Visiting the Louvre
 

Me- a first-timer to Paris this April for a week, wanting to include a visit to the Louvre among the many things I wish to behold in the city.

You - a native Parisian, francophile, or just someone who loves the Louvre who could offer me some insight into your favorite, not-to-be-missed parts of the museum.

I would like to devote 1/2 to 3/4 of a day for this visit.

Thank you in advance for any advice offered.

Go to the Louvre website, www.louvre.fr and you can see the whole layout, what's on exhibition temporarily, permanent collections, etc. Very valuable in planning a shorter visit because there is so much to see. You'll know ahead of time where you want to go.

There are also signs at the Louvre showing where the more famous things are: The Mona Lisa (La Jaconde in French), Winged Victory, Wedding at Cana, etc.

Enjoy yourself!

mom

Get a museum carte in Paris which I believe you can get at any metro station. It gives you access to about 70 museums and galleries and lets you go to the head of the queue. This is great at the Louvre as you get your own special entrance so don't have to queue around the block. Get there first thing and if you are keen to see it, go directly to the Mona Lisa so you don't have to queue there either. Then you can relax and wander at leisure!

Don't miss Musee d'Orsay. I think it's better than the Louvre with wall to wall Monet's and Degas'.

Try this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34497175

Well, to recommend what parts of the museum you should visit, one would need to know what kind of art you like. The museum is HUGE so in half a day you would not be seeing anywhere close to all of it.

Aggiemom and luckykat,thanks for the advice on the website and museum carte - I do plan on purchasing the carte and on researching the Louvre website. Laverendrye, that was a useful thread - I had been doing searches on fodor's for something like that. But to all - i guess I'm just wondering what parts of the museum YOU thought should not be missed....I would really like to get a feel for that. Thanks, again.

You may want to join up with one of the English speaking Museum Highlights tours. Get a good overview of the musuem and then spend more time on your own in the areas you liked best.

See the Musee d'Orsay first.

Cato - why do you recommend seeing the Orsay first?
Grantop - That might not be a bad idea. Did you take that tour?

I think the Musee d'Orsay has a great collection that is well laid out and easy to view. Use it as a warm up for the Louvre.

Going to the Louvre first puts you at risk of getting all your energy zapped, and result in you not going to the d'Orsay.

You might try going to the Louvre two times, in say 1 to 1.5 hour bites of time and maybe go one evening when they stay open late.

We were planning a trip to the Louvre, too, and we were thinking of doing an audio tour or a guided audio tour. They last about and hour and a half, according to the website. Since no one in our family is an art expert, I thought we'd get more out of the experience.
Does anyone who's done either before recommend them?

I agree with the idea of the Highlights tour, it is offered in English usually a couple of times each day. Arrive at the Louvre in advance and book the tour.

Well, I have an irrational obsession with Greek vases and my work revolves around antiquities, so I spend most of my Louvre time in the Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Near Eastern galleries, but that's me. ;-)

If I had only half a day in the Louvre and was a first timer to Paris with no particular time period/culture of art in mind, I'd probably focus on French painting, then head to d'Orsay to continue the chronological study. The painting galleries in general are wonderful: nice collection of Netherlandish, Flemish, and Italian ptngs as well as French.

IMPORTANT: Not all the Louvre galleries are open every day. They rotate them because of staff shortages. The schedule is posted on their website. if there is something particular you wish to see, make sure the gallery will be open on that day. The list gives gallery numbers, but you can check those against the interactive floor plans on the site and see what's in those rooms. Obviously the most popular things like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Victoire de Samothrace are open every day, but some of the painting galleries, Egyptian galleries, NE galleries, decorative art galleries, Greek galleries, etc are not.

I believe that in April the big Ingres exhibition will be up. That'd be worth seeing! I think the special exhibitions cost extra on top of the price of a permanent collection ticket. I don't know if you have to book in advance for a special exhibition ticket or not; it'd say on the website.

Oh and btw, I wouldn't go to the Louvre and the Orsay on the same day. For most people that would be serious art overload.

Thanks for your advice, Dejavu. I love ALL kinds of art, am sweet on Impressionists but I think I can see more of that genre during my visit to the Orsay and the Monet museum (forget name). I will research and consider the Highlights tour, Shalott - hadn't considered that before these posts.
You're right, Dejavu - always watch out for museum overload!!

Musee de l'Orangerie -- if you mean the one with the Waterlilies. Not far from the Louvre, actually. It's a nice museum, not very big. Monet's famous "Impression:Sunrise" is housed in the Musee Marmatton, but that's a little off the beaten path (I haven't made it there yet).


I like the Musee Rodin very much, myself.

Ah! Where'd that funky face come from??? I was trying to say "Impression: Sunrise" !!

DejaVu, I'm like you... love the Roman and Egyptian rooms! Also, for me one of the most spectacular and interesting thing about the Louvre are the rooms and the building itself. Don't forget to take in where you are. And think about its history.

DejaVu, LOL!!

Thanks for sharing your favorites, Catbert.

I agree with Catbert; my favorite thing about the Louvre is the building itself.
I enjoyed watching people take in the Mona Lisa.
It is overwhelming to try to see any good sized museum in one visit in my IMHO. I go to our local Art Institute at least 2x a year to visit "old friends" (fav pieces) and see what is new. Just go to the Louvre to stroll and soak up the experience and see 1-10 things that either you search for or happen upon. Trying to see it all will only exhaust and frustrate you. The Orsay, on the other hand, is very approachable! I think making it an enjoyable day is the main priority! Have Fun!

AuntAnnie, that sounds like very sane advice. I too frequent my local art museum, and I love visiting my "old friends". I don't want my Louvre visit to turn into a marathon race, but to leave feeling uplifted, with a real sense of beauty & wonder, & a feel for the museum, I would consider a homerun.

Some personal favorites at the Louvre:

Winged Victory. Blows me away.

The Napoloeon III apartments. These had been closed to the public and occupied by a governmental office until the Louvre's renovation a few years ago. If I understand correctly, they had to drag the civil servants out kicking and screaming. A little taste of Versailles.

The gallery containing 24 paintings by Rubens for Marie de Medici, glorifying her life, to be hung at the Palais de Luxembourg. Second floor, Richelieu wing, room 18, closed Tuesdays.

Vermeer, The Lacemaker, second floor Richelieu, room 38.

The Rembrandts. In honor of my father, who always would start in a new museum by looking for the Rembrandts. Second floor Richelieu, room 31.

The tour wasn't available when we were there and I can't remember if it was the wrong day/time or what. But, we did use the audio guide which I highly recommend - otherwise you are standing in front of spectacular artwork thinking "nice painting - wonder what it is". As the signage is in French the audio really helped us understand what we were seeing.

Wow, thanks for sharing your favorites, Nikki. I appreciate your explanations, too.
Grantop, I think the audio guide is an excellent idea.

First, let me state that I visit art museums in all the major cities when I am there. Second, let me state what sounds like a contrarian view: My last trip to Paris I did NOT visit the Louvre. Instead, I focused on the following museums: Marmottan, Rodin, d'Orsay, Jacquemart-Andre, Picasso (not my favorite at all), and a couple of other smaller ones like Musee Nissim de Comondo and Hotel de Soubise.

In the category of other advice, I highly recommend a visit to Ste. Chapelle. Although it is not an art museum per se, you will not see finer stained glass walls and windows anywhere else in the world that I know of.

Why avoid the Louvre? It is gigantic and to do it justice I personally need a minimum of two half days or more to do it justice. Trying to spend the whole day there is fatiguing and, at some point, after about 3-4 hours, a glassy eyed look known as the museum staggers sets in.

That condition is obvious when all the paintings start to look alike and you have no idea which part of the museum you are in and you walk past great masterpieces with a yawn and a fleeting glance.

Getting bogged down is easy to do in that gigantic structure. The 3 wings of the Louvre, Denon, Sully and Richelieu, are each as large as many entire art museums. Unless you have a good idea of why you are in a particular wing, the chances of wandering aimlessly are highly probable.

I hope to return sometimes in the next year to Paris, and allot enough time to revisit the Louvre. It is on my "to do" list. I just hope I am around long enough to see half of what is still on my list.

If you want to visit the Louvre, and I can understand the fascination it holds for every one who visits Paris, I suggest taking a look at Rick Steves' strategy for visiting the Louvre. I do not always agree with Mr. Steves, but his Louvre plan is useful to those who have the typical gggg approach: go, gawk, gambol, and get.

There is no doubt, bob_brown, about what you are talking about and what other people call museum overload. I am only visiting Paris for a week, and I am sure I will not even experience one zillionth of all there is to see and do there. But, can we, as travelers, say that if we can't do our visit justice (be it a city, country, or a museum) by spending the amount of time that a particular destination is due, then it is not worth doing at all? Am I misreading you ?(if so, not offense intended). I think that this was probably the intent of my post - knowing how humongous the Louvre is, I was looking for some of my fellow Fodorites' favorite exhibits or works of art. Thanks

I know Rick Steves isn't always the most popular guide here, but we followed his Louvre tour suggestions and really enjoyed our visit. We did digress off of his path when something else caught our eye and visited a few other sections that interested us. A mid-morning coffee and pastry break on an outdoor terrace was an expensive (but worth it) re-invigorating break.

On the first Sunday of each month the national museums within Paris are open to one and all free of charge. This includes the Louvre and the d'Orsay.

In my original post on this subject, I was giving my personal reasons for not going to the Louvre. I had been there 2 times previously, and I knew what would happen if I returned.

I wanted to see the other places, some for the second time, so I avoided the Louvre.

If a first timer wants to go there, I do suggest following a strategy that gets him or her in and out without swallowing the whole day, which can happen easily.

That is why I suggested Steves' approach. It is a doable plan and gets the visitor in and out after seeing the most publicized works of art. It is by no means comprehensive, but it is a strategy that leaves time for something else that same day.

Teaberry asked for insights into the vital parts of the Louvre. I suggested the Steves approach because it is well described. Also, I was trying to urge a little caution because the place is so immense that you can lose track of time and place once you get in there.

On that trip, I had a long list of places to visit, and I knew if I once entered the Louvre, I would not get to many of my other objectives because I would be out of time.

I plead guilty to the charge of lacking self discipline. Once I get in a place like the Lourvre, I just keep at it.
Perhaps pertinacity is not always a virtue.

And also, I might have worded my first post with a little less clarity than I intended.

teaberry,

Please take the advice about "museum overload" given on this thread seriously. Personnaly, my hard drive maxes out at about an hour in any museum. I spent a (very poor and unemployed) winter in Amsterdam years ago, and the only things I could afford were museums. I went to the Rijksmuseum every day, but found that after about an hour I got numb, and failed to appreciate what I was seeing. That at least gave me an excuse to go to a Brown Cafe, have a beer, and think about what I had seen.

The Louvre can give you overload like you can't believe! It is estimated (they are not really sure) that they have over 400,000 objects in their collections. If you devoted one minute to each object, 24 hours a day, it would take you 278 days to see everything.

My advice is to plan your visit carefully, go early, gorge yourself on visual delights and, as soon as you start to go numb, hie yourself to a bistro for a glass of vin rouge and contemplation.

Have a wonderful visit.

:-)

Thank you very much, nukesafe, for your good wishes and advice. That's a pretty amazing statistic about the amount of art in the museum and the time it would take to just superficially see everything! I like the idea that you and others offered about taking a food & contemplation break.
And Bob_brown, I think I better understand now what you were trying to say in the original post. Please understand, I did not post to find out the most vital or most publicized destinations in the Louvre; rather I am more interested in what really turned people on there and made it special - what they "loved". This input from all of you will definitely help me construct my short but precious visit. Thanks again

You can see the “greatest hits” in the Louvre in about an hour. You can do the Orsay even faster. It all depends on how much you want to see. Most people recognize the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo in the Louvre, but not much else, and if these are all they wish to see, they can see them quite quickly. At the Orsay, there are a few works by van Gogh and others that most visitors will recognize, and that's it.

It's romantic to think that these museums merit days and days of visiting, but for the average visitor, they really aren't important enough to justify that much time, especially if the time in Paris is limited. On my first (week-long) visit to Paris, I never even went to the Louvre (or any other museum). When I finally did see it, I did not regret having waited.

<At the Orsay, there are a few works by van Gogh and others that most visitors will recognize, and that's it. . . . and they (the museums) really aren't important enough to justify that much time.>

I'm sure the curator of the museum would find it interesting that these 2 museums are unimportant.

Please tell me you aren't serious. Obviously if you have 2 days in Paris you won't want to spend it all inside the museums, but to say that they aren't important enough to merit a good block of time or that the average person won't recognize much in the d'Orsay is an extremely odd thing to thing to say.

If the Louvre and the d'Orsay aren't "important" in your eyes, where should we go to see the good stuff?

Teaberry, please do not disregard these museums, they are something to be experienced, whether you have 2 hours or 2 weeks inside their walls.

Another factor here is that museum going is for me wearing. That is another reason why I think a limited objective strategy during any one visit is good.

Another thing about Paris is that planning too tightly takes away flexibility to see what Paris has to surprise you.

I remember once we left our hotel early on a Sunday morning, bound for the Musee d'Orsay. I had my list filled out like a dance card.

On the way, we chanced upon a huge farmers' market set up along Boulevard Raspail. To make a long story short, we did not get to the museum as planned and something else got trimmed. I don't recall now what it was that we did not vist, and I am quite sure the market was for us a better option.

I have usually found that if I look around Paris has something for me that I had not read about.

One funny scene occurred when we were walking from the Rodin Museum toward the Eifel Tower. A young hotshot on a skate boarded collided with a woman who looked to be about 55 - 60. She gave the fellow a first class tongue lashing and then she unloaded her most vigorous kick on his skate board and sent it down the steps.

Mia Hamm she was not when it came to kicking, but I think her displeasure was eloquently expressed. I have no idea about her exact terminology, but the meaning was unmistakeable.

The first time I went to Paris, I dutifully visited most of the must-sees, even if only for an hour or so. I was alone and being quite energetic, able to get around easily. My trip to the Louvre was on the evening they were open late and it was raining. To wander through the galleries while almost empty felt magical. Sharing La Joconde with a handful of tourists was a rare treat. Yes, I sought out the "big three" but the most memorable moment was when the lightning began and I stood perched in a window, looking out over the courtyard and the immense building, watching the rain and flashing all around. Quite marvelous. Indeed, Catbert is correct, the buildings, the feeling and the immensity of it all is something worth the experience, in and of itself.

Another fond memory from that first trip is visiting the Musee Delacroix and the Eglise St. Sulpice where his frescos hang, along with lunch in a small restaurant in the Rue Furstenburg. It felt like a sweet immersion in something truly Parisian, more than a visit to the Louvre could ever be, just because the Louvre feels like its own universe to me! So, don't forget those lovely little places on your trip. Have a wonderful time!

Just a reminder to make sure the galleries you want to see will be open when you visit. The schedule is at:

http://tinyurl.com/9mc99

Hi

Some other tips

1. To avoid queues and crowds take advantage of the 9.45pm late closures on Wednesdays and Fridays. We visited around 3pm on a Wednesday. Buy your tickets at the Tourist Office or at train stations (for return train ticket and admission to the permanent collections NOT temporary exhibits). A highly-recommended entrance is the underground entrance from the metro stop “Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre”. Exit at the far end of the platform where the sign says “direct access to the Louvre” and you will walk through a security check, then the Carrousel shops, and into the central ticket and information area. We used this approach and never had to queue!

2. Please note that due to staff shortages (can you believe it?) some galleries are closed on a rotational schedule. To avoid disappointment check with Information to see what and when will be closed.

3. The museum supplies free brochures that provide a floorplan and location of star exhibits.

4. Do some preliminary research prior to departure. See official website - http://www.louvre.fr Lots of good suggestions in this post and the brochures supplied by the museum is helpful. However it's good to get some idea of what YOU would like to see!

Good luck

This 3-hour tour will give you some highlights.

http://www.gettingaway.com/directory...ris/louvre.htm ((b))

Gallery closings are for real. The last time I was there, all of the paintings by Flemish and Dutch masters were not open to view.

I was disappointed, but there was nothing I could do except go see something else.

I suggest you find the Caravaggio while walking the long gallery in the Denon wing. You'll also find Michelangelo's Slaves among the Renaissance sculpture. Don't miss the Marly Horses in the Richelieu wing.