Iconic statues and paintings. Paris, the City of Light, is a beacon of civilization, and the Louvre Museum presents a full inventory of Western culture. To cover the entire museum — the world's largest — in a single visit is impossible, so let's focus on the Louvre s specialties — Greek sculpture, Italian painting, and French painting. We'll see "Venuses" through history, from scrawny Stone Age fertility goddesses to the curvy Venus de Milo; from the wind-blown Winged Victory to placid medieval Madonnas; from Mona Lisa to Lady Liberty, the symbol of modern democracy. We'll see how each generation defines beauty differently, getting to know the people of the past by admiring the things they found beautiful. Along the way, are masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, the French painters, and many of the most iconic images of Western civilization. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion maps. Sightseeing nitty-gritty: The Louvre costs €9 (€6 after 18:00 on Wed and Fri, free on first Sun of month) and is covered by the Paris Museum Pass. It's open Wed–Mon 9:00–18:00, closed Tue. Most wings stay open Wed and Fri until 21:45 (except on holidays). The last entry is 45 minutes before closing. It's located at Métro Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre or Louvre-Rivoli. Tel. 01 40 20 53 17, recorded info tel. 01 40 20 51 51, www.louvre.fr. Bus #69 serves the Marais and rue Cler, and taxis stop on rue de Rivoli. Lines to enter through the glass pyramid can be very long. Crowds are worst on Sun, Mon, Wed, and mornings. Museum Pass-holders can use the never-crowded group entrance in the pedestrian passageway (labeled Pavilion Richelieu) between the pyramid and rue de Rivoli. (It's under the arches, a few steps north of the pyramid; find the uniformed guard at the security checkpoint entrance, at the down escalator.) Or, enter through the underground shopping mall called the Carrousel du Louvre (at 99 rue de Rivoli or directly from the Palais Royale-Musee du Louvre Metro stop.) Once under the pyramid, buy tickets faster by using the automated machines. Baggage storage and WCs are located under the pyramid (WCs are scarce once you're in the galleries). For food, the Louvre has several cafés, but your best bet is the food court of the underground shopping mall. Photography without a flash is allowed. Consider an evening visit — it's peaceful, and the glass pyramid glows after dark. For more specifics, consult my guidebook. This is excerpted from Rick Steves' Paris 2010. Copyright 2009 Avalon Travel. Related information at www.ricksteves.com.
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