Paris Museums

Musée du Louvre

The Louvre is not only one of Paris’s most famous landmarks; it is also one of the most recognized museums in the world. The 800-year-old building of the Louvre, houses centuries of priceless works of art. You will fall in love with the beauty of the architecture of Louvre, as well as with its spectacular paintings and sculptures.

As you make your way through ornate rooms, you will realize you cannot cover the treasures of Louvre all in one day, and may have to continue your wonderful journey through another day. The three main wings of the museum exhibit some of the best art the world has ever seen. The Richelieu, Sully and Denon wings, you can access from the base of the Pyramid. At the main entrance, you can find cafes, cloakrooms, restrooms, gift shops and the information desk. The brochure/map issued by the museum details the works of art and collections floor-wise. The highlights of the museum are the collection of paintings from Europe (13th to 19th century), many Egyptian antiquities, European sculptures and Objects d\'art that include the Napoleon III apartments.

Many visitors start their tour of the museum with the most famous painting of our times - the iconic Mona Lisa (by Leonardo da Vinci) located on the first floor of the Denon wing. Whether you move through the museum by covering all three wings on each floor or all floors of the same wing, you will need to take your breaks as per convenience at any of the many benches installed for the purpose. These benches can also be used as locators or meeting points for larger groups. You can come back to the spot you want to learn more about, with one of the excellent books on the Louvre sold at the museum gift shops.





Musée d\'Orsay

The Musee d’Orsay is one of Paris’s most famous museums. Situated on the left bank of the Seine, the museum is within a former railway station, the Gare d’Orsay. The collection of French art, from 1848 to 1914, includes paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. Best known for its collection of Impressionist masters such as Monet and Renoir, the Musee d’Orsay remains a favorite among art lovers the world over. These priceless paintings were previously shown at the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume, before the museum opened in 1986.

The architects Lucien Magne, EmileBenard, and Victor Laloux planned the railway station of Gare d’Orsay. It was the terminus for the main part of Southeast France. In the year 1939, the railway station of Gare d’Orsay had become unsuitable for its continuation of services. The platforms in the railway station were shorter than what was required, with most new trains longer than the platform size. Sometime around then, it was used as a suburban railway service line, after which the railway station fell into a state of disrepair.

In the year 1977, the French government talked about plans for the old railway station, and considered turning it into a museum. The design for the museum made by the famous ACT architectures such as the Renaud Bardon, Pierre Colboc and Jean-Paul Philippon, saw the construction work start around the same time. The layout of the museum had a plan of four floors, with about 20,000 of floor space ready for display galleries. The French President, Francois Mitterrand, opened the new museum, on 1 Dec 1986.