The Louvre — The Largest Museum in the World
The Louvre is not only the largest but also the most visited art museum in the world: 380,000 works, of which 35,000 are on display, spread over 72,735 m² of exhibition space. It would take 100 days to view each work for 30 seconds. The Louvre was originally a fortress (12th century), then a royal palace, and has been a museum since 1793. The glass Pyramid (I. M. Pei, 1989) is the modern entrance.
The 10 Masterpieces You Must See
- Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci, 1503–1519): Smaller than expected (77 × 53 cm), behind bulletproof glass, surrounded by hundreds of selfie sticks. Yet, the smile is indeed enigmatic. Room 711, Denon Wing.
- Winged Victory of Samothrace (190 BC): The winged goddess of victory at the end of a dramatic staircase — one of the most dynamic sculptures of all time. Denon Wing.
- Venus de Milo (100 BC): The armless marble beauty — epitome of Greek aesthetics. Sully Wing.
- The Coronation of Napoleon (Jacques-Louis David, 1807): 6 × 10 meters — the largest painting in the Louvre. Napoleon crowns himself, the Pope looks on. Denon Wing.
- Liberty Leading the People (Eugène Delacroix, 1830): The icon of the revolution — Marianne with the tricolor on the barricades. Denon Wing.
- The Code of Hammurabi (1750 BC): One of the oldest legal codes of humanity — 282 laws in cuneiform on a basalt stele. Richelieu Wing.
- The Wedding at Cana (Veronese, 1563): The largest painting in the Louvre hangs opposite the Mona Lisa — and is far more impressive. 10 × 7 meters, 130 figures.
- The Dying Slave (Michelangelo, 1513): Two unfinished sculptures that touch with their raw power. Denon Wing.
- Vermeer's Lacemaker (1669): Tiny (24 × 21 cm), perfect — the quiet counterpart to the overwhelming Mona Lisa. Richelieu Wing.
- Egyptian Department: The Sphinx, sarcophagi, mummies, and the scribe — one of the best Egyptian collections worldwide. Sully Wing.
Practical Information
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Admission | 22€ (Online booking recommended). Free for EU citizens under 26. Free on the 1st Sunday (Oct–Mar). |
| Opening Hours | Wed–Mon 9:00–18:00, Fri until 21:45. Closed on Tuesdays. |
| Waiting Time | Without an online ticket: 1–2 hours. With an online ticket: 15–30 min. |
| Duration | 3–5 hours (Minimum: 2 hours for the highlights) |
| Metro | Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre (Line 1, 7) |
💡 Tipp
The Louvre is enormous — do NOT try to see everything. Choose 2–3 departments (e.g., Italian painting + Greek sculptures + Egyptian department) and enjoy them without rushing. Friday evening (until 21:45) is the quietest time. And: Enter the Louvre through the Passage Richelieu entrance (shorter queue than the Pyramid) or the underground Galerie du Carrousel (Metro).
