Mona Lisa Leonardo da Vinci.

1. Le Grand Louvre: You are standing near one of the most famous works of art in existence, the Mona Lisa. Leonardo's celebrated portrait of the woman with the cryptic smile hangs, fittingly, in one of the world's most visited art museums, the Louvre.Though she's its number-one celebrity, Mona Lisa is not the only masterpiece in this huge palace-turned-museum. Beyond her lie galleries full of the world's greatest art treasures.

2. Mona Lisa: Stolen once before, the Mona Lisa must be kept behind bulletproof glass to protect her from damage and theft. She is the ultimate photo op. In fact, the flash of cameras reflecting from the glass can be blinding. Once you get a good look at Mona's expression, make your own interpretation: Is she smiling? Is she lovesick? Or is she, as some claim, Leonardo himself, in drag?

3. Wedding Feast: Veronese took the story of Christ's first miracle—the transformation of water into wine—and turned it into an orgy of consumption. His portrayal of hedonism in The Wedding Feast at Cana (1563) provoked an investigation by the Inquisition. Look closely. The masters of Venetian painting appear as musicians: Bassano, Tintoretto, and Titian. Veronese himself is there, clad in white, upstaging everyone.

4. Death of the Virgin: The priests who commissioned this picture rejected it: The dead virgin is the swollen corpse of a woman with no halo! A closer look shows a ray of light that pierces the gloom, revealing the faith and suffering of her disciples. Caravaggio's use of dark and light sparked a revolution in painting, one that eventually reached Rembrandt in Holland. Note: Death of the Virgin (1606) now hangs in the next gallery.

5. Docent on tape: Organize your personal tour of the Louvre by renting a recorded audio guide, available at the entrance of all three wings. You hear a short commentary on each of 180 famous works of art by pressing its three-digit code. It takes a day to get through the entire list—unless you run or wear roller skates—but the cost (US$5) is worth the extensive information the guide offers.

6. Artful orientation: Wandering through art history has never been easier. On each floor, galleries are arranged chronologically and geographically. The museum is also color-coded by department on the orientation map (available for free at the information desk on the mezzanine level). While in the galleries, look for laminated handouts that provide useful background information on that particular room's works of art.