Musee du Louvre

Once a fort and then a palace, the massive Musée du Louvre is now the world's largest art museum -- and many also regard it as the best. It's here that you'll find a trio of greats -- the enigmatic Mona Lisa, the curvaceous Venus de Milo and the headless Winged Victory of Samothrace. But you'll also find rooms upon rooms of more art: In fact 35,000 pieces fill the wings of this museum, which opened in 1793.

Although the Louvre is a must-see attraction for most, many travelers bemoan the crowds (especially around the surprisingly tiny Mona Lisa) and the sheer enormity of the museum (it's almost too much). Thankfully, the museum sells day tickets, which means you can go in the morning, leave for lunch and a breath of fresh air, and then head back inside in the afternoon.

• Consider the ParisPass also a pre paid entry card + queue jumping to 60 attractions including The Louvre, The Arc de Triomphe, as well as a river cruise and allows free metro & public transport travel. Also note a cheaper alternative with this new combined pass available since September 2008 is the Paris ComboPass®, which comes in Lite/Premium versions." -- Wikitravel