Musée du Louvre
Paris, France
The Musée du Louvre occupies a former royal palace beside the Seine, with galleries that reveal both the history of art and the changing ambitions of the building itself. The glass pyramid provides a contemporary entrance to a complex of courtyards, ceremonial rooms and long exhibition spaces. A visit can move from the remains of a medieval fortress to richly decorated state apartments before reaching the collections. Those collections range across ancient civilisations, sculpture, decorative arts and European painting. Familiar works such as the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory of Samothrace share the museum with quieter galleries where individual objects can be considered at length. The scale makes a focused route useful, whether the interest is Egyptian antiquities, Islamic art or a particular school of painting. The palace setting is part of the attraction, with staircases, ceilings and views that punctuate the route through the galleries. Visitor trails and interpretation help make the collection more manageable, while the Tuileries and Carrousel gardens extend the experience outdoors. The Louvre rewards repeat visits, each shaped around a different period, medium or corner of the former palace.