The Musée du Louvre is located in the 1st Arrondissement on the right bank of the Seine and is a striking starting point for a cultural exploration of the neighbourhood. Other highlights range from historic gardens and sculptures to the history of museums and theatre. When choosing where to stay, you can consider which theme you would like to shape your days in Paris: art collections, walks among greenery or a performance.
Art History and Finding Your Way Around the Louvre
The Louvre is housed in a former royal palace; its collections span almost 10,000 years of art history. This brings an exceptionally broad sweep of time into focus—from an interest in individual works to a perspective on the history of art across millennia. If you make the Louvre the focus of your visit, you can plan your visits around particular collections and interests, rather than trying to fit as many topics as possible into a single tour.
The museum also has a clear landmark to help you find your way: the Pyramid is the main entrance and leads to the three wings, Denon, Sully and Richelieu. As entry arrangements can change, it is advisable to check the museum’s latest information before your visit. This will help you tailor your plans to the designated entrance and the collections you want to see.
Gardens, Architecture and Sculptures
The Palais-Royal is open to visitors, and its garden is free to enter for a stroll. The Jardin du Palais-Royal was designed in the 17th century for Cardinal Richelieu in the classic French garden style. The Palais-Royal’s courtyard is also home to Daniel Buren’s black-and-white striped Deux Plateaux, known as the Buren Columns. The garden and courtyard offer different cultural perspectives: historic garden design in one, a contemporary art installation in the other.
The Jardin des Tuileries offers another highlight. From 1664, André Le Nôtre gave the garden its present appearance as a formal French garden. Strolling and enjoying cultural experiences among statues by Maillol, Rodin and Giacometti bring the gardens together with outdoor art. In contrast to the Palais-Royal, the focus here is on formal garden design and the sculptures along the walking paths.
From the Orangerie to the Stage
The Musée de l’Orangerie combines a practical original purpose with a later cultural use: it was built in 1852 under the Second Empire to house the orange trees of the Tuileries Garden over winter, and was converted into a museum in 1927. Today it permanently displays the collection of art dealer Paul Guillaume, featuring more than 120 paintings. The building’s history and the permanently displayed collection thus offer two distinct points of focus for a museum visit.
The stage is also part of the cultural offering: the Salle Richelieu has been the historic theatre of the Comédie-Française since 1799. Each season, it presents around a dozen rotating productions. If an evening at the theatre is important to your trip, plan around a specific performance and check the latest dates.
The Conciergerie offers visits and workshops year-round for children aged 3 to 12. As dates and age information may change, check the programme details before your visit.
Tailor your visit plans to your interests and the latest information on access and programmes. This will help you choose a hotel with the kind of Paris stay you have in mind.
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