Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the Arc de Triomphe, in particular) have long lines where passholders wait needlessly. At
a few sights (including the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, Notre-Dame Tower, and Château de
Versailles), everyone has to shuffle through the slow-moving baggage-check lines for secur-
ity—but you still save time by avoiding the ticket line.
Paris' grandest park, the Tuileries Garden, was once the private property of kings and
queens. Today it links the Louvre, Orangerie, Jeu de Paume, and Orsay museums. And
across from the Louvre are the tranquil, historic courtyards of the Palais Royal.
▲▲▲
This is Europe's oldest, biggest, greatest, and second-most-crowded museum (after the Vat-
ican). Housed in a U-shaped, 16th-century palace (accentuated by a 20th-century glass pyr-
amid), the Louvre is Paris' top museum and one of its key landmarks. It's home to
Mona
Lisa
,
Venus de Milo,
and hall after hall of Greek and Roman masterpieces, medieval jewels,
Michelangelo statues, and paintings by the greatest artists from the Renaissance to the Ro-
mantics (mid-1800s).
Touring the Louvre can be overwhelming, so be selective. Focus on the Denon wing
(south, along the river), with Greek sculptures, Italian paintings (by Raphael and da Vinci),
and—of course—French paintings (Neoclassical and Romantic), and the adjoining Sully
wing, with Egyptian artifacts and more French paintings. For extra credit, tackle the Riche-
lieuwing(north,awayfromtheriver),displayingworksfromancientMesopotamia(today's
Iraq), as well as French, Dutch, and Northern art.
Expect changes
—thesprawling Louvreisconstantly shufflingitscollection. Roomsare
periodically closed for renovation, and pieces are removed from display if they're being re-
stored or loaned to other museums. The new Islamic art space—with its glass roof modeled
on a head scarf (visible in the Cour de Visconti courtyard of the Denon wing) may be open
by the time you visit, but various galleries devoted to decorative arts may still be in flux. If
you don't find the artwork you're looking for, ask the nearest guard for its new location.
CostandHours:
€11,freeonfirstSunofmonth,coveredbyMuseumPass,ticketsgood
all day, reentry allowed; Wed-Mon 9:00-18:00, Wed and Fri until 21:45 (except on holi-
days), closed Tue, galleries start shutting 30 minutes before closing, last entry 45 minutes
before closing; crowds worst in the morning (arrive 30 minutes before opening) and all day
Sun, Mon, and Wed; several cafés, tel. 01 40 20 53 17, recorded info tel. 01 40 20 51 51,
