The Louvre Museum closed after staff walked out over overcrowding, decaying infrastructure and deep funding cuts, leaving visitors locked out in protest

El Louvre, el museo más visitado del mundo y un símbolo global de arte, belleza y resistencia, ha resistido guerras, terrorismo y pandemias,

Thousands of angry tourists waited for hours outside the Louvre on Monday morning after the Paris museum's staff staged a surprise strike.

The Paris museum has become a symbol of tourism pushed to its limits. Workers point to unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing and what one union called “untenable” working conditions.

The Louvre strike, though sudden, was not without cause. Workers described 'untenable' conditions worsened by overcrowding, chronic understaffing, and crumbling infrastructure. With nearly 8.7 million visitors last year—more than double what its current systems were designed to handle—the Louvre has become emblematic of cultural landmarks pushed to their limits.

Anyone travelling to the French capital has been told to rethink their visit to a popular tourist destination, or to be prepared to change their plans.

The Louvre, the world's most-visited museum and a global symbol of art, beauty and endurance, remained shuttered Monday — not by war but by its own exhausted staff, who say the institution in Paris is crumbling from within.