PARIS (AFP) - Paris's Louvre museum on Thursday launched an application giving Apple iPhone and iPod touch users access to its collections.

Free to download, the Louvre said the technology available in French and English will permit subscribers to access the best the museum has to offer round the clock from anywhere in the world.

The museum's most popular pieces are accessible along with detailed videos, a virtual tour and practical information on opening hours and tariffs.

The Louvre website www.louvre.fr, which has been up since 1995 and is part of the museum's bid to widen public access to its art treasures, currently receives 10 million visitors per year.