Famous Museums in Paris

Paris is a city of love and romance. It is a city of sparkling wines, enamoring fashion, attractive fountains, artistic bridges, historical monuments, magnificent cathedrals, splendid palaces, and elegant night clubs. Visiting famous museums in Paris can be a fascinating experience for any person, especially if the person is interested in exploring some facts regarding the culture and history of the nation. If you are planning to visit Paris this summer, then take a look at the list of most famous museums in Paris, presented below.



Best Art Museums in Paris



Louvre: Louvre is the largest museum in central Paris. It is situated on the banks of the Seine, in the western part of the city. The dark fortress of the 12th century was gradually converted into a magnificent palace for the royal family. On completion of the palace of Versailles, Louis XIV went to live there. In 1692, part of the palace was converted into a museum and was opened for the public. The collections gradually increased and spread to the vast complex of buildings. The palace Louvre is one of the oldest and foremost museums in the world. It is known for the glorious work of art it houses. Some of the most stunning collections of artwork in the world are displayed in this museum. Those who visit Louvre for the first time, look eagerly for the museum’s three great ladies – the Venus de Milo, the Victory of Samothrace, and Mona Lisa. Along with symbolic paintings, you will be able to see exclusive sculptures and the art of calligraphy in Islam. The open-air sculpture museum in the gardens of the palace is worth seeing.



The museum is closed on national holidays and Tuesdays. The museum contains about 380,000 objects and 35,000 pieces of art, which are spread over an area of 60,600 square meters (652,000 sq. ft)! The paintings, sculptures, archaeological findings, the enchanting architecture, in fact everything is exclusive. Louvre is the world's most visited museum, and is one of the most famous French museums. About 15,000 people visit Louvre everyday.



Counterfeit Museum: Those who are interested in visiting a completely different type of museum should think of visiting the Counterfeit Museum, situated in the 16th Arrondissement of Paris. It was created in 1951, by the Union des Fabricants, to show the differences between the real things and their copies; and thus to educate the people. The items in this museum keep on changing. It contains everyday items like mobile phones, Levis jeans, Bic razors, Barbie dolls, pens, numerous types of sports shoes, Swiss Army knives, cigarette lighters, and various other items. If you want to visit this fascinating museum, the nearest metro stop is Porte Dauphine. This museum is closed on Mondays.



The Musee de Notre Dame: Everyone visits the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris during his / her stay there; but very few people visit this museum situated at a walking distance from the Notre Dame Cathedral. This museum is situated in the 4th Arrondissement of Paris. Those who want to know more about the history of the Notre dame Cathedral, should visit this museum. This museum contains several archeological findings which throw light on the Gallo Roman times and the Middle Ages. The old drawings, plans and engravings, displayed in the museum provide information on the mysteries and various stages of the construction of Notre Dame Cathedral.



Jacquemart-André Museum: This unusual museum is just a stone’s throw from the Champs Elysées, the world famous and prestigious avenue in Paris. It is an amazing and spectacular home and art collection of the world famous couple Nélie Jacquemart- Edouard André. Edouard spent most of his money in buying authentic works of art; and displayed those pieces of art in his new mansion, which was ready in 1875. His wife Nélie Jacquemart was a well-known painter. They traveled to Italy and brought beautiful pieces of art to France. After Edouard's death, Neil decorated the mansion and handed it over to the Institut de France as a museum. This museum is open to public since 1913. The museum contains French, Italian and Dutch paintings, furniture and several artistic objects. I am sure you would like to know more on the best contemporary art museums in the world. Here is a list of some other museums in Paris, which you should visit.



List of Famous Museums in Paris

• L'Espace Dali Museum: Located in the Montmartre area, displays exclusive work of the artist Salvador Dali.
• Cernuschi Museum: Located in the former mansion of Henri Cernuschi in Paris, displays Chinese and Japanese art.
• La Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie Museum: Situated in the former slaughter house area known as La Villette. It is one of the world's largest and most popular science and technology museums.
• VIN, Musée du or Wine Museum In Paris: Museum of French grapes and wine, situated near the Eiffel tower. It displays everything about wine, the main passion of the French people.
• The Grand Carriage Museum at Versailles: It has a grand collection of carriages and coaches made for King Louis-Philippe. Some ornate pieces (carriages, chairs, holders, etc.) are so beautiful that you would love to visit the museum again. The museum is closed on Mondays.

The list of famous museums in Paris does not end here. There are so many others like POUPEE, Musée de la (museum of dolls), POSTE, Musée de la (museum of post office), PUBLICITE, Musée de la (museum of advertising), GREVIN, Musée (wax museum), EROTISME, Musée de l' (museum of erotic art and artifacts), HUGO, Maison de Victor (home and workplace of the famous writer Hugo), MONNAIE, Musée de la (museum of money and minting), FORAINS, Musée des Arts (museum of circus art), and the like. I hope you found the above information helpful. Prioritizing the choice of museums can be quite difficult, if you have limited time in hand.

Washington prepares new Syrian sanctions

Washington is readying new Syrian sanctions, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said as the United Nations censured Assad-regime violence against civilians.

"We are exploring broader sanctions that will isolate the Assad regime politically and deny it revenue with which to sustain its brutality," Clinton said of new targeted sanctions being prepared, without saying what they'd involve.

The "strong action by the Security Council on the targeting of innocent civilians in Syria is long overdue," she added, rebuking countries that had blocked diplomatic efforts to denounce President Bashar Assad to stop the slaughter of his own citizens.

The Security Council Wednesday unanimously approved a statement condemning "widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities."

The 15-member council expressed "grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Syria," but mandated no specific actions by the international community.

It called on Syrian authorities to grant full and unimpeded access to international humanitarian and human-rights agencies, and appealed to "all sides to act with utmost restraint" and to "refrain from reprisals, including attacks on state institutions."

The action came as a "presidential statement," a step below a resolution.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said later the lower-level statement was no compromise, The Christian Science Monitor reported.

The council agreed to meet again on Syria next week.

The statement came as Syrian tanks, armored vehicles and snipers conducted the fourth day of an assault on Hama, a rebellious city that has emerged as a linchpin of the nearly five-month uprising.

"It's a massacre. It's 1982 all over again," activist Saleh Hamawi told The Washington Post by satellite phone, his voice quaking as the sound of explosions echoed in the background.

A massacre by Assad's father, Hafez Assad, in 1982 killed an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people.

In the past four days of brutality, at least 100 people have died, rights groups said.

Concerning sanctions, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters, "We're working with Congress, certainly, but in the meantime we are looking at additional steps we can take to increasingly isolate Assad."

The House and Senate concluded their formal business this week after passing a contentious bill to raise the government's debt ceiling. Most lawmakers are out of town until the second week of September.

Before leaving town, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., prepared a bill that called on U.S. President Barack Obama to block Syrian access to the U.S. financial system and markets, and to block federal contracts for companies that invest in Syria's energy sector.

Washington prepares new Syrian sanctions

Washington is readying new Syrian sanctions, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said as the United Nations censured Assad-regime violence against civilians.

"We are exploring broader sanctions that will isolate the Assad regime politically and deny it revenue with which to sustain its brutality," Clinton said of new targeted sanctions being prepared, without saying what they'd involve.

The "strong action by the Security Council on the targeting of innocent civilians in Syria is long overdue," she added, rebuking countries that had blocked diplomatic efforts to denounce President Bashar Assad to stop the slaughter of his own citizens.

The Security Council Wednesday unanimously approved a statement condemning "widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities."

The 15-member council expressed "grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Syria," but mandated no specific actions by the international community.

It called on Syrian authorities to grant full and unimpeded access to international humanitarian and human-rights agencies, and appealed to "all sides to act with utmost restraint" and to "refrain from reprisals, including attacks on state institutions."

The action came as a "presidential statement," a step below a resolution.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said later the lower-level statement was no compromise, The Christian Science Monitor reported.

The council agreed to meet again on Syria next week.

The statement came as Syrian tanks, armored vehicles and snipers conducted the fourth day of an assault on Hama, a rebellious city that has emerged as a linchpin of the nearly five-month uprising.

"It's a massacre. It's 1982 all over again," activist Saleh Hamawi told The Washington Post by satellite phone, his voice quaking as the sound of explosions echoed in the background.

A massacre by Assad's father, Hafez Assad, in 1982 killed an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people.

In the past four days of brutality, at least 100 people have died, rights groups said.

Concerning sanctions, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters, "We're working with Congress, certainly, but in the meantime we are looking at additional steps we can take to increasingly isolate Assad."

The House and Senate concluded their formal business this week after passing a contentious bill to raise the government's debt ceiling. Most lawmakers are out of town until the second week of September.

Before leaving town, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., prepared a bill that called on U.S. President Barack Obama to block Syrian access to the U.S. financial system and markets, and to block federal contracts for companies that invest in Syria's energy sector.