Paris, luxury boutique hotel Buci, Latin Quarter

The Louvre Museum and the Tuileries Garden are accessible on foot from the Madison, Artus and Buci Hotels in Saint Germain des Prés and from the Bourgogne & Montana Hotel in the Eiffel Tower– Place de la Concorde quarter.

From the Terrass Hotel in Montmartre, the Louvre is easily accessible by bus.

 

Since the end of the 12^th century, the buildings of the Louvre have dominated the heart of Paris. Located on the edge of the city, little by little they were surrounded by it and became the city centre. At the same time, the early gloomy fortress was transformed into the modern residence of King Francis I and then the Sun King’s sumptuous palace.

On 30 March 1989, the glass Pyramid built by I. M. Pei was inaugurated. Built in the centre of the Cour Napoléon, it lays out the main traffic axes in the Palace and underground opens onto a vast reception hall leading to areas dedicated to temporary exhibits, rooms explaining the history of the Palace and the Museum, the Louvre moat dating from Charles V, an auditorium and, lastly, the different visitor services (cloakrooms, bookstore, cafeteria and restaurant).

 

Louis XIV appointed André Le Nôtre to design the garden which became a long perspective with woods facing each other in leafy architecture. This is where Parisians came to stroll and the site for State festivities. In the 18^th century, under Louis XV, marble statues, a horse carrousel and attractions were installed. The Tuileries Garden remained the prestigious site for festivities and ceremonies under Napoléon I and through the Second Empire. It became an open-air statuary museum with the transfer of statues from Versailles, Fontainebleau and Marly. After the Tuileries Palace was burned down, the garden was refurbished. Popular events were held there, such as the first Paris Motor Show in 1898. Its monumental statuary was refurbished. The population’s favourite strolling area in central Paris, there is something for children and adults alike: puppet shows, swings, boats, cafés, concerts and parades.

Many renewal projects were proposed and studied during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Work on the Grand Louvre only affected the Carrousel Gardens, but the wooded area and the terraces were replanted with thousands of trees, the old statuary was restored and contemporary works were installed.