Spanning over 6,00,000 square feet, the Louvre Museum offers over 2,00,000 artworks to see.
Exploring the Louvre Museum’s entire collection would take more than three months, which sounds appealing to a museum enthusiast but exhausting to a tourist.
With so much to see in Paris, you might only have a portion of the day to spend at the Louvre Museum.
But if you have just three hours to spare, you can catch the Louvre Museum’s highlights or must-sees, which includes the most popular artwork.
In this article, we will help you understand how to explore the Louvre Museum in just three hours and see its unmissable and most famous pieces.
How to Explore the Louvre Museum in 3 Hours?
Even if the Louvre Museum was completely empty and you spent just 30 seconds exploring each piece, it would take around 100 days to see everything the museum offers.
However, no matter when you visit, you are most likely to encounter numerous visitors, so it is crucial to understand the Louvre’s layout briefly.
Learn more about how to explore the Louvre Museum in three hours to make the most efficient trip possible.
Wings at the Louvre Museum
The Louvre Museum has three wings that create a U-shaped structure. In the middle of this structure sits the iconic glass pyramid outside the Louvre.
The Louvre’s three wings house the collection. Here’s what each of the three wings house:
- Denon Wing: The Denon Wing is the most famous wing in the Louvre Museum. It houses the world-famous Mona Lisa and some of the most renowned collections.
Since your trip to the Louvre Museum is incomplete without seeing the Mona Lisa, we recommend you start here.
- Sully Wing: The Sully Wing is the Louvre Museum’s oldest part, and it houses the unmissable Medieval Walls of the original fortress.
The Sully Wing’s highlights include the famous Venue de Milo sculpture, Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities and sculptures.
- Richelieu Wing: The Richelieu Wing is a must-see if you want to imagine what the Louvre would have looked like if it were still a palace.
The Richelieu Wing also boasts the grand Napolean III Apartments, but please note that this wing doesn’t have much to offer in terms of art pieces.
What to See in the Louvre Museum in 3 Hours?
Here are the top collections at the Louvre Museum that you must check first at the Museum:
The Mona Lisa and Other Famous Paintings
The Mona Lisa is undoubtedly the Louvre Museum’s most famous and prized possession.
The Mona Lisa, along with some other famous paintings, like the Wedding Feast at Cana, is kept securely in the Salle des Etats, the largest room in the museum.
Once you head to the Salle des Etats, you can explore the famous paintings before the crowd arrives.
Since the Mona Lisa is relatively small, it can be difficult to look at it properly if there are too many people around.
The Winged Victory of Samothrace
The Winged Victory of Samothrace is worth seeing when visiting the Louvre Museum.
It is a marble statue kept at the summit of a grand staircase. This marble structure garners abundant attention and admiration from all guests.
The statue is dedicated to Nike, the Greek god of victory, and is unmissable when you explore the museum.
The Red Rooms
The Red Rooms are not individual artworks but refer to a large room in the Louvre Museum, named after its red walls.
Visiting the Red Rooms is a must when exploring the Louvre Museum because this room houses some of the largest paintings in the Louvre.
Some of the highlights of the Red Rooms at the Louvre include:
- Coronation of the Napolean
- Raft of the Medusa
- Liberty Leading the People
The Renaissance Art
The Louvre Museum’s collection of Renaissance Masterpieces, which dates back to the early 14th century, is a must-see when exploring the museum.
Explore the stunning Renaissance Art, including “La Crucifixion” by Giotto.
The collection includes numerous art pieces, some created by Italian artists and among the most celebrated works from the Renaissance collection.
You can explore these masterpieces across three rooms: 706, 707 and 708.
The Grand Galerie
Walk through the Grand Galerie and explore some famous artworks across rooms 710,712 and 719 and the corridors.
This 288-meter-long space houses some of the must-sees of the Louvre Museum, such as some famous international Gothic and Early Renaissance art.
The Grand Galerie was built in the 16th century to link two palaces: the Louvre and Tuileries.
You can also explore art pieces like The Volterra and David Slaying Goliath, which are in the center.
It is one of the most aesthetic and photographed locations in the Louvre Museum.
The Venus de Milo
One of the must-sees at the Louvre Museum is the famous Greek statue, the Venus de Milo.
The Venus de Milo is an ancient marble structure and showcases Aphrodite. Her naked torso and broken limbs attract guests from all over the world.
This stunning piece of pure Greek art was found on the island of Melos, Greece, in 1820.
The Greek, Roman and Egyptian Artwork
Once you have explored the must-sees at the Louvre Museum, if you still have time to spare, you can explore other Greek or Roman artwork.
Alternatively, you might also head to the Sully Wing to explore the famous Egyptian art collections.
The Sully Wing houses over 6,000 Egyptian artworks spanning over 5,000 years of history.
One of the highlights of the Sully Wing is the Great Sphinx of Tanis, the largest sphinx statue outside of Egypt.
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The Napolean III Apartments
When exploring the Louvre Museum, seeing the Napolean III Apartments is highly recommended, as they give you an insight into the grand ambiance.
The Napolean III Apartments are well preserved, and to explore them, you must visit the Richelieu Wing.
When you are done exploring these, you will most likely have exhausted three hours.
If you still have some time left, you might explore the other collections of the Richelieu Wing before exiting the Louvre Museum.
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