I recently had the privilege to visit Paris, France for the very first time (if you’d like to read more about my experience, check out what I learned as a first-time France visitor, and read about my entire journey along the Seine on a Viking river cruise).
I loved my experience, but one thing shocked me: the crowds at The Louvre Museum.
To be fair, it was exceptionally busy because my tour group visited the day after Easter, which was still considered a national no-work holiday. Travelers and residents alike flocked into the museum, and it was…well, an experience.
I love museums. I live in the country, but close enough to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to have visited the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Harley Davidson Museum and the beautiful Milwaukee Art Museum several times. There’s also a local art museum near my hometown of which I am a member and visit every time there’s a new exhibition.
Museums, for me, are quiet places of reflection and beauty. While I’m not an art lover in the sense that I study it in my free time or understand the complexities of different art forms, I do enjoy reflecting on the pieces and appreciating them for what they are.
I was thus incredibly excited to go to The Louvre; not to see the Mona Lisa, but to see The Louvre, one of the world’s most iconic and popular museums, and the other treasures held within.
Yet the crowds…
PHOTO: Mona Lisa at Louvre, Paris, France. (photo by Eric Bowman)
I grew up traveling to some of the world’s most popular places: Walt Disney World, many places in Florida and the Caribbean. I understand overtourism, had witnessed it firsthand, yet never in a museum.
Crowds of people ignored such beautiful works of art in favor of crushing together to view the Mona Lisa. As beautiful as some of these works of art were, the crowds did dampen my enjoyment of the museum, and in some cases, made it impossible for me, a very short person, to view some works of art at all.
My experience, then, begs the question: why do we go to view the Mona Lisa at all? Why is she, of all the splendors of art history that are enshrined at The Louvre, the most popular, the most crowded, the painting that shows up in the most selfies worldwide?
I’m not exactly sure, but I do know one thing: the trend of visiting places simply to say you saw this or that is entirely overrated, and, when the entire world decides they have to see the same things as everybody else, is completely overwhelming.
Your world is not made any better by entering the crush of people to maybe catch a glimpse or snap a selfie with Mona Lisa. Your life is made better by enjoying beauty, appreciating art and genius without worrying about pickpockets or getting lost from your tour group or literally being shoved out of the way because you were standing in front of a painting too long.
When did we forget the slow joy of appreciating beauty?
The statue garden inside The Louvre Museum, Paris. (Photo Credit: Lacey Pfalz)
I don’t regret visiting The Louvre, because I did find small moments in between the madness to appreciate ancient sculptures and Renaissance paintings I vaguely recognized from middle school art classes—those art pieces that others had passed over in favor of the more popular and selfie-worthy pieces that garnered the most crowds.
Yet I think the museum could benefit from restricting entry to so many individuals each day (I was told by our tour guide that they already had daily entry limits to prevent the crowds, but I’m doubtful they’re enough). The museum is a marvel: I understand its popularity.
Yet the visitor experience could be improved.
Travelers, take note: if you visit The Louvre, consider why. Do you wish to only view the Mona Lisa when you visit The Louvre? For what purpose? Or do you wish to wander beyond what the world considers the museum’s most important treasure, and discover something else?
Yet the Mona Lisa isn’t the issue. She’s only part of a larger discussion surrounding overtourism.
From Hawaii to Japan to Venice and every major destination in between, overtourism isn’t simply a buzzword. It’s an issue that governments both local and national are seeking to solve (and in some cases, the residents are getting, well… a little creative).
It’s time that we, as travelers, start to consider why we want to travel to the destinations on our bucket lists. Is it because someone told us we should visit? Is it because of the beautiful photos someone else took on Instagram? Is it because a guidebook recommended that we haven’t lived until we experience it?
People spend lots of money on trips: why not travel where you want to go, instead of following in the wake of millions?
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to visit popular destinations like Paris, or even Venice. But consider that these are not the only destinations in the world that could change your life.
Similarly, the Mona Lisa isn’t the best painting in the world. She’s amazing, yes, but so is everything else at The Louvre.
My advice? Skip The Louvre for the Mona Lisa. Visit it to admire its other, more neglected works, or visit a smaller, less popular museum in Paris that’ll provide you with an awesome museum experience.
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