Louvre Museum

Beyond the world-famous must-sees of the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Louvre boasts pieces spanning the ages and civilizations. Michelangelo’s The Slaves and Vermeer’s The Lacemaker are among many works on display by some of the most celebrated names in art, while Liberty Leading the People may seem a familiar image, even if the name of its creator, Delacroix, is not as well-known. Make time to drop into the Egyptian section to see l’Européenne, a mummy portrait, in the Denon wing. Less renowned but just as intriguing is the collection of works from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. Visit the Cour Khorsabad for a glimpse of an ancient Assyrian palace. For an insight into France’s opulent past, the Grand Salon and the Theatre Salon are lavish examples of French Second Empire furnishings, while the French crown jewels are displayed in the gilded Galerie d’Apollon.

With 35,000 works on display and growing – there are hundreds of acquisitions every year – there’s a lot to view. A skip-the-line ticket is a great way to make the most of a visit to the Louvre. And by combining it with a guided tour, you can navigate more efficiently and see the collection with more insight. There are also niche tours, such as one taking a deep dive into Italian art, or a murder-mystery tour. By visiting early, you can see the top works when the museum is less crowded, and then admire the less-heralded exhibits when later arrivals are crowded around the Mona Lisa.

Any visit under 3-4 hours will give you only an overview of the Louvre’s treasures. You can make a real day of it by booking a guided tour in the morning, before breaking for lunch in one of the cafés. Some of the restaurants boast views over the pyramid and have open balconies. Then spend the afternoon following your inner compass as you poke around the museum’s less-frequented corners. Many visitors come back for a second helping the next day.

The Louvre is usually less crowded early in the morning or late in the day. And as it opens until 21:45 on Fridays, the evening is a good time to visit.

France’s relationship with the monarchy has been notoriously fickle, but that doesn’t mean the French Crown Jewels don’t have pride of place in the Louvre. Housed in the lavishly decorated golden Galerie d’Apollon, they are the remnants of a collection built up over centuries. The gallery was commissioned in the 1660s by Louis XIV, ‘the Sun King’, who chose the name of Apollo, the Greek god of the Sun. Its decoration was not completed until the 1850s, when Delacroix painted a 12-metre-wide ceiling fresco, Apollo Slaying the Serpent Python. The French republican government sold off the majority of the jewels in the 1880s, keeping only the most significant to be displayed at the Galerie d’Apollon, such as the 140-carat Regent diamond and the crowns of Louis XV and Napoleon. Also on display is a collection of hardstone vessels intricately carved from precious minerals such as amethyst, jade and rock crystal. However, one key royal treasure, the 14th-century Sceptre of Charles V, with its immaculate statuette of Charlemagne, is displayed in the Richelieu wing.