Photograph by Rita Crane

Apparently the French Ministry of Culture caught on that €8 is a lot to pay just to get lost trying to find the Mona Lisa.

For younger visitors, there’s a better way. The Louvre is absolutely free for everyone under 26 years old, every Friday evening. The free hours are from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Who knew the Louvre was the place to be on a Friday night?

This Friday, March 23rd, 2007, there’s the added bonus of free music to compliment your art. Students from the National Conservatory of Music will be playing in front of their favorite pieces of art throughout the museum. Two for the price of none!

Take metro lines 1 or 7 to Palais Royal Musée du Louvre. The station connects to the museum underground.

Popularity: 5% [?]

photograph courtesy of the Louvre

Guards at the Louvre in Paris are preparing to strike for a raise. The museum’s guards are arguing that the stresses of looking after Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) warrant higher pay.

According to an article in today’s 20 minutes, the guards blame their discontent on a surge of visitors to the Louvre that hasn’t been met with an increase in the number of guards. Attendance at the Louvre rose from 7,500,000 in 2005 to 8,300,000 in 2006, while the number of guards on duty has remained static at 180.

“What’s really bad is the brouhaha of the crowds, most of all in the most visited halls, including those of the La Gioconda, the Venus de Milo, and Michelangelo,” explained a guard in 20 minutes. “And the worst are the ‘free Sundays.’ 65,000 visitors a day, it’s unbearable and even dangerous.”

The guards, who are also apparently sick of yelling “No flash!” all day, are seeking an additional €150 a month to balance out the increased job stress.

Who’s smiling now?

Popularity: 3% [?]