The world's most-visited museum — the Mona Lisa and 35,000 works.
From the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo to the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Louvre holds eight millennia of art across the wings of a former royal palace around I. M. Pei's glass pyramid.
It's vast — pick two or three wings rather than trying to see everything.
Leonardo's portrait hangs in the Salle des États alongside the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace — three of the most recognised objects on earth, in one building.
Eight centuries of royal architecture, from Philippe Auguste's medieval moat in the basement to the glass pyramid that now covers the entrance courtyard.
Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek, Roman, Islamic and European art across eight departments — the same ticket also covers the Musée Eugène-Delacroix that day or the next.
The main entrance in the Cour Napoléon, and the one everyone photographs. Open to every visitor, and the busiest — expect the longest security queue here at midday.
The underground entrance at 99 rue de Rivoli, reached through the shopping galleries. Open to ticket holders, groups and members alike, and usually the quickest way in.
On the Seine side, quai François Mitterrand. Ticket holders only, closes at 18:00 and is shut on Tuesdays — the calmest door when it is open.
The rue de Rivoli passage reserved for groups and Amis du Louvre members. Closes at 17:30, or 19:30 on the late Wednesday and Friday evenings.
Métro 1 or 7 to Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre (2-min walk); drop-off at the Carrousel roundabout, pick-up at Place André Malraux; car park under the Carrousel.
