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Louvre & Les Halles Louvre | Les Halles

Neighbourhood Top Five 1 Getting lost in the 3 Meeting Monet and 5 Browsing designer bou- mother of all museums, the revelling in Paris at its sym- tiques beneath the arcaded palatial Musée du Louvre metrical best in the Jardin galleries of the Jardin du (p109). des Tuileries (p119). Palais Royal (p122). 2 Contemplating contem- 4 Feasting on exquisite porary art and architecture sacred art and soulful at the Centre Pompidou music in Église St-Eustach (p117). (p120).

Bd Malesherbes 00000 e# 0400 m 00000 Bd H 00.2 miles 00000 aussm 00000 ann 00000 s 00000 alien 00000 es It 000000 00000 Bd d 000000 00000es 000000 ucin 000000 Cap R 8E 000000 d des du 000000Pl de la B Qua 000000 tr R 000000Madeleine e Se pt M 000000 emb 000000 re o 2E n t 0000 m e 0000 a l Av de l'Opéra a 0000 r y 0000 t 000000000 Pl0000 Vendôme r R de Réaumur 00000000o 0 0000 R des Petits Champs e 00000000R 0 0000 00000000 R 0 0000 R Notre Dame des Victoires 0000000000000000000000000Rd 0 00000000Pl de la00000000000000000 eR 0 0000000000000000000000000 ivo 0 00000000Concorde00000000000000000 li 0 5#æ# 0000000000000000000000000 0 0000000000000000000000000 0 00000000Pont0000000000000000 de la0 0 00000000Concorde00000000000000000 3#æ 0 0000000000000000Q des Tuileries 0 R de Valois Ü# R 3E 00000000000000000 4# aux R R du Louvre O 0000000000000000Jardin des 0 St RR urs 0000000000000000Tuileries Ja0000000rdin du -Ho am l 00000000000000000000000 no but o 0000000000000000Carrouse0000000 l ré 1ER eau p 00000000000000000000000 o Q 0000000000000000Anatole France 0000000 0000000 RIGHT t 00000000000000000000000 0000000 s 00000000000000000000000 0000000000000000 0 BANK 00000000000000000000000 Cour0000000000000000 0 ba 00000000000000000000000 0000000000000000 0R é 000000000000000000000 0d S 000000Napoléon 1#â# eR 000000000000000000000000000 0 iv e 2#æ# 000000000000000000000000000 0 o d 000000000000000000000000000Pl0 du li 0000000000Jard0in0000 de000000 0 d 00000000000000Louvre0 B Q l'Infant0000e Q00000 0 Vo 0000 du Lo 0 lta uvre 4E ire Sq de la 7E Seine Tour St-Jacques Q LE ST-GERMAIN d Q e d DES PRÉS & C es MARAIS FAUBOURG o G n es ST-GERMAIN MONTPARNASSE t vr i e 0 s For more detail of this area see Map p388 and p392 A 108 Lonely Planet’s Top Tip Explore: Louvre & Les Halles S ome of Paris’ top tables The banks of the Seine make an enchanting starting are here, but you need point. A wonderful exploratory loop snakes westwards to book in advance: plan along quai des Tuileries, past the sculptures and green two months ahead for a lawns, pools and fountains of Jardin des Tuileries, to the table at Frenchie (p127) or Musée de l’Orangerie and Jeu du Paume. Continue on Yam’Tcha (p129) and up to foot north to ritzy place Vendôme, then loop back east a month ahead for S pring along shop-chic rue St-Honoré to Palais Royal. (p129) or V erjus (p127). Set aside at least half a day for the Musée du Louvre. Both Frenchie and Verjus Avoid museum fatigue by combining the often-intimidating have neighbouring wine art gallery with a long lunch or a picnic and invigorat- bars where you simply rock ing mooch around the designer galleries and manicured up and wait for a stool to gardens of Jardin du Palais Royal. Serious art lovers will feast on lighter creations want to set aside another half-day minimum for the Centre from the same talented Pompidou, for Europe’s largest collection of modern art. Louvre Louvre & Les Ha chefs. Once you cross rue du Louvre into Les Halles, the time- less sophistication of the Louvre area disappears. Instead, unwary passers-by are solicited with bright lights, jostling 5 Best Places crowds, painted ladies and the swinging jazz clubs of rue des to Eat Lombards. Day and night the mainly pedestrian zone be- ¨¨Frenchie (p127) tween the Centre Pompidou and Forum des Halles is packed ¨¨Yam’Tcha (p129) with people, just as it was for the 850-odd years when Paris’ main halles (marketplace) for foodstuffs was here. ll ¨¨V erjus (p127)

es ¨¨S pring (p129)

Pirouette (p128) Local Life¨¨  For reviews, see p123A ¨After-Work Drinks Rue Montorgueil has a good selection of cafe-bars, but it is rue St-Saveur’s cocktail clubs (p131) and the hip bars on rue Montmartre that 6 Best Places steal the apéro (predinner drink) show. to Drink ¨Museums Forget Tuesday when the Louvre (p109) ¨¨E xperimental Cocktail and Centre Pompidou (p117) are closed; go local and Club (p131) visit during late-night openings (less crowded) or one- ¨¨Jefrey’s (p131) off cultural events and happenings. ¨¨Telescope (p129) ¨Japantown Busy rue St-Anne, just west of Jardin du ¨¨Le Garde Robe (p131) Palais Royal, is loaded with Asian eateries, though the ¨¨Zen Zoo (p130) best choices are found in the side streets. For reviews, see p129A Getting There & Away 1 Best ¨Metro & RER The Louvre has two metro stations: Entertainment Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre (lines 1 and 7) and ¨¨Le Grand Rex (p133) Louvre Rivoli (line 1). Numerous metro and RER lines ¨¨Comédie Française converge at Paris’ main hub, Châtelet–Les Halles. (p132) ¨Bus Major bus lines include the 27 from rue de Rivoli ¨¨Louvre Auditorium (for bd St-Michel and place d’Italie) and the 69 near the (p132) Louvre Rivoli metro (for Invalides and Eiffel Tower). ¨ ¨¨Le Baiser Salé (p131) Bicycle Stations at 1 place Ste-Marguerite de Navarre and 2 rue de Turbigo are best placed for the Châtelet– For reviews, see p132A Les Halles metro/RER hub; for the Louvre pedal to/ from 165 rue St-Honoré. ¨Boat The hop-on, hop-off Batobus (p351) stops outside the Louvre.