The Louvre running a program called 'Les visites sportives' to celebrate the Paris Olympic Games in ... [+]
Paris has many plans for its Olympic Games in just over 40 days’ time, but few were expecting gym sessions inside the Louvre, the world's most visited museum and home to arguably the world's most famous painting, the Mona Lisa.
As one might expect from the home of the Venus de Milo, the Louvre has lots of rules. In addition to the usual—no firearms, no smoking—it also bans the right to excessive quantities of food or drink and the right to public speaking without a permit.
In the runup to the Olympics, though, one of the world's most hallowed museums has been allowing sports events in its public galleries under the supervision of dancer and choreographer Mehdi Kerkouche. Plus, at the end of the cardiovascular workout, participants have the right to access the art for free. What better way to fuse the Olympics with the Louvre than by practising yoga amongst the sculptures?
It also chimes perfectly with its exhibition taking place during the Games—called “Olympism (Modern Invention, Ancient Legacy)”—that explores the creation of the first modern Olympic Games, and specifically how it “combines the scientific disciplines of philology, history, art history and archaeology.”
While half of the world's most visited museums in 2022 could be found within the U.S or the U.K., it was the Louvre in Paris that saw the most visitors with a whopping 7.7 million visitors that year, and that's still down on pre-Covid numbers—in 2019, a staggering 9.6 million people trod through its marble floors. (The Vatican museums came second in 2022 with just over 5 million visitors, with the Natural History Museum in London placing third with 4.7 million).
Indeed, the queue for the Louvre is often one of the most impressive sights to see when wandering around Paris; it can often take several hours of snaking across the Cour Napoléon dating from the 1850s before reaching the stylish glass Pyramid entrance—an instantly recognizable backdrop to Paris since the 1980s. One of the bonuses for the sports sessions at the Louvre has been the lack of queues at 7:45 a.m., when the museum lets in those dressed in their spandex and yoga pants.
For any Louvre visitors looking for something less energetic than the Olympics but just as fun: follow the route through that the Carters (Beyonce and Jay Z) took in their music video, filmed through the galleries, past the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Wedding Feast of Cana (the route is accessible on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays).
The Olympic Games will run from July 26 to August 11, 2024 and the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8, 2024—there will be various changes to transport and opening hours across the city and visitors are advised to check routes and websites before embarking on your journey.
The Louvre is on Metro Lines 1 and 7 (the stop is Palais-Royal / Musée du Louvre) and Line 14 (Pyramides). It is also accessible by buses 21, 27, 39, 67, 68, 69, 72, 74, 85, and 95 and there are several bike hire stations around the complex if you choose to cycle. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.
