Louvre offers Da Vinci Code tour

Da Vinci Code actor Jean Reno guides people through the Louvre

The Louvre, the Paris gallery at the heart of The Da Vinci Code plot, will offer fans an interactive audio tour to tie in with the film's release.

French actor Jean Reno, who plays detective Bezu Fache in the Hollywood adaptation, narrates the guided tour.

The museum, backdrop for some of the movie, will charge 10 euros (£6.80) to hire the portable MP3 players.

The film version of Dan Brown's best-selling novel is released around the world on Friday.

The audio tour is expected to be popular with US tourists, who make up 20% of the Louvre's 7.5 million foreign visitors each year.

Instructions

A number of paintings in the Louvre are described on the 50-minute tour, along with strict instructions from Reno and extracts from the film itself.

"Don't go anywhere unless I say so. You will hear my footsteps. Be one with me," he says.

The actor said: "I'm thrilled to be helping people to experience one of France's greatest treasures from this new perspective."

The tour hinges on the central mystery of The Da Vinci Code, the murder of a Louvre curator who is found naked with a five-pointed star etched on his stomach.

The tour has been produced by Soundwalk, a company that makes "sonic journeys" for New York and Paris.

The company has said it is discussing deals to make tours for other museums that have been featured films.