History, arts and culture - you can find ample exposure to all of these in Paris, the capital city of France.

I have always enjoyed history, from a young age I loved the prehistoric era, ancient Greece, and Medieval times. I also love art, as it is my long-life hobby. It is no wonder that Art museums are my favourite kind of museums to visit, along with science museums because of their interactive displays!

We all know the Louvre, home to thousands of art pieces of huge fame. The "Mona Lisa" is the main attraction, and is usually jam-packed with tourists taking dozens of ridiculous photos, holding up their babies and attempting selfies.

Forget the Louvre, at least for today. I have three lovely little museums that will thrill any art or art history lover and appreciator.





Each of these museums are right in Paris, usually really close to something much more popular as a tourist destination. They are all fairly low cost, especially for students or adults under 26. And they all typically focus on a single renown and celebrated artist. Let's begin!

Musée de l'Orangerie

This little beauty is at the edge of Les Tuileries garden, at the opposite end of the Louvre. Feast your eyes upon the vast impressionist murals painted by Claude Monet. These are in oval rooms with a single mural taking up half of the room, each depicting a scene in nature. While there are portraits and other pieces of art, it is the murals that most definitely stand out. Take time to observe the individual murals and the different parts of each mural. You can get fairly close to observe the texture and the application of colour. I have rarely had a more peaceful experience studying and observing art.

Entry is only 9 euros, but is free on the first Sunday of every month, or if you are a long-term resident under the age of 26. It is closed on Tuesdays, so plan accordingly.

Closest metro stop: Concorde. Lines 1, 8, 12

Musée de Rodin

This little museum is within the neighborhood of other large, well-known museums such as Musée de l'Armée and the Église des Invalides. This museum can be done in 3 different ways. You can either visit both the house and the garden, or only the house or only the garden. When I went there, the garden was free for those with a teaching stamp, like I had. It was one of my last days in France and I was very much near the end of my budget, so I went only to the garden. Believe me, I did not feel envious of those who went to the house. There is something about gardens in France that never cease to please me.

Rodin is probably most reknown for his statues, especially the Thinking Man, which is in this garden, among others. I had such a lovely time in this garden, it didn't even feel like I was in a museum. For a while I just sat down, wrote in my journal and enjoyed the summer day and the beautiful views. While I greatly enjoyed this part of the museum, I would still suggest to see the house. It looks beautiful on the outside, simply charming, and I can imagine it is quite a treat on the inside as well, which will contain Rodin's paintings as well as other sculptures.

Entry is 10 euros for both, while the garden is only 4. I must have been really broke...Oh the life of a student!

Closest metro stop: Varenne. Line 13

Espace Dali

In the artist quartier known as Montmartre, in an unassuming building, you will find this very neat museum dedicated to the surrealist Salvador Dali. If you are an artist at heart, you will love this museum. All I knew about Dali before this expose is that he created some weird paintings and (thanks to Midnight in Paris) he lived in Paris in the 1920's. By the end of the expose, I felt like I knew the man and I found him to be wacky, weird, and hilarious. I honestly would have love to have met him in person. Talk about a confident artist who wasn't afraid to break the rules and run with his imagination! I definitely walked away feeling a greater understanding and appreciation for who he was both as a person and as an artist.



Entry price is 11.50 euros, but if you are a student or under 26, it is only 7 euros! I'm not sure what my friends and I did, but for some reason the lady let us go in for free when we told her we were English teacher assistants. It was pretty cool. Don't count on that happening for you though! We all can't be that lucky.

Closest metro stop: Abbesses, Line 12

 

Because these museums are slightly less known, there will be less tourist traffic, and I find that you get to experience them in a much more relaxed manner, and you can really observe the art in detail and fairly up close. Next time you are in Paris, take these lovely museums into consideration. They are quaint, easy to get through without feeling like an eternity, focused on very prominent artists, and fairly low-budget! What more could you ask for?



Well guys, our holidays are almost up. We will be heading back to Egypt for another year of teaching, but before that we will be stopping by Portugal and Spain! If you aren't already, follow along on Instagram to see what adventures await! I will be trying out the new instagram stories feature! I could never get a good grasp on Snapchat, so I love that I can do the same thing on an app I use and love.

 

Have you ever been to any of these lovely museums? Are there any that you think I should check out? Let me know if you plan to go to Paris any time in the near future! We're planning a trip in the fall, and I would love to check out some new things! Leave your questions, suggestions and comments down below!