11.13.08
The Louvre Museum
What history lives in the Louvre! Originally built as a medieval fortress, the Louvre first served as protection for Paris. The Louvre would then become the palace of the French kings, until Louis XIV moved his court to Versailles. In 1793, the Louvre became an official museum of the French Republic, currently receiving over 6 million visitors a year.
Endless hours could be spent drinking deeply of all this museum has to offer. I can remember on my first trip to Paris as a college student; we had 4 hours do Paris. Being the optimistic youth that I was, I felt confident we could give it a good shot. One of our most strategic moves was to buy a ticket to the Louvre and quickly find our way to the Mona Lisa. Upon beholding her beguiling smile, we turned around and exited the museum.
Since then, I have discovered that many people have very similar “quick trips” to the Louvre. Our visit was accomplished in less than an hour, but a full exploration would require several days and to study it all, perhaps a lifetime! May I give you my fullest confession? The several hour visit to the Mona Lisa and a few other stops is still my most requested tour for first time visitors. For some reason, most of the friends that I take only want the “quick trip.” I think that with only a short time to see Paris, the museum can seem somewhat overwhelming.
In other words, there are many ways to do the Louvre, depending on your interests and desire to peruse the museum. The best idea is to decide before you go what you are most interested in seeing. The museum offers an online site where you can get an overview of the different exhibits at: www.louvre.fr After the flash, select English and under Museum choose the virtual tour. You may click on the exhibit that interests you and plan your visit.