Monet, Manet, Van Gogh and Degas. The most spectacular collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art is housed in this dramatic train station turned Museum.
With over three million visitors a year the Musée d’Orsay holds the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the world. It’s home to Monet’s famous ‘Gardens at Giverny”, Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night over the Rhone’ and Renoir’s ‘Bal du Moulin de la Galette’ just to name a few. There is also an impressive collection of decorative arts, photography, and sculptures in the gallery.
These masterpieces are housed in an incredibly unique museum, a former railway station Gare d’Orsay that dates to the 19th century.Originally designed by Victor Laloux, it quickly became dated as railway technology developed, and was largely vacant by the 1970s. With the help of government funds, the building was restored and remodeled in the early 1980s. At the end of 2011, the museum reopened after a complete renovation of all of its spaces as well as some new rooms: an additional 400 m² for the Pavillon Amont, Post-Impressionist artists at the heart of the museum, the redesign of the Impressionists gallery and a new temporary exhibition space. With the museum closed on Mondays make sure to pre-book your ticket for guaranteed entry.
Extend your visit to the cathedral that inspired the classic Victor Hugo novel ‘The Hunchback Of Notre Dame,’Notre Dame Cathedral, witness one of the most famous examples of Gothic architecture in the world. Or spend some time in the neighborhood where these artists worked, lived and played – Montmartre. Discover Sacré Coeur; this hilltop basilica offers the best views of the city of Paris stretching to the horizon.
