The Louvre Paris France
The Louvre is probably the most famous and respected art museum in the world. The former residence of French Royalty, this huge building is home to thousands upon thousands of works or art. While the sheer size of the building (and the lineups) can be intimidating, this is one sight in the city that should not be missed.

The Louvre opened as a museum in 1793, and how has over 30 000 works on display. If you want to see the entire museum, you could easily spend a week wandering its huge rooms and long corridors. While an entire week is usually not an option for most visitors, at least a day should be given to the Louvre. Buy a map, and mark out the paintings and areas you want to see, and concentrate only on those.

Perhaps the most well known masterpiece housed in the Louvre is Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. While most visitors are surprised at how small the actual painting is, if you can get up close (in front of the hundred or so other people that will usually be crowding around) you will be instantly charmed by the subject's secretive smile.

Other works that should not be missed include those by Michelangelo, Titian, Botticelli, Raphael. The French masterpiece The Raft of the Medusa by Gericault can be seen here, as can the elegant Venus de Milo sculpture.