I recently had the opportunity to visit Paris, France for the first time (if you want to read more about my experience, check out my article about what I learned as a first-time visitor to France and the whole trip along the Seine). on a river cruise).
I loved the experience, but there was one thing that shocked me. That's how crowded the Louvre Museum is.
To be fair, my tour group visited the day after Easter, which is still considered a national holiday, and it was very crowded. Tourists and residents alike flocked to the museum, and it was… well, an amazing experience.
I love museums. Although I live in a rural area, I'm close to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, so I've visited the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Harley-Davidson Museum, and the beautiful Milwaukee Art Museum several times. There is a local art museum near my hometown, of which I am a member, and I visit it whenever there is a new exhibition.
For me, museums are quiet places for reflection and beauty. I'm not an art lover in the sense of studying art in my free time or understanding the intricacies of different art forms, but I do enjoy looking back at pieces and appreciating them for what they are. is.
Therefore, I was incredibly excited to go to the Louvre. Not to see the Mona Lisa, but to see the Louvre, one of the most iconic and popular museums in the world, and the other treasures it holds.
Still, the crowd…
Photo: Mona Lisa, Louvre Museum, Paris, France. (Photo by Eric Bowman)
I grew up traveling to some of the most popular places in the world, including Walt Disney World, Florida and many places in the Caribbean. I understand about overtourism, I've witnessed it firsthand, but I've never seen it in a museum.
Crowds of people flocked to admire the Mona Lisa, ignoring such a beautiful work of art. Although some of these works of art were beautiful, the crowds diminished my enjoyment of the museum and in some cases, as I am very short, I was unable to see some of the works at all.
So, my experience begs the question, why do we go see the Mona Lisa in the first place? Of all the glorious works of art history housed in the Louvre, why is it the most popular, the most crowded, and the most selfie-worthy painting in the world?
We don't know exactly, but one thing we do know is that the tendency to visit a place simply to say, “I saw this, I saw that,'' is completely overrated and the world This is when you decide you need to see the same things as other people. Completely overwhelming.
Stepping into a crowd to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa or take a selfie won't make your world any better. Enjoying beauty and appreciating art and genius without worrying about pickpockets, getting separated from your tour group, or literally getting shoved because you stood in front of a painting too long can make your life easier. It gets better.
When did we forget the slow pleasure of appreciating beauty?
The Sculpture Garden at the Louvre Museum in Paris. (Photo by Lacey Faltz)
I do not regret visiting the Louvre. Because I found small moments in between the madness of admiring ancient sculptures and Renaissance paintings that I had vaguely known about from middle school art class. These works of art were passed over by others in favor of more popular pieces. The selfie-worthy pieces attracted the most people.
Still, I think the museum could benefit from limiting admission to this many people each day (I heard from the tour guide that they already have daily admission limits in place to prevent crowding) However, it is doubtful whether it is sufficient). This museum is phenomenal. I can understand its popularity.
However, the visitor experience can be improved.
Travelers beware: If you're visiting the Louvre, think about why you're visiting it. Do you only want to see the Mona Lisa when you visit the Louvre? For what purpose? Or do you want to discover something else beyond what the world considers the museum's most important treasures?
But the Mona Lisa is not the problem. She's just one part of a larger debate over overtourism.
From Hawaii to Japan to Venice and major destinations in between, overtourism is more than just a buzzword. This is a problem that local and national governments are trying to solve (and in some cases, residents are getting, well…a little creative).
As a traveler, it's time to start thinking about why you want to travel to the destinations on your bucket list. Was it because someone told us we should go and try it? Is it because of a beautiful photo someone took on Instagram? Maybe it was because the guidebook recommended, “You haven't lived until you've experienced it.''
People spend a lot of money on travel. Why not travel to the places you want to go instead of following in the footsteps of millions of others?
There's nothing wrong with wanting to visit popular destinations like Paris or Venice. But consider that these aren't the only destinations in the world that can change your life.
Similarly, the Mona Lisa is not the best painting in the world. Sure she's great, but so is everything else at the Louvre.
My advice? Skip the Louvre and admire the Mona Lisa. Visit this museum to see other neglected works, or visit one of Paris' smaller, less popular museums that offer a great museum experience.
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