Museums in Paris - France World Travel https://www.youtube.com/user/World1Tube Paris - France Travel Guide,Tourism http://goo.gl/KqiCiY Musée du Louvre (Louvre Museum) Constructed as a fortress in the Middle Ages and rebuilt in the mid-16th century as a royal palace, it wasn't until 1793 that the Louvre became a museum. Today, it is the home of some of the world's most famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. The rest of the permanent collection includes Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Egyptian and oriental antiquities, as well as sculptures, objets d'art and prints and drawings. Entrance to the museum is through the largest of the three glass pyramids that dominate the courtyard. The huge global success of Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code, which opens with the murder of the museum's curator in the Louvre Museum, has swelled visitor numbers. Opening Times: Thur and Sat-Sun 0900-1800; Wed and Fri 0900-2145. Admission Fees: Yes (free first Sun of the month and 14 July; tickets allow same-day re-admission) Disabled Access: Yes Unesco: Yes Address: Cour Napoléon, 1st, Paris, France Musée Picasso (Picasso Museum) Paris-based Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) owned most of this collection, one of the largest worldwide, housed in a stunning 17th-century mansion in the Marais. All phases of his art are represented, with preparatory sketches and paintings covering the Blue Period, Rose Period, cubism, classicism and surrealism, and sculptures ranging from a huge plaster head to a small cat. Memorable works include the Blue Period self-portrait Paolo as Harlequin, the surreal Nude in an Armchair and poignant paintings of Marie-Thérèse, his lover and muse. There is also a glimpse of the artist's personal taste in paintings, with his Matisse and Cézanne paintings displayed alongside his own. Opening Times: Currently closed for renovation. Reopens in 2013. Opening times when it reopens: Wed-Mon 0930-1800 (Apr-Sep); Wed-Mon 0930-1730 (Oct-Mar). Admission Fees: Yes Disabled Access: Yes Unesco: No Address: Hôtel Salé, 5 rue de Thorigny, 3rd, Paris, France Musée d'Orsay (Orsay Museum) For a beautiful recap of the world's impressionist art, you must visit the Musée d'Orsay. This magnificently restored railway station houses the French national collection of art from 1848 to 1914. Since opening in 1986, the museum has attracted pilgrims from far and wide to see Manet's Déjeuner sur l'Herbe (Luncheon on the Grass), five Monet canvases of Rouen Cathedral, ballet scenes by Dégas, and works by Cézanne, Van Gogh, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec. Even the museum restaurant is worth a look as it's preserved in its original state. Opening Times: Tues-Wed, Fri-Sun 0930-1800; Thurs 0930-2145. Admission Fees: Yes (free first Sun of the month) Disabled Access: Yes Unesco: Yes Address: 62 rue de Lille, 7th, Paris, France Musée Rodin (Rodin Museum) The Musée Rodin is probably the most romantic museum in the world. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) lived and worked in this 18th-century mansion and today his sculptures populate the interior and landscaped gardens. Indoors, The Kiss portrays eternal passion frozen in white marble, while The Hand of God gives life to creamy white, half-formed figures. Works of Rodin's mistress and pupil, Camille Claudel, and paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir and Rodin himself are also on display. Outside, you'll find the monumental bronze The Thinker, whose godly physique contrasts sharply with the decrepitude of the writhing figures of The Gates of Hell. Opening Times: Tues-Sun 1000-1745. Admission Fees: Yes (free first Sun of the month) Disabled Access: Yes Unesco: No Address: 79 rue de Varenne, 7th, Paris, France Grande Mosquée de Paris (Paris Grand Mosque) Built between 1922 and 1926, this fascinating Hispano-Moorish mosque serves as an introduction to the Parisian Muslim community. Although the prayer room remains closed to the non-Muslim public, everyone can access the authentic hammam (Turkish bath) for a soak and a scrub down, provided you leave your sense of modesty at the door. Luckily, the sexes are segregated. There's also a wonderful mosaic courtyard complete with fig trees and a fountain - the perfect setting for enjoying a sweet mint tea served in tiny gilded glasses with some honeyed baklava. Opening Times: Mon, Wed, Thurs and Sat 1000-2100, Fri 1400-2100 (women); Tues 1400-2100, Sun 1000-2100 (men); tours Sat-Thurs 0900-1200 and 1400-1800 (winter), Sat-Thurs 0900-1200 and 1400-2200 (summer); closed Muslim holidays. Admission Fees: Yes Disabled Access: Yes Unesco: No Address: 2 place du Puits-de-l'Ermite (access via 39 rue Géoffroy-St-Hillaire), 5th, Paris, France

• published: 04 Dec 2013
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