Beyond Le Louvre in the Art World of Paris

When art lovers think of the City of Lights, Le Louvre springs instantly to mind. Open since 1793, Le Louvre's collection includes pieces from the Middle Ages through the mid-19th century. A must-see for Paris, Le Louvre attracts six million visitors per year.

Yet Le Louvre is only the first stop of the city's world-class museums. The unique Beaux-Arts style Musée d'Orsay, located in an old railroad station, provides a setting that is, in itself, a feast for the eyes. The d'Orsay's mostly Impressionist collection of paintings and sculptures from 1848 to 1914 bridges the period gap between Le Louvre and the modern art collection at the Centre Georges Pompidou.

The post-modern design of the Pompidou, with its glass walls and exterior skeleton of brightly colored industrial tubing, turned the architecture world upside down at its completion in 1971. Many visitors come just to ride the glass-enclosed elevators that lead to a breathtaking panorama of the city. But housed within Pompidou is a superb collection of cubism, surrealism, Dadaism, abstracts and pop art.

Paris is packed with some of the world's most renowned museums, but it's also full of hidden gems and a growing contemporary art scene. Several newer venues have rejuvenated the museum trek, such as the Institut du Monde Arabe and the ultra-modern Palais de Tokyo.

Perhaps most notably, the city's latest art trend mixes fresh, new work with live music, dance and performance art. Street artists, "art squats" in abandoned warehouse buildings, and budding underground cinemas and performance art venues have breathed fresh life into the culture establishment. "Le squat artisque" has become so mainstream in Paris, in fact, that many venues are now tourist attractions.

Visitors can even sleep in contemporary art by booking a room through a collective of art-focused bed and breakfasts, pioneered by creative consultant firm Art Process. The firm's director, Eric Mezan, wants to make art an encounter. Art Process also offers Art Bus tours and a Buzz Bus, which visits fashion and design ventures.

"The tours were created for anyone who is interested in contemporary artistic creation and who wishes to apply it to their own lives," Mezan says. "Art Process' art coaches have direct relations with the art and the artists who make up Paris' art scene, and they share with you their logical, laidback approach to contemporary art."