The Louvre is the world’s largest and most visited art museum, housed in a former royal palace that itself spans eight centuries of French architecture. Its collection of over 380,000 objects and 35,000 works on display ranges from ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian antiquities to masterpieces of European painting. The iconic glass pyramid entrance, designed by I. M. Pei and completed in 1989, has become a symbol of the museum’s ability to bridge past and present. Inside, the grand galleries seem to stretch endlessly, each turn revealing another masterwork.

Beyond the famous trio of the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Louvre rewards deeper exploration. The Galerie d’Apollon dazzles with its gilded ceiling and crown jewels. The vast Napoleonic apartments showcase imperial opulence. The Egyptian antiquities wing and the medieval moat foundations beneath the pyramid offer journeys through time that most visitors overlook entirely.

Pro tip: Enter through the underground Carrousel du Louvre shopping mall entrance or the Passage Richelieu to skip the long pyramid queue. Plan your visit around two or three priority works rather than trying to see everything — the museum covers 72,735 square meters and even a full day barely scratches the surface.