Have you ever felt a museum is intimidating? Have you been to the Louvre?
It’s big, it can be exhausting, and it can be so overwhelming you’re not sure what you saw. Here are a few tips to make a visit to this museum slightly more enjoyable. After all, you don’t want to spend your time rushing past walls and walls of paintings, looking down at the map to find the Mona Lisa, or getting lost while wandering around in circles on a lower level.
First…buy your tickets ahead of time. Better yet…buy a museum pass so you won’t stand in any lines.
Next…use the high-tech coat room if you need to check something. No sense carrying a large bag or coat through the museum.
Pay attention to everything here. This used to be a palace of the French kings for about four centuries before the French Revolutionaries turned it into a museum. And, since kings lived here…everything was built for them. Look at the ceilings, the walls, and the floors. See if you can find the names of kings, from Louis to Henri, carved into the stone.
The museum has three main wings…Richelieu, Sully, and Denon. The central foyer, under the massive pyramid, is the starting point for all three. In Richelieu, you can go back thousands of years and visit the three greatest civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and the Persians.
In Sully, you’ll find the collection of Greek and Roman sculptures. Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory are here.
Head to Denon for the Mona Lisa. You’ll also see masterpieces from the Renaissance.
Of course, there’s more here than those. But, that’s a beginning. You could be here for days, or weeks. There’s that much to see.
It might be time for a coffee break and consulting your map.