Around the Louvre Orientation
Getting Here
If you're heading to the Louvre, take the métro Line 1 to the Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre or Louvre–Rivoli stop. For the Tuileries, use the Tuileries stop on the same line. For Place de la Concorde, use the Concorde stop on Line 1, 8, or 12. This is a good starting point for a walk on Rue St-Honoré. If you're going to Les Halles, take Line 4 to Les Halles or Line 1 to Châtelet.
Top Reasons to Go
Musée du Louvre. The world's first great art museum—which displays such renowned works as the serenely smirking Mona Lisa and the statuesque Venus de Milo—deserves a long visit.
Tuileries to Place de la Concorde. For centuries, Parisians and visitors alike have strolled the length of this magnificent garden to the gold-tipped obelisk at Place de la Concorde.
Galerie Vivienne. The prettiest 19th-century glass-roofed shopping arcade left in Paris, this passage is worth a stop for shopping, lunch, or afternoon tea.
Palais-Royal. Visit these arcades and the romantic garden to understand why the French writer Colette called the view from her window "a little corner of the country."
Rue Montorgueil. This historic market street, lined with food shops and cafés, is at the heart of one of the city's trendiest neighborhoods.
Making the Most of Your Time
Try to devote two days or more—one alone for the Louvre—to these vastly different neighborhoods. Along the narrow sidewalks of the Faubourg St-Honoré you'll find some of the finest Parisian boutiques. Place de la Concorde is the gateway to the Tuileries garden. At the eastern end, Les Halles (the old market district) is booming with shops and eateries popping up around cobbled Rue Montorgueil, where traffic is mercifully restricted.
If you're headed to the mammoth Musée du Louvre, it's best to have a game plan in mind. First step: buy your ticket online at www.louvre.fr. If there is a crowd waiting to enter the Pyramide, use the entrance in the underground mall, the Carrousel du Louvre, 99 rue de Rivoli.
Best Cafés
Au Rocher de Cancale. As its impressive facade attests, this café has a special history. It opened in 1846, when Balzac was a regular and Rue Montorgueil was the place to buy oysters. 78 rue Montorgueil, Louvre, Paris, Île-de-France, 75002. 01–42–33–50–29.
Le Fumoir. Equal parts café, bar, and restaurant, Le Fumoir is a timelessly popular place to sip coffee and read the paper, or enjoy an after-dinner drink. Reservations are recommended for dinner and Sunday brunch. Pl. du Louvre, 6 rue de l'Amiral-Coligny, Louvre, Paris, Île-de-France, 75001. 01–42–92–00–24; www.lefumoir.com.
Le Nemours. Plan your day over a croissant and a café crème at this classic café with two long rows of tables overlooking lively Place Colette, just steps from the Palais-Royal and the Musée du Louvre. 2 pl. Colette, Louvre, Paris, Île-de-France, 75001. 01–42–61–34–14.
