Place guide · Paris
Cour Carrée du Louvre
Cour Carrée du LouvreThe oldest open square of the Palais du Louvre, framed on three sides by the museum's classical wings and on the fourth by the Louvre Pyramid; the contrast between 17th-century stone and I.M. Pei's glass is the constant subject.
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A closer look
Approached through the Richelieu or Denon passageways, the courtyard opens suddenly: the pavers, the regular rhythm of the wings and the central pyramid frame the same scene in two scales at once.
At certain hours the courtyard becomes a small urban theatre — tour groups, photography setups and Paris foot traffic all cross the same open square.
Late afternoon the low sun catches the upper windows of the wings; the pyramid reflects the sky in its glass facets and the pavers hold the long shadow of any single visitor.
The courtyard is the historical core of the Louvre palace complex and the architectural hinge between the medieval Louvre and the modern museum.
The 1989 glass pyramid by I.M. Pei and its three satellite pyramids read as one composition from the courtyard level.
It is one of the few places where Paris's royal architecture and its late-20th-century intervention are part of the same readable frame.
Before you go
Current details checked July 2026
- Best season
- Late spring and early autumn are the most comfortable for standing in the open square. Summer is hot and busy; winter mornings are quiet but cooler.
Specific 2026 first-Sunday-of-month admission rules and admission fees not pinned in this batch.
Editorial guidance - Getting there
- Walk from métro Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre (lines 1 and 7); several bus routes stop nearby.Official source
- Official website
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LouvreOfficial source
- Before you go 1
- The courtyard itself is open and free; admission to the museum galleries is paid and requires an advance ticket.Editorial guidance
- Before you go 2
- Free access to the courtyard depends on security checks at the museum entrances; allow time for queues at peak times.Editorial guidance
- Before you go 3
- If you also plan to visit the galleries, choose a time slot in advance and arrive 30 minutes early to clear security.Editorial guidance
- Before you go 4
- Photography of the exterior and courtyard is allowed; flash and tripods are restricted inside the galleries.Editorial guidance
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Practical notes
Note 1
Courtyard open; museum galleries paid.
Note 2
Closest métro: Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre (lines 1 and 7).
Note 3
Specific 2026 first-Sunday-of-month admission rules and admission fees not pinned in this batch.
Note 4
The three smaller pyramids around the main one provide additional natural light to the lobby below.
Note 5
The Cour Carrée is the historic core of the Palais du Louvre; the building complex extends to the Tuileries and along the Champs-Élysées axis.