The Louvre is the world’s most-visited museum and a former royal palace in the heart of Paris, home to more than 35,000 works spanning antiquity to the mid-19th century. Its glass Pyramid entrance, designed by I. M. Pei, opens onto three wings: Denon, Sully, and Richelieu.
Headline masterpieces include Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, alongside vast collections of Egyptian antiquities, French and Italian painting, and the French crown jewels.
The museum is closed on Tuesdays. Book a timed e-ticket, plan at least 3-4 hours for the highlights, and use the Carrousel du Louvre entrance to avoid the longest lines under the Pyramid. Evening openings on Wednesdays and Fridays are quieter and especially atmospheric.