European cities for art lovers

Paris

The Louvre

If you’re an art lover then you can’t make a trip to Paris without visiting The Louvre. With its distinctive glass pyramid, the Louvre is home to major artworks such as Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David as well as the iconic Greek marble sculpture, the Venus de Milo. The Mona Lisa draws the biggest crowd and I like many others was surprised at how small it is. You may have to wait for a while if you want to get a clear photo. By contrast the Coronation of Napoleon is a huge painting measuring 6 metres high and 10 metres wide.

For ticket prices see the Louvre website. You can enter the museum for free after 6pm on the first Friday of every month. However you still need to go online and book a slot.

The Musée D’Orsay

If you like Impressionist and post-impressionist works, take a tour of The Musee D’Orsay. The museum is home to a vast collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces. Highlights include;-

Several works by Vincent Van Gogh including ‘Starry Night Over the Rhône ’ and ‘Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles’

‘Poppies’ and ‘The Saint-Lazare Station’ by Claude Monet

‘Apples and Oranges’ by Paul Cezanne

‘Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette’ by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

If you like your art with a bit more of a personal touch head to the district of Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement where you can see local artists painting and selling their artwork on the cobbled streets.

Read more about visiting Paris here.

Madrid

Madrid hosts three of the best Art Galleries and Museums all within walking distance of each other.

The Prado

The world famous Prado Museum is well worth a visit. It’s free if you arrive two hours before closing but if there are too many people you’re not guaranteed entry. If you go online you can buy time stamped tickets meaning you need to arrive at a specific time to get in. Among the many artworks, highlights are The Garden of the Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch and David and Goliath by Caravaggio

The Thyssen-Bornemisza

With free entry on Mondays The Thyssen highlights include Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Caravaggio and The Grand Canal of San Vio, Venice by Canaletto

The Reina Sofia

Unlike the other two museums, The Reina Sofia largely focuses on 20th century Spanish art and heavily features works by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. A major highlight is Picasso’s Guernica. Like the other two museums it is advisable to buy tickets in advance online.

Amsterdam

Rijksmuseum

The 17th century was known as the Dutch Golden Age for art and Dutch Masters such as Vermeer and Rembrandt were prominent during this time. Take a tour of the Rijksmuseum to see Rembrandt’s famous painting ‘The Night Watchman’ and ‘The Milkmaid’ by Vermeer.

Van Gogh Museum

Skip on a couple of hundred years from the Dutch Golden Age and Vincent Van Gogh was prolific for artworks such as ‘The Bedroom’ and ‘Sunflowers’. You can see both of these original paintings and many others at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Read more about visiting Amsterdam here.