First of all, discover the Louvre!

During the course of its 800-year history, the Louvre has evolved from medieval fortress to modern museum. Originally a royal palace, it opened to the public as a national museum in 1793.

The Louvre was renovated in the 1980s thanks to the Grand Louvre project, symbolized by I.M Pei's glass pyramid; the number of visitors has grown steadily ever since, topping 8 million in 2006.

The museum displays some 35,000 works of art in an area of 65,000 m² divided into eight scientific departments: Near Eastern Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Decorative Arts, Prints and Drawings, Sculptures, and Paintings.

Practical information:

The Musée du Louvre is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed on Tuesdays and on the following public holidays: January 1, May 1, August 15, and December 25.

Late opening until 9.45 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Admission is free for under-18s, the unemployed, the disabled, etc.

Free admission for all visitors on the first Sunday of every month and on July 14.

For further information, visit
www.louvre.fr

Discover the museums in the Nord-Pas de Calais region...

Begin your exploration of museums with those on your doorstep. With over thirty museums, the Nord-Pas de Calais region is one of the most active in France, and second only to the Ile-de-France in terms of museum density.

Every period and art form is represented in the region's museums, which include the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille (considered one of the richest provincial museums), the Musée Matisse in Cateau-Cambrésis and La Piscine in Roubaix (to mention the two most recent), and the museums of Arras, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Calais, Douai, Dunkerque, Valenciennes, and many other towns besides.

Website of museums in the Nord–Pas de Calais region

Further information about the Nord–Pas de Calais region