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34 Quai du Louvre
75001 Paris
France -
+33 1 4020 5824
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Neighborhood :
1st Arrondissement
http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home_flash.jsp?... - Mon from 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM,Wed to Sun from 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Only a few people know that the third largest museum worldwide used to be the main residence of French kings and emperors for six centuries. The Old Fortress was erected in 1190 under the reign of King Philippe Auguste to protect the kingdom from the invasion of northern tribes (the Vikings). During the 14th Century, the palace was extended under Charles V and became from time to time a royal residence. The greatest changes in the original palace were made under King François I. The medieval Grosse Tour was destroyed and replaced by a sumptuous palace, still considered a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. In 1594, Henri IV decided to build a passage between the Tuileries Palace and Louvre Palace, still known as the "Great Gallery." The "Cour Carrée" was part of a vast program conducted under Louis XIII and Louis XIV to embellish the king's residence and is a symbol of the classical period. After Louis XIV moved to Versailles, the Louvre knew a static period. The most recent construction is the Glass Pyramid erected by Leoh Ming Pei under French President Mitterrand, which is now the main entrance to the museum. With 35,000 pieces and a surface of about 68,746 square meters (740,000 square feet), the Louvre cannot be taken in in one day. -Aurélie Pichard
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Trip Advisor Reviews
( 100+ Reviews see all
)
Top 
“go on Friday evenings”
As it is nearly impossible to see the whole collection while appreciating and remembering what you are actually seeing unless you want to spend...
“Don't miss the Louvre!”
Note that the Louvre is closed on Tuesday, and is open until 5 or 6 pm the rest of the week except for Wednesdays and Fridays, when it is open ...
“Only go if you really can't bear to miss it...”
Nothing in any city is 'un-miss-able', what you do is up to you. Most people who visit Paris for a weekend spend at least half a day in the Lou...
“The place to be in Paris”
I am from Paris and im actually travelling the world but I want to share my passion for art, museums and culture with all the travelers telling...
“Must visit - Louvre”
The Louvre is a magical and awe inspiring museum, and if you can visit only one museum, this should be it. However we were surprised to find th...
“Great Museum - but can be overwhelming”
We had a limited time to see everything we wanted to see while in Paris, but the Musee du Louvre was definitely at the top of the list. The she...
TravelMuse Reviews ( 1 Review ) Top
Even better than you imagined!
I had high expectations of this world famous museum, but still it blew me away. There's nothing like seeing the art you studied and admired all our life in person.