5 must-see museums of the EU

Claire — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:16:09 +0000

Visitors to the European Union have no lack of sites to see, food to enjoy, and languages to take in. However, perhaps the most exciting aspect of an EU visit is the museums. Every country has its own – or a few – gems. These are five of the best the EU has to offer and are a great starting point to discovering the art world.

Musee du Louvre, France

It’s hard to create a list of European museums without including the Louvre. All varieties of art, ranging from antiquities that date in the B.C. era to the famed Mona Lisa, fill the 652, 300 square feet of exhibit space. While it would take days to see all these amazing works, it is more than worth your time to map out a path to your favorite artists or periods of art and spend a few hours exploring the Louvre and ogling the art.

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

Van Gogh Museum, The Netherlands

While the French painters certainly had their hey-day of beautiful paintings, the Dutch had equally amazing master painters. Much smaller than the Louvre is the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Here, visitors can see the largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh, as well as works by his contemporaries, such as Paul Gaugin, Claude Monet, and Georges Seurat.

Galleria degli Uffizi, Italy

If you love the masterpieces of the Renaissance, the Uffizi is a gluttonous indulgence of riches. Here hangs some of the most famous works that came under the art-loving support of Florence’s Medici family. Michelangelo, Boticelli, and Raphael are just a few of the masters who have art here.

Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain

One should visit the Guggenheim’s Spanish location even if modern art is unappealing. The architecture of the building is an amazing site to see on its own! Within this architectural landmark, visitors can see works by Basque artists and more general contemporary art from the Guggenheim collection. There are also site-specific installations. The rotating collections tend to focus on art from mid-20^th century to contemporary times.

Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain by MykReeve

The National Gallery, UK

This landmark museum that towers over London’s Trafalgar Square has a well-rounded collection of paintings. Famous works by post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne hang in rooms near Renaissance genius Titian. The National Gallery truly has something for an enthusiast of every period of Western art – plus, it is free.

Terry Carter writes about travel and backpacking for Camping Gear Outlet.