you are not permitted to use lighting, flashlight, or selfie sticks to take pictures. In temporary galleries, you may not be allowed to take videos or photos of some work types due to certain restrictions. But you can admire every painting through your Louvre Museum tickets, Paris.
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What To Expect On Your Louvre Museum Guided Tour
Once you meet your tour guide, you will gain priority access to the museum. Skip past the long lines and head right in along with your tour guide. Irrespective of which type of guided tour you choose, you can be sure that you will get to see all the most famous artworks inside the museum. This includes the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, The Winged Victory of Samothrace, and many other masterpieces by renowned artists.
Witness the best of European art as you visit various collections of paintings including the French paintings, the Grande Galerie, and Italian Renaissance pieces. Take a trip back in time as you walk through the massive Egyptian collection in the Crypt of the Sphinx and get a sense of what ancient Egypt was like. You will also be taken to the courtyards of the museum where a charming collection of ancient royal sculptures are kept. Your ticket is valid throughout the day so you can take your time exploring the rest of the museum once your guided tour is over.
What Are The Louvre Opening Hours
Wednesday to Monday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Last Entry: 1 hour before closing. The rooms will be cleared 30 minutes before closing.
Closure: The Louvre Museum is closed on Tuesdays. It also remains closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. It remains open on all other public holidays unless they fall on a Tuesday.
NOTE: The museum has temporarily suspend the Wednesday and Friday late-night openings, as well as the free late-night opening on the first Saturday of the month.
- Information desks: There are two desks located under the Pyramid. Visitors can ask staff members any questions they might have and pick up the museum map.
- Cloakroom: Self-service lockers can be availed free of charge. Refrain from bringing suitcases or large bags All items must be collected on the same day.
- Wi-Fi: Free Wi-Fi is available under the Pyramid and in the exhibition rooms. The connection lasts one hour but can be renewed as many times as needed.
- Phone Chargers: Phone charging lockers are available under the Pyramid.
- Toilets: They can be found in the welcome area under the Pyramid and throughout the museum. Most have a baby changing table.
- Lost & Found: Head to the Help Desk and a staff member will help you. If you have already left the museum, you can fill out a report to notify the Lost & Found team.
The audio guide can be rented for 5. One person can rent up to six audio guides.
Secret Treasures of the Richelieu Wing: View the lesser known masterpieces of the Louvre.
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Are Louvre Museum Tickets Available Online
Yes, online Louvre Museum Paris tickets are available on different websites, however, you need to enter the museum within half an hour of the stipulated time. Moreover, online tickets to Louvre Museum Paris are non-refundable, if you would want to cancel it, you would not get any refund. The regular visitors can become Amis du Louvre members and skip the long queues to enter the museum through the Richelieu entrance.
Whats The Best Time To Visit The Louvre Museum
Much like with any famous tourist attraction, there are better times to tour the Louvre Museum than others if youre hoping to avoid the crowds.
Its widely agreed that the best time to visit is when the museum holds its evening/late-night sessions as it is far less busy and noisy, making for a more relaxed atmosphere. When thats not possible, its best to actually leave your visit until the mid-afternoon when the tour groups have cleared out and the eager morning crowds have gone.
While free entry on Bastille Day and the first Sunday of every month is tempting, those days are understandably the busiest of the year, so you need to decide for yourself whether the savings are worth it.
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What Are The Dining Options Available At Louvre Museum Paris
Café Marly: The fine dining restaurant is a perfect location for a perfect brunch and lunch. You can enjoy French and European cuisines, which includes delicious mashed potatoes, scallops, salmon, Croque monsieur, spring rolls, and cheeseburgers.
Café Richelieu/Angelina: Café Richelieu offers delicious delicacies & deserts along with a stunning view of the pyramid. The chef here prepares delicious cuisine which brings back childhood memories. The popular dishes here are tea, chestnut cake, and hot chocolate.
Bistrot Benoit: The fine dining restaurant is a beautiful place to get your hands on delicious French food. The menu is small but offers delicious dishes like steak tartare, carpaccio, and salads.
Le Grand Vefour: This excellent restaurant will allow you to eat in one of the oldest restaurants in Paris, where you can enjoy local European and French cuisines. The famous food items you can enjoy here are entrees, truffles, and an extensive wine list.
Café Des Marronniers: It is an excellent option for having quick snacks including delicious desserts, salads, and quiches. The café offers traditional French cuisine with Croque Monsieur, crème brulee, and fish & chips, being their most famous dishes.
Which Louvre Entrance Is Best
There are a few entrances to get inside the Louvre.
- Pyramid: This is the famous but also the most popular.
People begin lining up at this entrance sometimes before the museum opens. This is not the line to get into the museum itself, but rather to get into the ticket line to purchase tickets.
This is why we highly recommend getting tickets in advance to skip the line.
IF YOU ARE IN THE MAIN PYRAMID LINE: Make sure you stand in the right color aisle.
- YELLOW: No tickets
- ORANGE: Advance Tickets without Times
- GREEN: Advanced timed tickets
- BLUE: Visitors with Special Needs
There are other entrances that often have shorter lines. They are sometimes called secret entrances, but most travel guides write about them so there can still be lines.
- LE CARROUSEL DU LOUVRE – you can access this with or without an advance ticket.
It is basically a small underground entrance in a shopping mall. You can find it at the Metro stop on Lines 1, 7 – Louvre: Palais Royale-Musee du Louvre or at street level at 99 Rue de Rivoli. Look for the awning that says Le Carrousel du Louvre.
- PORTE DE RICHELIEU – this entrance used to be reserved for tour groups but during the renovation of Porte De Lions, individual ticket holders may use this.
It is in what seems like an alleyway under the arches of the building between the courtyard with the Pyramid and the Rue de Rivoli.
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In The Tuileries Gardens
- Cafe Des Marronniers: This Parisian brasserie is located at the southwest kiosk. Open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 7 PM.
- Terrasse De Pomone: This eatery, located on the southeast kiosk, is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM.
- Pavillon des Tuileries: Enjoy some seasonal fare at the cafe located on the southwest kiosk. Open daily on weekdays, from 10 AM to 5.30 PM and the weekend from 12 AM to 6 PM.
- Rosa Bonheur Creperie: Open from 8.30 AM Rosa Bonheurserves delicacies from Brittany.
- Eric Kayser: This eatery, located by the Arche du Carrousel, is open on weekdays from 9 AM to 6 PM, and on weekends from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM.
- Petit Plisson Aux Tuileries: Located at the northeast kiosk. Open from Saturday to Wednesday, 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Frequently Asked Questions About Louvre Museum Tickets
A. Louvre tickets are available online. You can book tickets to the Louvre here.
A. Yes, the Louvre Museum is only accepting online reservations now. You can book your Louvre tickets online.
A. Skip-the-line tickets, guided tours and combo tours are the Louvre museum ticket options that are available.
A. The Louvre now accepts only online reservations, and has administered several health measures in place to ensure the safety of its visitors.
A. Several measures have been put in place at the Louvre Museum in light of COVID-19. Entry is limited to those with online tickets, the use of masks that cover the nose and face at all times is mandate and visitor’s temperature will be checked by thermal scanners before entry. Guided tours now permit only groups of 10.
A. Yes, children under 18 years of age EU residents aged 18-25, and teachers of art can visit the museum free of cost. Please note that as per COVID-19 safety regulations, it is mandatory to book time-stamped tickets online for free entry.
A. Yes, both your Louvre tickets and guided tours include skip-the-line-access. With this, you get fast-track access to the museum without having to wait in long lines.
A. Yes, you can avail guided tours when visiting the Louvre. These can be booked in advance online.
A. Each guided tour group can comprise a maximum of 25 visitors now.
A. Louvre opening hours post-COVID-19 are: Wednesday to Monday: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM . The museum remains closed on Tuesdays.
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Explore The Louvre Museum Paris
From fortress to national museum, Louvre Palace included in the Louvre Museum tickets serves several purposes. The palace was built by King Phillippe-Auguste in the Middle Ages to reinforce the walls, which were constructed to protect Paris. It was undertaken by Charles V to transform it into a castle, however, they abandoned it due to various wars. Later, the palace was demolished and rebuilt by Francois. After so many renovations, it became the largest museum in the world, where the infamous Mona Lisa painting and Islamic Arts are kept.
A tour of the extensive galleries included in the Louvre Museum Paris tickets gives you a crash course in Western Civilizations finest art. The museum displays some of the worlds most popular masterpieces, like Leonardo Da Vincis painting of Mona Lisa and Venus De Milo. It also constitutes several other paintings owned by the kings who lived in the Louvre. Other pieces were acquired through Frances treaties with the Vatican and the Venetian Republic as well as the spoils of Napoleon I.
How To Get To The Louvre Museum
Getting to the Louvre is easily done thanks to Paris extensive public transport network. The ideal route to reach the museum will depend on where youre coming from, but your best options are either taking the metro or a bus.
The Palais-Royal/Musée du Louvre station is the closest metro stop on the 1 and 7 lines, while you can also take the 14 line to Pyramides and walk from there. There are lots of different buses that go to the Louvre, but the 27, 39, 68, 69, and 95 all stop at the Musée du Louvre bus stop directly outside the Louvre Pyramid.
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Opening Times & Prices
In overview, the museum is open daily, except Tuesdays and certain public holidays, from 9am to 6pm. Evening openings until 9.45pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. Due to seasonality, it can wise to consult the official website to confirm for when you are visiting. You will also find a list of French National holidays when the museum is closed.
The standard ticket is for full-day access to the Louvre, except for temporary exhibitions held in the Hall Napoleon. There is a supplemental charge if you wish to view the temporary exhibitions.
The museum has various FREE admission options. These include those under 18 years of age, those under 26 and residing in the European Economic Area , disabled visitors and the person accompanying them, plus a few other exemptions. The museum is free to all on 14th July, Bastille Day. You will need specific I.D. for each and will still need to book your tickets in advance.
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Should I Buy Louvre Museum Tickets In Advance
Yes, the Louvre Museum allows you to book the tickets in advance through various websites. Even if you fall under the free admission category, it is advisable to book a particular time slot well in advance to ensure your entrance into the museum. You can book the Louvre Museum Paris tickets for up to three months in advance. All you need to do is select a day and time slot and pay the required fees.
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What Are Some Of The Interesting Facts About Louvre Museum Paris
From Fortress To Royal Residence
The Louvre known by a different name during the 12th century and some time later started off as a fortress. Far from a magnificent palace, it simply served its purpose of defending the city.
When another city wall was erected on the other side of the Seine in the 14th century, the fortress was converted into a proper residence for Charles V . It was this renovation that marked the start of 800 years of the Louvre building. The original fortress was extended and tarted up, with some bits being knocked down, rebuilt and extended even further. And eventually this tiny fortress with its rectangular floor plan evolved into the massive building that now spans 135,000 square metres !
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