Cluny Museum - Paris France

Ok this is one museum that most people that I know that have been to Paris haven't seen. Its not one of the hot spots to visit, but if you know its there you should make sure that you visit. When I went to this museum I was really only given a short amount of time to see a few things that were there. They have a lot of gothic sculptures, and stained glass, but the most impressive thing that this museum had was the tapestries. They have tapestries from all over the world including Italy, Spain, Great Britian and Egypt as well as many from Medieval times. Most people have seen photos of some famous tapestries such as The Lady and The Unicorn, even if they are not familiar with the name of it. The Lady and Unicorn is a set of six tapestries that are some of the most famous in the world. It's estimated that the tapestries were woven around 1460 by hand. They are so famous and so beautiful that the museum has all six hanging side by side in a room that was designed for them. Unicorns were popular to place on tapestries in the Middle Ages, and this set is said to represent the five human senses with the last one being intuition, or what some call the sixth sense.

Just as a ,should you ever see these great masterpieces, here are what they look like and what they mean. The tapestry that means taste has a maiden with a parakeet and a lion and unicorn on either side. There is also a dog that is eating from the floor. The tapestry that means sight has a unicorn kneeling on a maiden's legs and is looking into a mirror. The tapestry that means touch has the maiden holding a banner while touching the unicorn. The tapestry that means smell has a maiden making a flower crown but also features a monkey sniffing a flower. The tapestry that means hearing has the maiden playing an organ and the lion and unicorn are on either side of the organ.

The final tapestry is the one that is the hardest to actually be able to interpret. Many think that it means intuition while some think that its merely conclusion or maybe an introduction to the series. The maiden is in front of a tent with an inscription that means "To My Sole Desire" The maiden's servent is holding a box and she is placing a collier in the box.

Should you find yourself in Paris and have some time go these tapesties even if you see nothing else in the museum, I wish I could have seen the entire museum, but its hard to feel cheated if you see these.

The museum is open 9:15 to 5:45 except on Tuesdays.
Closed Jan. 1, May 1 and Dec. 25

Admission 8,50 €

18-25 years 6,50 €
Under 26 years : free entrance for EU citizen
(Audioguide included in the price)

The first Sunday of the month : free admission
Audioguide is extra on Sunday

Is a part of the Paris Museum Pass

The Website

Louvre - Paris France

The Louvre, is the most well known museum in the world, and also the most visited. It has become a place for people that love art and history to visit and get lost in. If you are one of the people that find museums boring and don't wish to visit them, this one will leave you breathless. I have to admit that I had heard of the beauty that that Louvre holds I never imagined how I would feel walking down the halls seeing all the history and beauty in person. This is one place that people that can try to describe but no words can truly do it justice. I will tell you about my trip through the most wonderful museum in the world and things you should know before you visit.

The first thing that you should know is that you will not be allowed to take anything that is sharp or considered a weapon into the museum. A person I was traveling with brought a butter knife in case we stopped to eat at a cafe and they took it from her, and its a hassle to get things back. They will also scan your bags, and camera upon entering so make sure that if you are using film to using 400 ISO or less. They say that scanners can't damage film 800 ISO and under, but you aren't really safe unless you go 400 or less. And also its a good idea to make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to see the museum.

Winged Victory

The size of the museum is something that few people are prepared for, I was told that if you were to spend one minute looking at every single piece that the Louvre has without any breaks you would be there for four months. While I don't know if this is true, I have to admit, while I was there it seemed very true. The first stop on my trip to the Louvre was the classics and most famous pieces of art in the entire museum. That would be, you guessed it, the Mona Lisa, and Winged Victory. These are two very crowded areas of the museum and if you want to see the Mona Lisa, you should be prepared to wait in line. Also please note that photographs of any paintings are not allowed. The potential flash will damage the paintings and fade them. So you will not be able to take photos of the Mona Lisa or Madonna of the Rocks. But you can take photos of the famous Winged victory. I have to admit that after seeing all the masterpieces in person Winged Victory is the one that took my breath away. There is something very powerful when you are standing in front of it. I have to admit that I wish I had spent more time the Greek and Roman section of the museum as this is where the famous piece Winged Victory is as well as the Venus De Milo is. There are many potteries and other things that deserved more time than I had.

Burial Mask

While most people will think of the art such as paintings and sculptures there are many others things that can be found at the Louvre. There are a ton of sections and I didn't even get to see every section. I have always had a love for Egyptian history so the first stop I made after the Mona Lisa and Winged Victory was the Egyptian antiquities collection. There is so much that you can see in this section, from mummies, and burial pieces to clothes and jewelry there is a piece of every Egyptian lifestyle. I have to admit I spent most of my first day in this area of the museum. I still feel like I could have stayed longer. I felt like I was in a trance just looking at the history that I was surrounded with. There are pieces from all times in history Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, Roman and Coptic Art, Ptolemaic, and Byzantine. There are things such as mummies, and burial masks and canopic jars, and trinkets, and clothes. There seems to be a taste of everything in this collection.

The painting section has to be the most well known area of the Louvre as this is where you can find pieces like the Mona Lisa and Madonna of the Rocks. Works by Rembrandt and Da Vinci, as well as many other master's work are hanging on these walls. In fact in this area of the museum don't even think about taking our your camera as they will not allow photographs due to the fact the flash will damage the paintings. Here is another little known fact, should something ever happen and a fire break out in the musuem, water is the not going to fall, it will be sand to ensure that they works are not harmed. This is how commited the museum is to keeping their pieces safe. It's easy to loose yourself looking at the paintings that line the walls and even ceilings in the museum.

The only other area of the museum that I really got to explore was the sculpture section. This section held a lot of interesting pieces that caught my eye. Some people might call some of the pieces a little creepy or disturbing, but I found them to be something that I wanted to learn more about. There were so many pieces that help my attention for a long period of time. The power that they hold over you while you are looking at this is something that can't be explained. Some of these sculptures give you a feeling of what the artist must have been feeling while creating it. I would say this is one of the most powerful museums sections that I have ever been in, from any museum.

Sadly there were many other sections that I was unable to visit in depth such as the prints and drawings section, the decorative arts, Islamic arts, Near Eastern antiquities, and perhaps a couple of other sections I am forgetting about. I spent two days at this museum and wish I could have spent more time there. Although I have to admit that no amount of time would feel like enough in this place. If you find yourself in Paris, its a must to visit the Louvre but its also a good idea to plan at least a couple days to go if you can. Its also a good idea to know if there are any certain pieces that you want to see as if you don't make sure that you see them at first then you migth miss them, as you can get lost in this place very easily.

If you notice when you step outside there is a large pyramid that you can see. This is the pyramid that is featured in the Da Vinci Code, but it has a longer history that is much more interesting. This glass pyramid stands outside the Louvre and has a mirror pyramid that is known as the inverted pyramid that can be seen in the Carrousel du Louvre shopping mall. While the shopping mall is not that well known its a place worth seeing as there are many nice shops and you can see the inverted pyramid. While many people think this is a smaller version of the large pyramid that is incorrect. This pyramid is the same size, just upside down, the base can be seen from outside. The large pyramid outside is also surround by smaller pyramids that look the same just smaller in scale.

The Louvre open

Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 9-6

Wednesday and Friday 9-9:45

Closed on Tuesdays

Closed on French Holidays Dec. 25, Jan. 1, and May 1

On Dec. 24 and 31 the museum closes at 5

Rooms will start to close 30 minutes before closing

A day ticket is €10

The Magic City of Paris

Paris is best known as the city of love, millions of people come to Paris every year to find themselves, or to rediscover their love, or even to fall in love with Paris. Everyone has a story for coming to this city. At any time you can walk along the streets and see beauty in the buildings and get completely lost. Many people find that when they come to Paris they enjoy shopping, if this is what makes you happy then you will find what you desire. Small shops on every corner offer anything from homemade goods to the latest designers. If you prefer the more unique then take a walk and look at street vendors, if you want art you can find all sorts of art in these locations.



The great masters of art reside in Paris. If you are an art lover then come to Paris. No matter what kind is your favorite you can find it. Contemporary art is in abundance if you visit the Pompideu. They always have a wide range of exhibits that change on a regular basis so you never know who you will find. If you want to see the great masters in all their glory then head over to the Musee d Orsay where you can find Rodin, Van Gogh, and Rembrandt. Spend an afternoon getting lost in the famous artists that came before us. The Louvre, how can anyone think of Paris and not think of this museum. Possibly the greatest museum in the world the Louvre houses pieces from every great master painter. The Louvre also hold great historic treasures all through its’ walls.

If you like the darker side of history then tour the dead in Paris. Beneath Paris lies a tunnel of bones that remain as a monument to the dead. Catacombs are Paris’ largest graveyard. With bones arranged in decorative fashion and odd places this is truly a site. If you want to continue the day of dead go to Pere Lachaise cemetery and visit graves of greats such as Chopin, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison.



Paris has one of the most famous landmarks of all time, the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel tower is a site to see, and a thing not to be missed. People come to Paris every year only to be able to see her and climb to her top. Another famous landmark is Notre Dame Cathedral. Many people come to see the cathedral but miss out one of the most famous parts of the visit. Make sure that you climb all the way to the top and get a great view of Paris and an up close view of the gargoyles. If you find you have time and want to take a walk near the Louvre go and see the Egyptian Obelisk.

Paris is a place to discover, whether you are traveling to discover a new place or discover yourself Paris can help you do this. Paris is a city to fall in love with, and it’s a city to fall in love in. Whether you leave in love with someone, the city or yourself, when you leave Paris you will be in love.

Moulin Rouge - Paris France

In this day and age most people hear "Moulin Rouge" and think of the movie that came out years ago. While I have seen the movie I never knew that so many people didn't know it was an actual place in Paris France. Because of this I do feel the need to clarify that the Moulin Rouge has been around for a long time, and is not just a movie (yes I had a few people that argued the fact it was just a movie). In fact is was built in 1889, its the most well known cabaret show in the world as most people have heard of it and/or seen photos at some point in their lives.

The show itself is very suprising. I have to admit when I passed it on the way to Sacre Coeur it didn't look like much and is something that could be easily missed if you aren't looking for it. A few days later when we went to the show I was amazed. I am not big on shows of this nature but this one got an A+ from me. The entire show is great, the most amazing thing to me was the can-can, I had never really seen a performance of the can-can that was as enjoyable as this one. Most people think of this place and think of the show, but don't forget to try their food while you're there, I wasn't expecting it to be that good, as I'm pretty picky, but even I enjoyed the variety of food that they offered. Also please be advised that this is a non smoking place, which personally was just another plus for me.

If you find yourself heading to Paris its a good place to make sure that you see and if you can get a reservation and have time make sure you see the show. They offer dinner and lunch shows however its best to catch the dinner show if you can, but I personally have never seen the lunch show so I don't know what the difference is. Its also a good idea to try and make reservations in advance if you can. If you want to check out what their rates are or make reservations you can do so at the website listed below (makes sure you click on english to switch, so you can read it).

http://www.moulinrouge.fr/
Located at:
Bal du Moulin Rouge
Montmartre
82 boulevard de Clichy-75018 Paris France

Metro: Blanche (Ligne 2)

Phone Number: +33.01.53.09.82.82