One of the most famous museums in the world is the Louvre, or more correctly the Musée du Louvre, and it was one of the items that was high on my Paris must-see list. It is located on the Right Bank (of the Seine) in the 1st arrondissement（n.法国的行政区）.
Originally a palace, the museum is now home to some of the most world-famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and Aphrodite/Venus de Milo. It opened to the public in 1793, and since then the collections have grown to their current number of over 380,000. It’s not the largest collection in the world, but most art historians argue that it is the finest.
The main buildings of the Louvre look rather fortress（n.堡垒）-like, and much like I would imagine a fortress to have been, once inside the gates, there are all sorts of lovely things to see.
The central courtyard houses the Louvre Pyramid, and serves as the main entrance to the museum. The Pyramid was designed by architect I.M. Pei, and beneath it is the underground lobby to the museum. There are several entrances into the courtyard, and all will get you to the Pyramid, so if you are encountering crowds at one courtyard entrance, just walk around to another one.
The Louvre is organized into eight departments, displaying artwork up to 1848. You’ll see work by Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, Van Dyck, and Leonardo da Vinci.
There is so much stuff to see, that tackling the Louvre can be a daunting(adj.使人畏惧的) task. It is too big to see everything in one day, so unless you have several days to dedicate to viewing it, you will have to come up with a plan of attack.
