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Louvre, Paris


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by benazer
Paris Tourist Traps: Louvre tips and photos posted by real travelers and Paris locals.
Louvre
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Louvre: Where is the Mona Lisa?
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  • Updated By Colzy on January 19, 2005
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  • My view of the Mona Lisa - Paris
    My view of the Mona Lisa
    by Colzy
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    If you are visiting the Louvre soley to feast your eyes upon the Mona Lisa you may be sorely disapointed. Your view will be severly tainted by many people such as yourself wanting to catch their own glimpse.

    Perhaps, early in the morning you may be able to avoid some people. You really have to see this amazing work of art but just dont be disapointed that your view is obstructed and you may be nudged a little in the process.

    Make sure that apart from the lovely Lisa you also take in some of the other richness that is the Louvre. Pick what interests you the most and prepare to be completely absorbed!

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    Louvre: Enjoying the Louvre but not the entry lines
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  • Of course, you've gotta do the Louvre. It's a world's best destination. But there are the lines of people waiting in the courtyard to enter through the Pyramid. Intimidating, to say the least.

    But the Louvre can be enjoyed with remarkable ease and comfort. First off, arrive early and watch the people queueing from your seat in Cafe Marly. Enjoy your espresso and croissant while you marvel at the international breadth of the queue's population. Take your time. Give up your spectator perch only when you are ready to enter the Louvre, and then walk across the courtyard (waving at the queued folks) and aim for the Arch du Carroussel. At the base of the Arch is a staircase that leads to the mall under the Louvre's courtyard and provides direct access to the Louvre.

    The Louvre is huge, and seeing it is sensory overload in the extreme. Musee d'Orsay is far more managable, and the works of the Impressionists (1875-1910) is more representative of the romance of Paris. Actually, there's no crime in avoiding museums altogether. I've happily left friends to these two museums while I hang out in the Tuilieries Garden watching kids and their sailboats, killer lawnbowling, reading and people-watching. I don't seem to have suffered for it.

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    Louvre: Le Louvre
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  • The Louvre is probably the world's most famous museum and one of Paris's most visited tourits attractions, yet I have never really enjoyed my visits here. I think you'd need a few days to fully explore each wing, and I have never had the patience or love or art to do so. I found it repetitive, vast, and not half as interesting as expected.

    Many people just visit to see La Joconde (Mona Lisa) which is as much a let down as anything else here (it also takes forever to find it).

    Go on Sundays when it is free or on afternoons after 3pm when it's either free or half-price (can't remember which).

    I much preferred Musee D'Orsay (see my must-see activities). Some of the smaller museums such as the Dali, or Picasso, are a better option.

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    Louvre: Louvre,Mona Lisa trap.
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  • Although there was big signs in all languages saying no photos,everyone was busy taking hundreeds of pictures of the woman and complately ignoring the other works of art.

    If you go to Louvre at least see the other works of art too.

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    Louvre: the lines at the Louvre
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  • Don't make the mistake of joining the huge lines entering through the pyramid. Go directly to the giftshop, there is an entrance to the museum down there, with only a fraction of wait.

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    Louvre: Mona Lisa's smile
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  • Everyone who visits the Louvre generally wants to get a good look at the Mona Lisa by DaVinci - especially now with all the publicity of the book and the motion picture "Mona Lisa's Smile" and the "Da Vinci Code." When you go see it, there will be a HUGE crowd infront of it and you won't even be able to get very close because there's lots of glass over top of it and ropping around.

    Not to say at all that its not worth going to; but just make sure to set aside 15-20 minutes just for that painting because it might be a while before you make your way to the front of a crowd where you're actually close enough to even see it. Also, if you take a picture, it probably won't turn out. I think the glass over the painting is there to make flashes, so people can't reproduce it in any way, I'm not sure. If you want a picture of it, take it from a side angle so you won't get the flash. That what we did - but you can see it still turned out incredibly blurry.

    If you don't have the time or patience to see the Mona Lisa, the Louvre - not to mention Paris itself, is full of many other interesting artifacts.

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    Louvre: Museum Opening Days
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  • Hey! I'm not saying that the Louvre is a tourist trap, but you double check opening days of museums to plan your sightseeing accordingly & avoid getting caught as I did...
    We had planned to visit the Louvre on Sunday, but unfortunately it was closed. We went back on Mon & we couldn't even get close to the piramyd, since there were thousands of people everywhere --The result being I visited Paris & did not make it to the Louvre...Good change to go back...

    Check Opening Days & don't assume that buildings, museums & the like will be open at any time & day.

    There are plenty of things to do in Paris, so I´m sure you´re gonna find another attraction.

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    Louvre: Mona Lisa
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  • Probably the most overrated painting you'll get to see in the Louvre is the Mona Lisa. This painting is so small, you don't want to know. I really didn't understand when I saw it why this is one of the most important paintings in the world. You know you see a good painting if you look at for example de Nachtwacht in Amsterdam, but the Mona Lisa to me wasn't impressive at all :-/
    Pic from: http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/mona_nav/main_monafrm.html

    Pay more attention to all of the other art in the museum!

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    Louvre: Musee Lovre. This is a...
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  • Musee Lovre. This is a wonderful Museum, but it is impossible at times to see the Picture 'Mona Lisa' as the crowds get so thick.

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    Louvre: Going to the Louvre / Mona Lisa
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  • I really think people going to Paris get missguided by guidebooks about Louvre and the painting Mona Lisa. The painting Mona Lisa is a small not very special painting which has for some reason got a reputation of being one of the world's most famous. Don't go to the Louvre for a quick visit just to see her. Instead allow at least half a day (or more if you have time )for the museum and admire many of the other remarkable paintings hanging there, i specially recommend the halls with Italian, Spanish and French paintings.

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