Paris, the renowned ‘City of Love’ and ‘City of Lights’ is also among the world’s culturally rich cities as well. The city has many world-famous attractions such as the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower. Many reputed musicians, writers and artists call Paris as their home. Apart from all these, the city’s veritable treasure chest lies in many of its museums, which are acclaimed world over and need to be explored further. Here are some of the best museums in Paris that shouldn’t be missed out in any case. These include The Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Pompidou Centre, Jeu de Paume, Musee du Luxembourg and Musee Maillol.
Let us explore these museums and get a fascinating insight into the glorious past of France and its capital city of Paris. But before embarking on a tour of these museums, here’s a tip that you should consider. It will be beneficial for you and help in saving some money as well. Paris is home to numerous museums covering diverse range of themes such as tapestries, sculptures, stamps, photography, painting, music, literature, furniture and drawings, to name a few. Exploring these museums individually can be quite costly for you. It will be perfectly fine to invest in Paris Museum Pass, which has been designed to provide complimentary access to above 60 museums and many monuments situated in the Paris region. Three variants of Paris Museum Pass are presently available – 2-day, 4-day and 6-day pass. The pass is valid for consecutive days after having used it once. You must plan your itinerary taking into account the closure of museums and holidays.
The Louvre
The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world. It has a huge collection comprising of 35,000 artefacts from prehistory to the 21st century. Renowned painter Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is the most popular exhibit here. Her magnetic smile keeps the visitors glued endlessly. Apart from this, the museum has much more to offer to its quintessential visitors. The extensive range of exhibits showcased here will require you to at least spend a full day at The Louvre. Don’t plan your visit on a Tuesday as the museum is closed on that day. Buy a map before entering the museum as it’s always possible for you to get lost in the expansive former royal palace, which was once home to the Sun King, Louis XIV. The Louvre has in fact a fascinating history of its own and it was transformed into a museum only after the French Revolution in 1793.
Musée d’Orsay
The Musée d’Orsay was formerly a busy train station. One of its symbols – the big clock – still reminisces of its glorious past. This beautiful museum is presently home to the largest collection of the impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces in the world. The collections here include famous works by famous artists such as Gauguin, Van Gogh, Sisley, Cézanne, Renoir, Degas, Monet, and Manet. The Musée d’Orsay is a major attraction for art students who come here to draw. While exploring the museum, you can see the art students perched on each available spot busy drawing on paper with charcoal. Spend some time browsing them and you will be amazed with their works.
Pompidou Centre
Pompidou Centre is a stunning museum. It is presently home to Europe’s largest museum of modern art – the Musée National d’Art Moderne. The Pompidou Centre is located in the 4th arrondissement of Paris in the Beaubourg area. It is open on all days, except Tuesdays. You will get opportunity to see the works of famous artists such as Warhol, Mirò, and Pollock. The entire façade of the museum is ironically decorated with colorful plumbing. After you have completed your visit here, gather some energy by gorging on an all-butter croissant, which will be simply great for your further exploration of other important museums.
Jeu de Paume
The Jeu de Paume is a unique museum showcasing wonderful video, film and photography exhibits. The collections here will acquaint you with the latest trends in art and cinema in Paris. The building where the museum is housed was formerly home to the Hotel de Sully. The museum is quite spacious and showcases varied collections, particularly those of a photographer’s work covering several periods from early works to masterpieces. The short films that can’t be seen elsewhere are exclusively made by filmmakers to be specially screened at the Jeu de Paume. You will need to spend several hours, perhaps an entire day, to see the complete range of exhibits here.
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