I had no idea how amazing the ruins of the ancient city Glanum would be. I almost skipped it, figuring I’ve had my fill of destroyed buildings, but I’m glad I didn’t since this is one of the most well-preserved and impressively designed ancient city I’ve seen (this may not be saying much since most […]
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Musée Angladon, Avignon, France
What’s better than a house museum? A house museum that doubles as an art museum. Musée Angladon houses the art collection of couturier Jacques Doucet. Though he never occupied the building, Hôtel de Massilian (named after the family that occupied it in the 18th century), his descendent who generously donated and funded the museum did. […]
La Maison de Balzac, Paris, France
Though I love to visit writers’ houses, I only recently trekked out to Western Paris to the neighborhood that was once a smaller village, Passy, to visit La Maison de Balzac. Balzac moved into this house in 1840 under a pseudonym, Monsieur de Breugnol, in order to evade creditors. It sort of feels like it. […]
Royal Delft
Royal Delft, established in 1653, is the last remaining original Delft blue earthenware factory. Here, you can take a tour through the factory to watch the production and the careful artisans who paint each piece by hand. During the tour, you walk through the museum, which houses an enormous collection of Delft Blue antiques. Basically, […]
Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille
Palais des Beaux-Arts is Lille’s main art museum. It’s housed in an impressive 19th-century monument with interesting design touches. Napoleon, um, encouraged the museum’s initial collection by obtaining the pieces from churches and other monument throughout Europe. An assortment of art is here: 15th-20th century European paintings, prints and drawings, antiquities, 17th- and 18th-century ceramics […]
Nederlands Architectuur Instituut
Even if you aren’t that interested architecture, you will enjoy a visit to the Nederlands Architectuur Instituut to view the Dutchville exhibit. The exhibit is a unique way to experience Dutch life and is constructed using models of historical structures, industrial buildings and housing developments. A cast of six locals provides what is supposed to […]
Musée d’Orsay Clock
The two fifth-floor clocks at the Musée d’Orsay are bold reminders of the Beaux Art building’s former use as a train station, Gare d’Orsay. The clocks offer sweeping, mid-rise (thank you, Haussmann!) views over Paris and make an appealing pit-stop after taking in the unmatched collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art.
Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris
That this small Parisian museum is grossly overshadowed by the larger, more flamboyant art institutions is no reason to omit it from your to-see list. On the contrary, the quiet Boulevard Haussmann location and the lack of enormous crowds makes it a bit of a respite from the giants. Musée Jacquemart-André was the private residence […]
Musée Photo, Vevey
If you’re at all interested in photography, the Musée Photo is a must-see. This is the most comprehensive photography museum I’ve seen, covering equipment, techniques and inventors through the annals of photography. Every type of equipment is displayed, from camera obscura to the magic lantern to incarnations of modern digital cameras. Seeing cameras from your […]
Maison Tavel, Geneva
Maison Tavel is Geneva’s oldest house. It was built by the Tavel family in the 12th century and was renovated after a fire in the 14th century. Today the house is a museum that details Geneva’s history. In addition to historical items such as doors and signs and other daily life memorabilia, there is a […]
