The Louvre, the World’s Most Visited Museum, Reopens Its Doors After Lockdown

The Louvre Museum is opening after four months of closure
The Louvre Museum is opening after four months of closure | © Carolyn Eaton / Alamy Stock Photo
Culture Trip

The Louvre, in Paris, the most visited museum in the world, has reopened its doors after coronavirus forced its closure almost four months ago. Visitors can view the Mona Lisa again, but with social distancing in place. Culture Trip reports.

The vast state-owned museum, housed in a former royal palace in the centre of Paris, had been offering virtual visits of its exhibits since it shut its doors in March. Now, visitors can enjoy viewing popular works, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Virgin of the Rocks, as well as the museum’s large antiquities collection. However, nearly a third of its galleries, in which social distancing is more difficult to put in place, will remain shut.

The Louvre usually sees close to 10m visitors a year

Nor will there be the throngs of tourists trying to take a snap in front of da Vinci’s masterpieces, as there will be specially marked, distanced spots on the floor for visitors to stand on.

Indeed, the rules for art enthusiasts entering the Louvre have been made more strict, according to the museum’s press release.

You need to buy a ticket online in advance for a specific time slot, while all staff members and visitors over the age of 11 must wear a mask inside. Tourists are obliged to pass their hands under a sanitising gel distributor as they enter.

To avoid bottlenecks, arrows will guide visitors via a one-way system through the galleries, while doubling back is prohibited, with the Salle des États – where the Mona Lisa is on display – will be entered and exited through separate doors.

Only certain rooms have reopened at the Louvre, depending on the practicability of social distancing

The rooms that will be open include the collections of Antiquities from the Near East, Egypt, Greece and Rome; the introduction to the arts of Islam; Italian and Northern European sculptures; Italian, Spanish and English paintings; 19th-century French painting; the Apollo Gallery; the Napoleon III apartments; works of art from the Middle Ages and Louis XIV period; and French sculpture from the 17th to 19th centuries.

The Apollo Gallery will be open to visitors

However, the following collections are not accessible: French sculptures of the Middle Ages and Renaissance; decorative arts during the Renaissance, and in the 18th and 19th centuries; arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas; the lower level of the Islamic Art Department; and level 2 of the French and Northern European painting collections.

Cloakrooms remain closed, so motorcycle helmets, suitcases and large bags are not allowed. Pushchairs and wheelchairs, on the other hand, can be handed in but will be cleaned after each use. Audio guides will be available for rent as of 15 July.

Cloakrooms will remain closed, so leave your bulky items at home

The book and gift shop has reopened, while cafés and restaurants will start resuming service gradually.

From July until September, the museum will be open from 9am until 6pm every day except Tuesday.

“Some 70 percent of the Louvre Museum’s 9.6m visitors last year were from overseas,” France 24 reports, and with most international tourism on hold, the museum hopes to attract more French visitors to fill the gap.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article