More from our Louvre day: the Denon wing · the Sully wing
Every Louvre museum visit starts at the pyramid, and so did the selfie. Then we went down under the glass and Paris’s most famous museum swallowed us whole.
The pyramid wasn’t always loved. When I. M. Pei proposed a glass pyramid in the middle of a royal palace, the press and the public pushed back hard. It opened in 1989 anyway, and it’s now the Louvre’s symbol. Fun detail: companies that build ships’ rigging helped put up its metal frame.
Wait, this was a castle?
Short version: yes.
- Fortress. King Philippe Auguste built the first Louvre to guard Paris. It had a big round keep, a ring of walls and a moat. It spent centuries forgotten underground until the digging for the pyramid project in the 1980s brought its foundations back to light.
- Palace. Charles V turned it into a royal home. Kings kept building onto it for centuries.
- Museum. The revolutionaries opened it to the public in 1793. The king’s treasures now belonged to everyone.
And here’s the fun part: you can still walk along the old fortress walls, deep under the Sully wing. More on that in the Sully post.
Inside: paintings, marble and a sphinx
In the Denon wing, the Louvre has Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks, the Mona Lisa, Veronese’s Wedding Feast at Cana and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Read the Denon post →
In the Sully wing, it has the Venus de Milo, the Great Sphinx of Tanis and the walls of the medieval fortress. Read the Sully post →
Quick tips (the punchy version)
Honest confession: we ran out of time. Our timed entry was 2pm, and by 5:30pm staff were already moving people towards the exits, so there’s plenty we didn’t get to. Which brings us to tip number one.
- Don’t try to see everything. Nobody does.
- Book an earlier entry slot if you can. More hours, more Louvre.
- Bring headphones if you use an audio guide. Ours were around our necks.
- Look up. The ceilings deserve their own visit.
How to buy Louvre tickets + practical tips
Buy only from the official Louvre site: ticket.louvre.fr
- Book a time slot. The Louvre recommends booking one, even if you get in free.
- Price check (as of Nov 2026): €22 for visitors who live in or are citizens of the European Economic Area, €32 for everyone else. Under-18s get in free, and so do EEA residents under 26.
- Spot the fakes. The Louvre itself warns that mirror sites are on the rise. Check that the web address really is the Louvre’s, be wary of prices well above the official ones, and ignore “skip the line” promises. The Louvre says not to buy those, and tickets from unofficial sellers can get you turned away at the door. When in doubt, start from louvre.fr and follow its ticket link.
- Which entrance? The Pyramid is the main one, with its own queue for people who booked online. With a ticket, you can also use the Carrousel entrance or the Porte des Lions. Porte des Lions closes at 6pm, last entry is 5pm, and it’s shut on Tuesdays.
- When it’s open: every day except Tuesday. It’s open 9am to 6pm on Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Wednesday and Friday are late nights, until 9pm. It’s also closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
- Mind the clock. Last entry is an hour before closing, and the rooms start clearing 30 minutes before closing. On a 6pm day, that means around 5:30pm, which is exactly when we were being moved along after a 2pm entry. Go early, or pick a Wednesday or Friday late night.
- No second chances. Every exit is final, so plan everything you want to do before you step outside.
Autumn outside
Paolo’s favourite moment: the bench
After all that walking, the best seat in the Louvre was a bench under a window. This is Paolo’s favourite moment of the day. Dimple, meanwhile, was like an Energizer Bunny: she kept going and going and going. She’s a museum nerd who always loves museums, so for the rest of us, this bench was a well-earned rest.
FAQ
Where is the Mona Lisa?
In the Salle des États in the Denon wing, opposite Veronese’s Wedding Feast at Cana.
Was the Louvre always a museum?
No. It began as a medieval fortress around 1190, became a royal palace, and opened as a public museum in 1793.
Can you see the medieval Louvre?
Yes. The foundations of Philippe Auguste’s fortress, including the moat and walls, are on show on the lower level of the Sully wing.
Where is the Venus de Milo?
In the Greek galleries on the ground floor of the Sully wing.
Keep reading: the Denon wing · the Sully wing