Louvre: One of the world’s great art museums, this vast edifice houses an extraordinary collection of paintings, sculptures and antiquities from all over the world. The Louvre was opened to the public in 1793, soon after the Revolution, to display the spectacular treasures looted from the royal palaces. The best-known attraction is Leonardo da Vinci’s enigmatic Mona Lisa, which is protected by bullet-proof glass within its own room. The permanent collections are divided into Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Asian antiquities, painting, drawings, sculpture and objects d’art. Don’t even attempt to see it all in one day.