 |
ranked #10 out of 10 attractions | rated 1.90 out of 5 | total 193 votes |
|
|
|||
Louvre Museum (Musee du Louvre)
Why the Louvre is a Paris tourist attraction that isn’t worth a visit
Everybody thinks the Louvre museum is a must-see tourist attraction in Paris. Well, that’s not the case.
You would need to spend approx. 5 weeks in the Louvre to fully appreciate the 65,300 pieces of arts. But that’s only if you’re an art freak, which the average tourist isn’t. Most of Paris tourists visit the Louvre because of one painting and that’s the Mona Lisa. You find her in the Grand Gallery in the Salle de Etats, but to get there, you have to master some obstacles:
In the main season hundreds to thousands of people try to get in the museum and try to get a look at Leonardo’s Mona Lisa. That means you have to wait quite some time to get into the Louvre.
Because the Louvre is so huge (to walk the perimeter of the Louvre you would have to walk 3 miles/4.8 kilometer) you have to walk and walk and walk to finally get to the Mona Lisa.
Finally there, you have to fight with all the other hundreds of people to get a look at her. And then you will find out that the painting looks exactly the same as in the books, only a little bit foggier. It’s said that’s because of Leonardo da Vinci’s Sfumato painting technique, but maybe it’s just because she is behind a thick plexiglas.
Sure everybody appreciates art differently, but when you finally manage to be in front of her there is no jolt of amazement or a sudden instant of wonder, she just looks like she does in the art books. Furthermore the size of the painting isn’t impressive either, it’s only 31 inches by 21 inches (approx. 78cm x 53cm). Even the reprints they sell in the Louvre gift shop are bigger.
We suggest you better appreciate these art pieces in an art book, especially since all the descriptions of the paintings in the Louvre are in French.
If your time in Paris is limited, rather enjoy this beautiful city outside in the streets and inhale the unique Parisian flair than waste your time with some unimpressive dusty paintings (except of course you are a true art lover).
| Attraction: | Louvre Museum (Musee du Louvre) | |
|---|---|---|
| Address: | 99 rue de Rivoli, Paris 75001 | |
| Opening hours: | Days | Time |
| Mon, Thu, Sat, Sun | 09:00 a.m. - 06:00 p.m. | |
| Wed, Fri | 09:00 a.m. - 09:45 p.m. | |
| Tue | closed | |
| Admission fees: | Ticket type | Price |
| Tickets for the Permanent Collections | €8.50 | |
| Tickets for Exhibitions in the Hall Napoleon | €8.50 | |
| Combined Ticket | €13 | |
January 17, 2006 @ 2:04 am
Henry said,
are you crazy???? of course you HAVE to visit the louvre. you probably don’t have any culture where you’re from!!!
January 19, 2006 @ 2:44 am
Jason said,
I have to agree. When I was there, two years ago, it wasn’t that impressive. First of all to see the Mona Lisa you have to fight your way trough hundreds of people standing in front of her. And then, this little picture. In every movie it seemed bigger as it is in real. I have wasted hours to see the “Mona Lisa” which isn’t as exciting as I expected it. I wouldn’t go to see her a second time.
February 15, 2006 @ 1:20 pm
jesska said,
i have been there and i saw the mona lisa and it was really cool there was a lot of amazing artwork
March 15, 2006 @ 1:33 am
Nabid(girl) said,
I have to disagree, I went to the louvre and it was awsome, in a way. I would go there again if it was not sooo expensive. The people who disagree with me are crazy!
June 5, 2006 @ 1:45 pm
JJJ said,
its borin
July 2, 2006 @ 2:45 pm
Kilroy said,
This section of your website is interesting, but I still wonder: if you visit none of these monuments in Paris, WHAT do you have left to visit? The Eiffel Tower?
November 27, 2006 @ 1:38 am
Bruce said,
You must go to the Louvre, if only to gaze up the staircase at Winged Victory at the top.
January 6, 2007 @ 7:23 pm
jean moyer said,
The Louvre is a must for every visitor to Paris. If the Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo are the only things that these people went to see, they are missing out on so many other exquisite works of art. There is no limit to your cultural experience if you open your mind to the possiblities that the Louvre offers.
January 10, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
terri said,
I did visit the Louvre. We were in Paris for ONE day and tried to cram as much in as possible. It was the fourth of January and I was not expecting the crowds! If it is this bad in January I would hate to see what it is like in the travel season. I love art, and spend many happy hours in museums around the world, however it is very difficult to enjoy anything when every square inch is occupied by a person. The long lines to buy a ticket from an automated kiosk (which, as a warning to Americans attempting to use an American credit card, do NOT accept most American credit cards because they lack something called “plus” a security computer chip..so come with cash,) just consume time better spent elsewhere. I believe it is possible to buy museum passes or purchase tickets ahead of time, do […] more
January 16, 2007 @ 7:53 pm
N.H. said,
I get the feeling that whoever wrote these reviews just doesn’t like France, Paris or the French. Look, if you have NO interest in art or museums, you might as well skip it. If you have ANY sense of what Paris has been all about for centuries, a trip is essential. Like any great musuem, it is impossible to see everything in one visit. So don’t try. If you LOVE art and museums or if this is your first trip to Paris, you might try the more accessible Musee d’Orsay also or instead. In many ways the latter is more exciting than the Louvre and features most of the great impressionists.
January 27, 2007 @ 9:08 am
Mikael said,
Bonjour! What a super websight! Very refreshing to peruse from where we live in Paris (France). I eat frogs and drink wine. Woold like more informatons on this. Best regards! Mikael.
February 16, 2007 @ 8:04 am
Amber said,
I agree with the point that it is not very interesting to see the Mona Lisa and fight the crowds but all of the other art in the museum is definitely worth seeing, an example is the Venus de Milo, so if you go to Paris, visit the Louve
February 28, 2007 @ 2:11 am
Pheobe-Primrose said,
“bonjour” the lourve is actually pretty NOT that facinating, i have been there and done that; and i must admit that picture of the mona lisa looks exactly the same as the fakes and not worth $17 AUS! for the admission. my advice about france is stay away from those blimy slimy frog legs! and those snail thingos! O_0
February 28, 2007 @ 2:15 am
Sally said,
I think that the “lourve” is not as “lourvly” as it is quite crumby. (mmmmm CRUMBLED UP COOKIE THINGS)
February 28, 2007 @ 2:18 am
Pheobe-Primrose said,
“BONJOur” THE lourve isnt as good as it says in books and stuff; i have been there and done that and it is not as facinating as they say; it is a waste of MY time and MY money! and stay away from those blimy slimy frogs legs and snails for goodnesssake! mm cake
March 16, 2007 @ 5:48 am
ArtLover said,
WHAT? Might as well just look at the painting in an art book? I think NOT! Books are never the same as the real thing! When I went to Paris on a school trip we basically had 20 minutes to go through the Louvre. For anyone who’s been there you know there is no way you can see everything in that time period even at the running pace we took. However I wouldn’t cut out that experience for the world! The Louvre is wonderful & to see the artwork first hand in person is most definately awe-inspiring! To see the individual brush strokes and to get an idea of the shear magnitude of some paintings is really something amazing! As for the writing about the paintings in French either learn the language or bring a french speaking friend with you!
Or you could do your own research ahead of time! I […] more
May 2, 2007 @ 7:34 pm
Paris France said,
Carolyn I found this article to be extremely useful for me. Thanks!
May 4, 2007 @ 1:52 am
Goobi said,
I want to come to PARIS !! YEAHHH!!
May 24, 2007 @ 3:19 pm
Passion for Art said,
Umm..well I’m some one interested in art..therefore Louvre would b a MUST even IF the place is crowded…I mean if u have a passion for art…then GO FOR IT! It’s any awesome place of inspiration..and Louvre would probably be my first if I ever go to paris.
July 7, 2007 @ 8:04 am
A typical tourist said,
I’m not an art lover, don’t know much about European history and hate long queues but the Louvre was definitely worth seeing. I did the super quick walk around, stopped at the Mono Lisa (had my picture taken) and left. Didn’t have time to reflect at the time, but seeing all those paintings during all sorts of time periods was fascinating. I only had 2 days in Paris so I just wanted a glimpse of everything (a been there done that attitude).
July 15, 2007 @ 7:55 pm
Tanya said,
I was at the louvre in June with my 15 year old daughter. We had a great time. Even though the Mona Lisa is hard to see we woulden’t have missed it for the world. Seeing it ( yes she is a lot smaller than you’d imagine) was one of the best, awe inspiring moments I’ve had. My daughter stood looking at it until I pulled her away.
August 15, 2007 @ 3:37 am
Hazel said,
You are right, “if you are a true art lover”, you can’t skip the Louvre. There are much more things than just the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo and yesssss you need at least five days to actually appreciate all that art. I suggest to do some research first on the paintings that are in the Louvre because you will appreciate it more when you actually see it in person. I absolutely fell in love with the place, cant wait to go back!!!
August 31, 2007 @ 5:54 pm
Kelvin said,
this is insane. what kind of closed-minded fool says you should just see these pieces of art in a book? You go all the way to paris to come to this conclusion? Ridiculous. There are MORE things to see than just the mona lisa. The Raft of medusa, the crowning of josephine, the roman revolution just to name a few. This artworks are ENORMOUS in size. Now if you’re just an old american fogie who cant bare to walk around half a mile to see some of the most precious artworks in all of history, by all means, go stand in the eiffel tower line, thats true parisian culture there *rolls eyes*
January 24, 2008 @ 8:34 pm
Steve said,
I don’t care if all of you think it is boring to visit the Louvre. I want to stand next to history and witness it for myself. The thrill of being next to a piece of art, a cathedral, building, or any other historical work is the exiting part. I didn’t go to play golf at St. Andrews because it is the most exiting golf course in the world. I could have looked at the photos, but I want to experience the history myself. So everyone has their idea of what they like to do when they travel. Leave it up to the individual.
January 31, 2008 @ 12:56 pm
IAN said,
;) I Lie this place and the dude that writes this site talks cheap. Bet he’s never went to any of these places, all he does is make up reasdons not to go
IAN OUT!!
February 5, 2008 @ 3:33 am
Alecia said,
We love art, we love history, we love France, and the Louve, it is part of history and we appreciate that!
February 7, 2008 @ 1:26 am
peweli said,
Your list/reasoning is a joke! Of course the painting is exactly as the one in the text book! Duh!! But there is nothing like seeing the Mona Lisa IN PERSON. My husband and I are going to Paris for the first time in a few weeks and I am very much looking forward to visiting the Louvre. I say…you can experience life through a book or you can experience life
February 21, 2008 @ 9:11 pm
Ingrid said,
i love the mona lisa and i like pudding pudding is good for me!!!
March 22, 2008 @ 1:09 am
peweli said,
Just got back from Paris. We went to the Louvre and I still stand by my previous comment. Going there is NOT a waste of time. We enjoyed it and seeing the Mona Lisa and a bunch of other beautiful and historical artwork in person was priceless. The place was sooo big, we only saw a quarter of it. Looking forward to the next visit.
April 4, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
patrick said,
great site. nice people commenting.refreshing
May 15, 2008 @ 3:56 pm
terrence said,
Oh come on are you serious??? I really would like to know what the person who wrote the original comments. Who ARE you? Does culture in general frightens you or what? YES you have to WALK in a museum - but it is not only at the Louvre. EVERY museum requires for you to put one foot in front of the other one; it is called “exercise” You REALLY should try it once. YES the museum is huge; but one is not supposed to see it ALL: try to make some choices/what is it you would like to see ( me for instance I love impressionist and I do not like baroque type of paintings; so I skip that)… Paris is one of the most romantic cities in the world ( and believe I HAVE TRAVELLED THE WORLD). I ahve been there many many times and every single time I am there I am discovering something new and beautifu […] more
June 14, 2008 @ 6:40 am
Louvre-Museum » Paris --Louvre Museum said,
[…] Louvre Museum (Musee du Louvre) - Find out why this Paris tourist … … has seen pictures of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous art work which lives in the Louvre Museum … Paris tourist attractions at a glance. The Catacombs (Les Catacombs) Hotel des Invalides … […]
June 15, 2008 @ 8:49 am
The Bear said,
I wish there was a website like this for every tourist city in the world, so people would not need to waste time discovering the duds for themselves. There is so much to do in Paris that you really don’t need time wasters - although I disagree about the Pompidou Centre. Love it…
July 8, 2008 @ 6:46 pm
Luc said,
This review is pure rubbish. We spent a full 10 hours at the Louvre during our honeymoon and we were saddened that we couldn’t see it all, but its also one of the main reasons why we have decided to go back to Paris when we can. Seeing the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory in person beats looking at a picture in a book hands down. There’s nothing like seeing things with your own eyes. There’s also a lot more to the Louvre than those 3 famous works of art. The ancient Egypt/Roman/Greek artifacts are absolutely amazing to see in person, as are the statue gardens, the Napoleon apartments and the thousands upon thousands of other paintings and statues that decorate the Louvre.
August 22, 2008 @ 2:16 am
ria said,
Such a beautiful place in the whole world.Dont miss it to visit!.
August 22, 2008 @ 2:17 am
ria said,
Love you Paris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 12, 2009 @ 11:26 am
Rowena / Dubai said,
I have failed to visit this place Louvre-Museum but I will try it next time through subways, I was not satisfied with the drive tour though we pay much, going on your own just be guided by subway map is more advisable as it saves cost and your holding your time.
January 12, 2009 @ 11:44 am
Rowena / Dubai said,
It’s been an educational trip visiting Paris, I travel alone and I enjoyed it a lot. the subways / underground trains are very easy to follow just always feel free to ask information counter. If you are coming from CDG Airport going to your hotel you can use the underground subway / train which located inside the airport itself. No worries even you are first time traveller to Paris direction map are easy to understand. rowena.verano@maforix.ae
January 27, 2009 @ 5:02 am
Daniel said,
This web site has totally amazed me with its complete lack of understanding of Paris, history, art, architecture or the reason why most people travel. If you follow the recommendations offered here you may as well stay home, watch Archie Bunker re-runs on nickelodeon and order pizza by phone. Deep down, you are very shallow.
March 23, 2009 @ 12:26 am
kim said,
hey sexy
June 1, 2009 @ 8:34 pm
Shera said,
I think people have misunderstood the concept of this website. The author mentioned that it’s only for those people who’d like to visit Paris for a short period of time. If you guys are going for more than 2/3 days, then go ahead and visit all these monuments/places! Nothing wrong with it. But if you have a short period of time, things like knowing that the line at the Louvre is effin’ long and appreciating art inside it would be a hard task with all the other tourists around would be essential information to allow you to manage your time.