The Louvre

The Louvre, one of the most well-known museums in France, is generally recognized by its triangular exterior. Besides its unique exterior, it is known for famous works of art such as the Venus de Milo and of course, the Mona Lisa.

When I visited the Louvre, my friends and I bought tickets online the night before we went, which I highly recommend, because there was a long line to buy tickets once we entered the museum.

The museum was so much larger than I anticipated, so I advise having a plan once you arrive. We spent about two hours there and barely covered half of it. I have also heard of people who have planned out their whole day just to see all of the paintings and sculptures in the museum.

Even though we had a map of the museum, we had a very hard time trying to find the areas we wanted to go to because it is such a large space. At one point, we were trying to find the Mona Lisa, and despite asking several museum workers, it took us over 20 minutes of getting lost in the maze that is the Louvre before we finally found it.

I expected the Mona Lisa to be my favorite piece of art in the museum, but in actuality, it was fairly small and many people were crowded around it. If you go to the Louvre, you should stop by and take a quick picture of the Mona Lisa, but I suggest spending more time in the less popular sections.

For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of the museum is the glass covered sculpted courtyards. This exhibit features several marble statues and has a glass ceiling, which adds natural light and brightens the room. This light and open space is a refreshing change of pace from the typical walls of paintings that one would expect to see in an art museum.

Another exhibit that I enjoyed was the Napoleon III Apartments. This exhibit showcases “apartments” of the 1800s, and it was amazing to walk through the extravagant rooms which were decorated with golden walls and huge chandeliers. It also features beautiful painted ceilings and ornate furniture.

If you decide to go to the Louvre, I suggest having one of two mindsets: either go in with a couple of hours to spare without a plan, knowing that you will likely get lost, but in the process you will discover many unique pieces of art. Or, go in having studied the map and knowing what specific exhibits you want to prioritize seeing. That way, you can maximize your time looking at the exhibits, and minimize the time spent trying to make sense of the map while in the museum.

Either way, I recommend visiting the Louvre, as you are sure to stumble upon some magnificent works of art no matter what your taste may be.