If you’ve really been following the blog, you know I’m a history nerd at heart. Whether it’s food, culture, or politics, I live for stories about places. From the tribals of Bastar to the halls of Versailles, every corner of the world has tales waiting to be discovered.
That’s why museums are my happy place. And the Louvre? Well, it’s the mother of all museums. I dedicated an entire day to wandering its halls during my Paris trip, and trust me – there’s so much more to it than just the famous smile of the Mona Lisa.
In this blog post, I’ll take you through my day of getting wonderfully lost in the Louvre’s maze of masterpieces, where every corridor tells a thousand stories. Find all the details you need to plan your visit to the Louvre.
The Louvre Story – Royal Walls, Priceless Walls
We all know that the Louvre is the mecca of Museums, but how many of you know that it wasn’t always a museum? It started as a fortress in the 12th century, later becoming the royal palace for the erstwhile king Philip II to protect Paris from Viking attacks. Over centuries, French kings kept adding their own touch – Charles V turned it into a royal residence, Francis I made it a Renaissance palace and Louis XIV added those gorgeous classical facades you see today.
The French Revolution, about which I read in school, mentioned the Palace of Versailles and the Louvre. Both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were forced to leave Versailles and move here. The revolutionaries declared it as the museum of the republic followed by Napoleon Bonaparte renaming it Musée Napoléon and filling it with art he’d acquired during his European conquests.
Today, the Louvre is the largest museum on Earth in terms of size and collection. It houses over 380,000 objects, with 35,000 artworks on display. The museum is so massive that if you spent just 30 seconds looking at each piece, it would take you over 100 days to see everything! And I thought a complete day would be enough to explore every nook and corner of the museum. Rookie mistake.
How to Visit the Louvre
Being the world’s largest museum, you cannot NOT have a crowd. I guess, regardless of the day of the year, thousands of people visit every day. Hence, I recommend booking Louvre tickets online. The museum is open all days except Tuesday, and Louvre tickets are €22 for adults. I booked my ticket online, but I also purchased an audio guide for €6 which I feel was a good addition.
Though the museum opens at 9 AM, people start queuing at 8. There are different queues based on your time slot; I had chosen 9 AM and was in the queue from 8:30 with maybe a few hundred others.
Getting to the Louvre is super easy – hop on the Metro (Line 1 or 7) and get off at ‘Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre‘ station. Follow the signs with that iconic pyramid symbol, and voilà! I had my Paris Metro Unlimited Navigo Pass, which I used extensively during my stay in Paris. I highly recommend that if you plan to use public transport a lot.
Getting Lost in 800 Years of Art
Walking through the security check and picking up my audio guide, I stood under the pyramid, completely overwhelmed. Where do you even start in the world’s largest museum? After staring at the map for what felt like forever, I decided to begin where it all started – the History of the Louvre section.
Descending into the basement of the Sully Wing, I found myself face-to-face with the original medieval fortress walls. Running your hands along these stones that have witnessed eight centuries of history is mind-blowing! The timeline exhibition brilliantly shows how this fortress transformed from a royal palace to the museum we see today. If you’re a history buff like me, don’t skip this section – it gives context to everything else you’ll see.
Every Wing Has Something Unique
Moving to the Roman Antiquities, I was surrounded by an army of marble figures. The Venus de Milo stood there in all her armless glory, still commanding attention after 2,100 years. Unlike the stone sculptures in Indian temples, these Roman masterpieces are almost exclusively made of marble. The Winged Victory of Samothrace was another showstopper – perched atop the stairs, and she looked ready to take flight even after two millennia.
The Richelieu Wing houses French sculptures and Napoleon III’s insanely lavish apartments. Walking through these rooms feels like stepping into a time machine – every ceiling. Every doorknob screams royal excess. The Babylonian Lion Hunt reliefs are incredible, and Venus de Milo commands her own space like the celebrity she is.
The Sully Wing, meanwhile, holds Egyptian antiquities and enough sphinxes to make you feel like you’ve landed in ancient Cairo. The Great Sphinx of Tanis is 4,000 years old, and it is a must-see. The Sarcophagus of the Spouses is fascinating – not every day you see a 26th-dynasty Egyptian power couple!
Date With Lisa del Giocondo aka Mona Lisa
Then there’s the famous Denon Wing. Yes, the Mona Lisa is here, surrounded by her ever-present crowd of selfie-takers. Lisa del Giocondo was the lady whom Leonardo Da Vinci painted, and interestingly, this is an incomplete painting.
But do yourself a favour – turn around and look at the massive ‘Wedding at Cana‘ painting on the opposite wall. It’s gorgeous and rarely gets the attention it deserves! This wing is packed with Italian Renaissance paintings telling stories from European history and Christianity. Though I couldn’t relate to many biblical references, the artistry was undeniable.
What really excited me was the special exhibition on Asian art. Seeing familiar Mughal miniatures and Indian artefacts so far from home was unexpected. There were spectacular pieces from various Asian empires, including some rare Mughal jewellery that had me pressed against the glass in awe.
Remember, each wing has different closing times – Denon wing tends to get super crowded later in the day because of Mona Lisa, so hit that first thing in the morning. Also, are those room numbers on the map? They’re actually super helpful for navigation, unlike what I initially thought!
Pro tip: Follow the ‘Masterpieces Trail’ marked on your museum map if you’re short on time.
Summing up my Louvre Tale
From the moment I stepped under that glass pyramid, I felt like a kid who’d been given free rein in the world’s biggest candy store – except instead of sweets, I was surrounded by centuries of human creativity and history. Six hours flew by like minutes, and I still left feeling like I’d only scratched the surface of what the Louvre has to offer.
Having said that, here’s my honest take: don’t even think about visiting the Louvre if you can’t dedicate at least 6 hours. And I mean a proper 6 hours, not a rushed walk-through between lunch and dinner. Whether you’re a history buff who can name every French king or someone who just wants to see what the fuss about the Mona Lisa is about, this place deserves time. It’s not just a museum; it’s literally centuries of human achievement under one (very beautiful) roof.
As they say in French, “Au revoir, Louvre” – because goodbye feels too permanent for a place that leaves you wanting more. If I’m in Paris, ever again this life, I’ll definitely go back to the Louvre.
That’s about it for this post. Feel free to reach out to me for any assistance. Drop your thoughts in the comments below, tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj, DM on Atulmaharaj on Instagram, or Get In Touch.