Musée Jacquemart-André

Advantages: Only place to see the Mona Lisa
Disadvantages: Very busy all the time

...Musee du Louvre (Louvre Museum) Background The Louvre is the most visited and one of the oldest, largest and most famous art galleries and museums in the world. The first royal “Castle of the Louvre” was founded in what was then the western edge of Paris by Philip Augustus in 1190, as a fortified royal palace to defend Paris on its west against Plantagenet attacks. The first building in the existing Louvre was begun in 1535, after demolition of the Old Castle (foundations of the Old Castle are now an exhibition). The architect Pierre Lescot introduced to Paris the new design vocabulary of the Renaissance, which had been developed in the chateaux of the Loire. During his reign (1589 – 1610), King Henry IV added the Grande Galerie. Henry IV, a promoter of the arts, invited hundreds of artists and craftsmen to live and work... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: grand architecture and truly spectacular exhibitions
Disadvantages: can be quite crowded, impossible to finish in one day

...it is impossible to describe the sheer splendour of the musee louvre. with the da vinci code, this structure has achieved cult-like status (no pun intended) around the world! first up, the exterior of the louvre. it is simply one of the largest and most breathtaking buildings. i would probably rank it as the most magnificient structure in paris, even ahead of the eiffel. the glass triangle dome makes it super unique and a picture with it would definitely say a thousand words. next up, the interior. the lourve is split up into 3 different galleries, Scully, Denon and Richelieu if i remember correctly. anw, if u ask the info counter staff, they would always recommend the gallery with mona lisa in it. the experience is like a pilgrimage. hundreds of ppl would flock straight to the mona lisa (hard to miss with loads of pointing to... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Art, cool design, plenty to look at
Disadvantages: Pricey, hard to navigate

...The Musee d'Orsay used to be the Gare d'Orsay, it has been converted from an old railway station into an art gallery. The building itself is on Rue Bellechasse and from the outside looks like an old railway station, of course many of the windows are now covered and the entrances closed. Inside is a different story as a mix of ideas and designs have transformed the interior into an interesting place to display art. You can expect to queue for a good half hour to get in but it is well worth it. If you are aged 18-25 it costs 33 francs and otherwise it will cost you 45 francs, £4.50, which makes it one of the more expensive attractions on offer. What do you get for your money? Well in this case you get access to some of the most famous art in the world, including paintings by Cezanne, Degas, Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, Pisarro and Sisley... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful