You can easily fill several days visiting Vienna’s world-class museums.
You’ll find museums that cater to just about every artsy interest–from painting to music to theater and much more.
In this post, I describe what I consider the 15 must-see museums for artsy travelers to visit while touring Vienna, one of my favorite European cultural capitals.
So let’s dig into my suggestions for the 15 best museum experiences in Vienna.
As you’ll quickly discover, Vienna really is one of Europe’s best destinations for museum lovers.
The only trouble is that you need to pace yourself. All those long, marble-floored corridors are hard on the knees. Take your time! It’s better to enjoy fewer museums and enjoy yourself than try to see them all and be too exhausted to take in a concert in the evening and enjoy a plate of weiner schnitzel.
Assume you’ll return!
And while Vienna has some of the best museums in the world, it’s also a wonderful place to just sit back and watch the world go by. There’s a reason that Vienna consistently ranks in the top ten of the world’s most livable cities.
Here are my suggestions for 15 museums to visit in Vienna.
National Museums
#1: Kunsthistorisches Museum
Start at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (#1), Vienna’s answer to the Louvre and considered by many to be one of the best museums in all of Vienna.
Located at Maria-Theresien-Platz in the Imperial Palace complex, this fabulous (and HUGE) museum exhibits the art collection of the Habsburg family. They were also known as the House of Austria and for several hundred years ruled a large chunk of Europe.
Skip the line by purchasing your tickets online before you leave. You save time and are guaranteed entry into this marvelous museum.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum includes several collections.
Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna
Egyptian and Near Eastern
You’ll find one of the world’s most important collections of Egyptian antiquities at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Take a tour of the collection which includes more than 17,000 objects. I always enjoy a good Egyptian museum, and the collection here is first-rate.
Greek and Roman Antiquities
The collection spans 3,000 years. I’m particularly fond of the Greek vases decorated with scenes of Greek life.
Kunstkammer Wien: The Cradle of the Museum
This relatively new area of the museum (opened in 2013) contains over 2,200 fabulous artworks. The Habsburg emperors were busy collectors from the late Middle Ages to the Baroque Age. You’ll find sculptures, clocks, objets d’art, scientific instruments, automatons, and a lot more.
The list goes on. Have a good look. You won’t regret it.
Picture Gallery
The collection in the Picture Gallery is nirvana for the art lover. You’ll find pieces by Pieter Bruegel the Elder that you’ll probably recognize if you like 16th-century Dutch painting and if you’ve ever taken a European art history course.
You’ll also find masterpieces by Caravaggio, Titian, Rubens, and one of my favorites, Arcimboldo, who really had a way with food.
We bought a jigsaw puzzle of one of the Arcimboldo paintings in the marvelous museum gift shop. I do like a good museum giftshop and the one at the Kunsthistorisches has a great selection.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Collection of Historical Musical Instruments
I write about the incredible collection of historical musical instruments in Music Lover’s Guide to Vienna. On my solo trip to Vienna, I spent a happy afternoon enjoying the rooms full of pianos and harpsichords and various other instruments. The collection of Renaissance and Baroque instruments is reputed to be the finest in the world.
I was in heaven, particularly because this area of the massive museum was virtually empty. If I’d been so inclined, I could have played one of the pianos, and probably no one would have been the wiser.
Needless to say, I didn’t try. The prospect of even a short stay in a Viennese prison did not appeal, even if it’s likely to be well maintained and serve wiener schnitzel and torte.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum also includes the Coin Collection, an Armory, and lots more, but you get the picture. The museum is worth a good chunk of your day. Alternatively, pace yourself and space your visit across a few days. It depends on your stamina because plenty of museums await you in Vienna’s Museum Quarter.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is open daily except Mondays from 10 am to 6 pm and on Thursdays from 10 am to 9 pm.
The architectural mirror image of the Kunsthistorisches Museum is the Museum of Natural History of Naturhistorisches Museum (#2) opposite it.
I have a soft spot for natural history museums, and Vienna’s is excellent, easily on par with the Natural History Museums in London, New York, and Washington.
The big draw is the squat statue of the wonderfully fecund Venus of Willendorf. She’s a clay figurine just 11.1 centimeters tall, reputed to have been made between 24,000 and 22,000 BCE, which is a long time ago on any calendar.
Although little is known about how or why she was made, you have to think her purpose had something to do with fertility.
I mean, seriously! Look at her!
Because she lacks defined facial features, some philosophers and archeologists view the Venus of Willendorf as representative of a universal mother.
Well, I certainly took to her. She’s displayed in a special, atmospherically lit case that will probably be surrounded by other museum-goers.
Wait your turn and then spend a few minutes contemplating universal motherhood and also thinking about the people who made this exquisite figure.
How had they used her? Had she been cherished? I like to think so.
Animal Displays
One of the museum’s many highlights being the massive second floor containing several high-ceilinged, ornate rooms stuffed to the ceiling with stuffed animals.
When we walked into the reptile room on our family trip, I had to sprint through it with my eyes closed.
Stuffed snakes in glass cages slithered every which way through the massive room. And I don’t mean the cute plush variety of stuffed snakes.
Oh no. I’m talking about very real, very menacing, very snakey snakes. Ugh!
Fortunately, the other rooms made up for the trauma of the reptile room. The Vienna Museum of Natural History gets top marks for taxidermy.
Museums in the Museum Quarter
Vienna’s Museum Quarter (MQ) (#3) in central Vienna is truly a remarkable cultural area. Housing over sixty cultural institutions, the MQ is one of the largest districts for contemporary art and culture in the world.
You’ll find museums and events devoted to art, architecture, music, fashion, theater, children’s culture, literature, dance, street art, photography, even gaming culture.
This is the place to be if you love the arts.
Highlights of the MQ directly related to visual art include viewing modern art at the Leopold Museum, MUMOK – the Museum of Modern Art and Kunsthalle Wien, and visiting the remarkable Kunst Haus Wien–Vienna’s first ecological museum.
The MQ is always open and entry is free. Relax in the various courtyards and engage in some serious people watching.
Hanging out in the Museum Quarter in Vienna
For more information about what’s on, including special events, check the MQ website and the websites for the individual museums. The range and breadth of cultural activities truly is breathtaking!
Here are four of the major art museums in the MQ.
#4: Leopold Museum
The Leopold Museum (#4) exhibits the world’s most important collection of paintings and works on paper by Egon Schiele.
Along with Gustav Klimt, Schiele is one of the best-known Austrian artists of the 20th century.
Egon Schiele, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
#5: MUMOK – Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien
MUMOK (#5) is the largest museum of modern and contemporary art in central Europe (and that’s saying something!).
You’ll find an amazing collection that features works of classical modernism (my favorite) by artists such as Picasso, Mondrian, and Magritte to mention only a few, along with pop art, Fluxus, minimal art, and concept art, as well as Vienna Actionism and contemporary art.
MUMOK in the Museum Quarter in Vienna
#6: Kunsthalle Wien
The Kunsthalle Wien (#6) fcouses on temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. I confess I’m not generally a fan of contemporary art, but if you are, check the website for current exhibitions.
#7: Kunst Haus Wien
Vienna’s first ecological museum, the Kunst Haus Wien (#7), features contemporary art with a focus on photography. You have to check out the building–it’s remarkable with colorful tiles, uneven floors, and irregular structures.
The museum also houses the Museum Hundertwasser which displays the largest permanent collection of works by Friedensreich Hundertwasser who designed the building for the Kunst Haus Wien and is also one of Austria’s most famous artists and visionaries.
Here’s an option for purchasing tickets to the Kunst Haus Wien:
The Meeting Place at the MuseumsQuartier (MQ) is one of the largest cultural quarters in the world. You’ll need another day to tour the MQ and also hang out in its public spaces.
Other Top Museums in Vienna
#8: Belvedere Palace
You can’t visit Vienna and not visit the Belvedere Palace (#8)! It’s the home of the world’s largest collection of Klimt’s paintings, including his masterpiece, The Kiss, and the iconic Judith I.
You’ll also find an excellent 19th-century collection that includes work by Monet and van Gogh.
Gustav Klimt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The baroque Belvedere Palace itself is worth visiting to see its magnificent ornamental gardens and the stunning views of Vienna.
Here’s an option for visiting the Belvedere that includes a private guided tour:
The Albertina Museum (#9) is located not far from the Vienna Opera House, and contains the world’s most important graphic collections along with works of art by Monet, Renoir, Chagall, Miro, Magritte, Munch, Picasso, and more.
You can also visit the Albertina – Modern a few blocks away, which is Vienna’s new museum of modern art.
#10: Theater Museum Vienna
I always go out of my way to visit a museum dedicated to theater. My third novel, The Muse of Fire, is set in the theater.
The collection at the Theater Museum (#10) in Vienna includes over 1,000 stage models, 600 costumes, and a lot of props that bring the history of theater in Austria to life. So much to see!
#11: Jewish Museum
Billed as the world’s first Jewish Museum, the Jewish Museum Vienna is the place to learn about Vienna’s Jewish life from the Middle Ages to the present (#11).
The permanent collection showcasing the Jewish community in medieval Vienna is particularly compelling. For two hundred years beginning in the thirteenth century, Vienna was a center of Jewish knowledge and learning. In 1420/21, the members of this first Jewish community were expelled and murdered by order of Duke Albert V. The recent discovery of the remains of the destroyed medieval synagogue drew attention to Vienna’s hitherto largely ignored medieval history.
#12: MAK – Museum of Applied Arts
The MAK Museum (#12) is a “museum for arts and the everyday world.” Its extensive collection focuses on the applied arts and the interface of design, architecture, and contemporary arts.
MAK showcases a special exhibition called « Vienna 1900 » with some of the most illustrious art nouveau designers.
MAK’s permanent collection includes one of the world’s finest collection of lace and glassware, particularly Venetian glass (I’m a sucker for Venetian glass). You’ll also find a collection of textiles and carpets, and lots more.
#13: Wien Museum
I thoroughly enjoyed touring the Wien Museum with its displays showcasing the history and culture of Vienna over the centuries. The museum’s permanent exhibition is called “Vienna. My History” and provides the visitor with a chronological tour of the city — from the first settlement to the present day.
When I was visiting Vienna to research A Woman of Note, I spent a long time in the Wien Museum getting a feel for what life was like in Vienna in the early 19th century.
I found the scale model of Vienna as it looked when it was still enclosed by a wall particularly interesting. In the 19th century, the wall was demolished and replaced with the Ring Road.
Music Museums in Vienna
Vienna is the City of Music and home to an impressive number of the world’s most famous composers–Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Strauss, and Mahler.
And several more composers stopped by to perform, including Chopin, Liszt, Schumann (Robert and Clara), and Brahms.
#14: Pascqualati House
A highlight of my solo trip to Vienna was visiting Pasqualati House (#13) where Beethoven lived and worked for a while. He changed apartments a lot, apparently.
Another good choice of Beethoven lovers (and who isn’t?!) is the Beethoven Museum.
Me in front of Vienna’s Pasqualati House, one of the places where Beethoven lived
#15: The House of Music
Also known as the House of Sound (#14), this celebration of music–particularly classical music (my favorite)–is spine-tinglingly awesome! I could sepnd days here exploring five floors of first-rate, music-themed exhibits.
Try your hand at conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and find out it’s not as easy as it looks!
#16: Mozarthaus Museum
Mozart lived in several houses in the city during his short and tumultuous life. The only one that survives is the Mozarthaus Museum (#15) at Domgasse #5, where he lived from 1784 to 1787.
The museum sprawls over 1,000 square meters on six levels and is a place of pilgrimage for Mozart lovers. Here’s an option for purchasing tickets.
If you enjoy touring museums and have two or more days in Vienna, consider purchasing a Vienna PASS.
You’ll be able to skip the line to popular attractions, get in free to more than 60 attractions, including the Belvedere Palace and St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and ride the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus. It’s a pretty good deal and it saves you time.
Another option is the Vienna City Card.
Another less expensive option is the Vienna Flexi PASS that allows you to customize your itinerary.
One of the great joys of traveling in Europe as an Artsy Traveler is discovering amazing single-artist museums.
By single-artist museum, I mean a museum established to showcase the art of a specific artist, even if the museum also hosts exhibitions by other artists.
In this post, I recommend lesser known single-artist museums in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain.
Map of Europe Showing Museum Locations
The number assigned to each museum in this post corresponds to the number on the map below. For example #1, the Ernst Fuchs Museum is in Vienna (#1 on the map below).
Start in Austria with one of Europe’s weirdest single-artist museums!
If you’re in the mood for quirky and wonderful, then make your way to the Ernst Fuchs Museum in the Wien Hütteldorf, the 14th district of Vienna. You can drive there from central Vienna in about 25 minutes or hop on a bus.
Ernst Fuchs (1930-2015) was an extraordinarily prolific artist who created works infused with eroticism and myth. In the sixties, Fuchs became a style icon and designed architecture, furniture, tapestries, and jewelry. He was a founder of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism and was celebrated internationally.
History of the Ernst Fuchs Museum
Fuchs’s work is displayed in the fabulously restored Wagner House, designed and built in 1888 as a summer house by the renowned Jugendstil architect Otto Wagner. The place is, quite simply, spectacular. Inspired by Palladio, Wagner designed the house in the style of a Roman villa.
Back in the day, the design attracted international attention. The press wrote: “A strange allure is evoked by this peculiar villa . . .Completely deviating from the usual appearance of similar buildings, the frontal view of the house that sits on the flank of a hill only shows a large open hall between two side wings.”
Fuchs bought the villa in 1972 when it was derelict and scheduled for demolition. In two years, he restored the house to its original architectural glory and for many years used the house as his private studio. In 1988, the centenary of the building of the original villa, the Ernst Fuchs Museum opened.
Work of Ernst Fuchs
Fuchs’s work combines the fantastic with elements of the visionary and spiritual, all infused with a healthy dollop of sixties psychedelic and a lot of naked bodies.
You’ll find eroticism everywhere. Even if you’re not a big fan of the work, you will appreciate its complexity and awesome technique. You come away with a new appreciation for the heights made possible by the human imagination.
Although I wasn’t hugely taken by the overly florid and fantastical artworks, I loved the unique architecture, whimsical design elements, gorgeous mosaics, and above all, stunning stained-glass windows.
Images of Ernst Fuchs Museum
I highly recommend a visit to this unique museum that also includes beautifully landscaped gardens. Here are photographs of some of the rooms in the Ernst Fuchs Museum. Source: Ernst Fuchs official website.
Adolf Boehm Salon at the Ernst Fuchs Museum
Grand Salon at the Ernst Fuchs Museum
Roman Bath at the Ernst Fuchs Museum
Explore Ernst Fuchs Museum in 3D
This fantastic website allows you to walk through the museum and use your mouse to zoom in on every painting and design element. It’s one of the best virtual tours I’ve come across.
Visitor Information
The Ernst Fuchs Museum is located at Hüttelbergstraße 26, 1140 Wien and is from from Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Tickets cost €11 for adults and €6 for students and seniors or €8 with the Wiencard. For more information, see the Ernst Fuchs Museum website.
Where to Stay in Vienna
If your budget allows (and Vienna is not an inexpensive city), stay as close to the center as you can afford. Here are some hotels in the center of Vienna with +9 ratings on booking.com that offer good value:
Located in the charming town of Albi in southwest France, the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec is a total treat. If you’re in the area, put it on your list and leave yourself lots of time to tour the extensive collections.
Who is Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec?
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) was a leading French artist famous for capturing the personalities of his subjects in loose, free-flowing lines. Born into a wealthy family in Albi, Toulouse-Lautrec’s interest in art flourished following accidents to his legs in his childhood that incapacitated him and resulted in permanent damage.
In the mid-1880s in Paris, Toulouse-Lautrec began his lifelong association with the bohemian life of the cafés, cabarets, entertainers, and artists in Montmartre.
Henri Toulouse-Lautrec Source: Wikipedia
History of the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec
The Musée Toulouse-Lautrec is housed in the Bishop’s Palace (Palais de la Berbie) next door to Albi Cathedral (also worth a visit). The original palace was built in the 13th-century as a fortress to house the bishops of Albi. The original medieval architecture has been maintained with high, thick walls, and a central courtyard.
Palais de la Berbie in Albi, France (Albi Cathedral to the left)
From the Renaissance to the 18th century, the fortress was transformed into a pleasure palace that included sumptuous state rooms and landscaped formal gardens which you can still visit today.
Overlooking the gardens at the Palais de la Berbie that houses the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi, France
When we visited the museum soon after it opened in the morning, we practically had the place to ourselves.
And it’s huge! Room after room feature the world’s largest public collection of Lautrec’s paintings, lithographs, drawings, and posters. The collection is laid out in chronological order, starting with Toulouse-Lautrec’s early work and leading to the massive posters for which he is most famous.
In addition to exhibiting Toulouse-Lautrec’s work, the museum includes a large collection of art from the early 20th century. You’ll also view a fine collection of art from earlier periods, displayed in the sumptuously restored palace rooms.
A visit to the museum includes access to the palace’s classical gardens and panoramic views over the Tarn River.
View over the Tarn River in Albi, France
Work of Toulouse-Lautrec
I was fascinated with the looseness of Toulouse-Lautrec’s work. He uses freely handled lines and colors to convey the idea of movement and to infuse his subjects with personality. You can imagine meeting the same people on the streets of Paris today.
Here are two of the works you’ll see in the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec. Both pictures are taken from the website of the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec.
“L’anglaise du star au havre” (1899) by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
“Femme qui tire son bras” (1894) by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
You’ll likely recognize several of the posters that were used to advertise the Moulin Rouge and other popular entertainment venues in late-19th-century Paris.
Moulin Rouge: La Goulue (1981) by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec Photo: Wikipedia
Ambassadeurs – Aristide Bruant (1892) by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec Photo: Wikipedia
Visitor Information
Tickets for adults cost €10 and €5 for students. The address for the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec is Palais de la Berbie, Place Sainte-Cécile. Find the cathedral and you’ll find the adjacent palace. Hours vary depending on the time of year, but for most of the year, the museum is open from 10 am to noon and 2 pm to 6 pm. From June 21 to September 30, the museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm.
Both the cathedral and the palace are built from bricks that glow pink in the setting sun.
Albi Cathedral in the setting sun
Where to Stay in Albi
I chose a delightful place called La Cabane Albigeoise that was across the river from Albi but within easy walking distance. The place consists of just one stand-alone cabin on gorgeous grounds overlooking the river.
#3: Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot, France
If you’re staying in the Côte d’Azur, put a visit to this museum on your list of must-sees. As the only museum in the world dedicated to the work of Fernand Léger, this purpose-built museum is truly delightful. You’ll see a fabulous collection of Léger’s paintings, sculptures, drawings, ceramics, and tapestries.
Musée National Fernand Léger Photo Credit: Hans G. Oberlack, Creative Commons
Who is Fernand Léger?
Fernand Léger (1881-1955) was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker known for his bright and colorful work–a personal form of cubism known as “tubism”. He often depicted industrial subjects and objects of the consumer age–an art ‘first’–and is considered the forerunner of the pop art movement.
Léger was born in Argentan in Normandy. I recently read that his childhood home is being turned into a museum. That will definitely be on our itinerary the next time we travel in northern France. Check out the article.
In 1955, not long before his death, Léger purchased a villa on the property upon which the museum now stands. Supervised by his widow, construction of the museum began in 1957 with the museum opening to great fanfare in 1960.
The museum exhibits Léger’s work in chronological order, beginning with his realist early work and progressing to his “tubism” period prior to World War I with its emphasis on cylindrical forms and then to his “mechanical period” that was heavily influenced by his war experiences. The collection includes over 450 pieces.
In addition to the collection inside the museum, you’ll want to linger awhile on the grounds to enjoy Léger’s massive sculptures and especially to view the huge murals that cover the outside of the museum.
If you’re traveling with children, the Léger Museum is an excellent stop.
We first visited the museum when Julia was nine years old. She loved it! I think her appreciation for modern art stems partially from that visit. Mind you, growing up surrounded by her dad’s work also likely played a role!
Work of Fernand Léger
Léger’s work is bright, bold, and beautiful. It’s impossible, I think, to tour this museum and not enjoy yourself. The more you study his work, the more you appreciate it.
Here are two works by Léger. Regrettably, I did not take pictures when I visited the museum, so these photos are from the WikiArt website.
“Contrast of Forms” (1918) by Fernand Léger Source: WikiArt
“The Man with the Cane” (1920) by Fernand Léger Source: WikiArt
Visitor Information
Visit the museum every day except Tuesdays, December 25, January 1, and May 1. From November to April, the museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm, and May to October from 10 am to 6 pm. Tickets cost €7.50. Admission is free on the first Sunday of the month. The museum is located at Chemin du Val de Pome, very close to Biot, a small village in the hills above the Côte d’Azur. If you’re traveling by car, you will find it easily. While you’re in the area, don’t miss several other wonderful museums showcasing the work of other 20th-century modern artists.
Two other single-artist museums—the Marc Chagall National Museum in Nice and the Musée National Pablo Picasso in Vallauris— are, like the Léger Museum, part of the network of French National museums in the Alpes-Maritimes department dedicated to 20th-century artists.
Where to Stay in Biot
Biot is a small town in the midst of many towns that make up the French Riviera. You can homebase in a nearby town such as Cannes, Nice, or Antibes and if you have a car, easily tootle around the various museums that make this area of France a true Artsy Traveler haven.
On the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence (one of my favorite towns in the south of France), you’ll find the impressive and undervisited Fondation Vasarely. The museum showcases the massive artworks of Victor Vasarely, a Hungarian-French artist (1906-1997) considered the grandfather and leader of the op art movement.
Fondation Vasarely near Aix-en-Provence, France
Who is Victor Vasarely?
Victor Vasarely (1906-1997) was a French-Hungarian artist who used colorful geometric shapes to create compelling 3D optical illusions.
After settling in Paris in 1930, Vasarely experimented with Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism in the 1940s, then developed his hallmark checkerboard paintings.
Victor Vasarely Source: Wikipedia
History of the Fondation Vasarely
The Fondation Vasarely was opened in 1976 by French president Georges Pompidou.
Each of the seven hexagonal galleries contains six monumental works of art. On our most recent trip there in 2018, some of the artworks were in need of restoration, which is a shame.
Help support the continuation of this stunning museum by paying it a visit when you’re in the area.
Visiting here is like walking through posters from the swinging sixties, which is hardly surprising since the 3D optical illusions that characterize Vasarely’s work have graced the dorm rooms of students for decades.
Work of Victor Vasarely
Here are some of the massive pieces you’ll see at the Fondation Vasarely.
Visitor Information
Located at 1, Avenue Marcel Pagnol on the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence, the distinctive museum is easy to find. Admission is €9 for adults. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm.
Where to Stay in Aix-en-Provence
You can choose stay stay in Aix-en-Provence itself and enjoy strolling the famous Cours Mirabeau, or choose a place a little ways out of town in the charming Provencal countryside. The Bastide de Damien fits the bill for a country choice.
#5: Max Ernst Museum near Cologne, Germany
The stylish Max Ernst Museum is located in Brühl, about a twenty-minute drive from Cologne on the way to Bonn. For Gregg, a visit there on a recent trip to the area was akin to a pilgrimage. Gregg has been a fan of surrealist Max Ernst for decades—pretty much since he first became an artist himself.
Gregg outside the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl near Cologne, Germany
Who is Max Ernst?
Max Ernst (1891-1976) was born in Germany and became a naturalised American in 1948 and a French citizen in 1958. He was a painter, sculptor, graphic artist, collagist, and poet, a pioneer of the Dada movement, and a member of the surrealist group.
Towards the end of his life, Max Ernst, along with his wife, noted painter Dorothea Tanning, moved to the charming village of Seillans in the Var region of Provence. We spent two weeks in Seillans in July 2019 where Gregg had an exhibition in a space close to where Ernst and Tanning lived.
The museum features a marvelous collection of Ernst’s work displayed in a thoughtfully renovated space. A modern glass pavilion is integrated into the horseshoe floor plan of the late-classicist Brühler Pavillon, a popular ballroom and social venue that was erected in 1844 and that Max Ernst himself visited in his youth.
Stylishly renovated Max Ernst Museum in Brühl, Germany Photo: Max Ernst Museum Website
You’ll find an extensive collection of paintings, drawings, frottages, collages, and sculptures spanning over 70 years of Ernst’s influential career, including his time in Brühl and Bonn, his Dadaist activities in the Rhineland, his contributions to the Surrealist movement in France, his exile in the United States during WWII, and finally his return to Europe in 1953.
I especially loved the sculptures on the grounds of the museum.
Work of Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a fabulously prolific artist with work that is detailed and complex and wholly distinctive. Here’s a selection of some of my favorite works by Max Ernst. Pictures are all from the max-ernst.com website.
The museum is located at Comesstraße 42 / Max-Ernst-Allee 1, 50321 Brühl and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. At present (May, 2020), admission to the museum is free. For current information, check the museum website.
Where to Stay in Cologne
I recommend the Hotel Drei Kronen which is very close the Rhine right in the center of Cologne within walking distance of pretty much everything you’d want to see, including the marvelous cathedral.
#6: René Magritte Museum in Brussels, Belgium
The full name of the museum is the René Magritte Museum – Museum of Abstract Art, a double museum dedicated to Surrealism and Abstraction. Now that’s a double bill I can get behind.
On a recent short visit to Brussels, we made a beeline for the Magritte Museum and were not disappointed. As one of the most iconic figures in the surrealist movement, René Magritte deserves his own museum, and this one is first rate.
Who is René Magritte?
René Magritte (1898-1967) was a Belgian artist and probably one of the best-known surrealists after Salvador Dali. Back in the 1970s, I had a poster of his iconic painting of a massive dove called “The Large Family” on the wall of my student dorm–and I was not the only one.
In the 1920s, Magritte moved to Paris from Belgium and became involved with André Breton and the Surrealist group, of which he was a leading member. He exhibited in 1929 with several of the leading surrealists of the time, including Salvador Dalí, Jean Arp, de Chirico, Max Ernst, Joan Miró, Picabia, Picasso, and Yves Tanguy.
In 1930, Magritte returned to Brussels and continued painting there until his death. His imagery has heavily influenced pop, minimalist, and conceptual art.
The museum is relatively new, opened in 1999 shortly after Magritte’s one hundredth birthday. It’s built inside a house that Magritte lived in with his wife and includes an adjoining building that was renovated to showcase 250 masterpieces of Belgian abstract art.
You’ll tour the reconstruction of Magritte’s apartment on the ground floor and then view artworks from a collection that includes over 400 archive documents, photos, and objects, as well as 30 original works. You won’t see some of his most famous works, but you will get a good overview of Magritte’s development.
We loved it!
Work of René Magritte
Magritte’s work is endlessly fascinating–both for its meticulous technique and for its subject matter. Bowler hats, floating rocks, figures that are half animal/half people, and strange juxtapositions of everyday logic. When you tour the museum, you never know what you’re going to see around the next dimly lit corner.
Take your time and enjoy! Here are some of Magritte’s the works from the collection. Photos are all from the Magritte Museum pages on the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium website (Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique)
L’empire des lumières by René Magritte Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns – Art PhotographyLe Domaine d’Arnheim (1962) by René Magritte – Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns – Art Photography
La magie noire (1945) by René Magritte Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns – Art PhotographyGolconde (1953) by René Magritte – Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : J. Geleyns – Art Photography
Visitor Information
Located at Place Royale, Koningsplein 1 in Brussels, admission to the museum is €10 for adults, €8 for seniors, and €3 for students. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and weekends from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Check the website for up-to-date information.
Where to Stay in Brussels
If you’re driving, I recommend the stylish Thon Hotel Bristol Stephanie on the Avenue Louise, just steps from Louise Metro. I stayed there one rainy night in October and wished I could have stayed much longer!
#7: Museo Sorolla in Madrid by Guest Poster Liz Reding
This description of the Sorolla Museum is written by guest poster Liz Reding. She and her husband visited in March, 2020, days before the museum closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Liz Reding: My husband and I have been admirers of the paintings of Joaquín Sorolla for many years, so on our recent trip to Madrid, a visit to the Museo Sorolla was top of our list.
Who is Joaquín Sorolla?
Born in Valencia, Spain, JoaquínSorolla y Bastida (1863-1923) received his art education in Madrid, Rome, and Paris and was a contemporary of Picasso, Matisse, John Singer Sargent, and Andreas Zorn. He and his wife, Clotilde, had three children.
He painted portraits, landscapes, and monumental works depicting social and historical themes.
The Museo Sorolla is located in the home that Sorolla shared with his family, and is considered one of the best-preserved artist houses in Europe. The collection of more than 1,200 pieces is displayed along with the house’s original furniture and objects.
The house is surrounded by a delightful garden, a real oasis from the rumble of the cars and buses just outside the gate.
Garden at the Museo Sorolla in Madrid, Spain Photo Credit: Liz Reding
By urban standards, this museum is relatively small, but packed with dozens of gorgeous paintings, as well as sculptures, sketches, photographs, water colors, and writings.
One noteworthy feature of this museum is that all the works are expertly hung and well lit. Most of the viewing rooms have deep colors that enhance the paintings with light-diffusing devices, such as a window shade or ceiling tapestry. What a pleasure!
Interior of the Museo Sorolla in Madrid, Spain Photo Credit: Liz Reding
Work of Joaquín Sorolla
Sorolla’s wife and children are featured in a significant number of Sorolla’s paintings, and his love and admiration for them clearly shows. In addition, Sorolla painted many portraits of important people, including U. S. President Taft, and is known for his masterful handling of light, as evidenced by his many beach-scene paintings.
Here are two of Sorolla’s works exhibited at the Museo Sorolla.
Painting by Joaquín Sorolla at the Museo Sorolla, Madrid Photo credit: Liz Reding
Painting by Joaquín Sorolla at the Museo Sorolla, Madrid Photo credit: Liz Reding
Visitor Information
Located at Paseo General Martínez Campos, 37, the Museo Sorolla is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 am to 8:00 pm and on Sundays and holidays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Tickets cost €3.
Where to Stay in Madrid
I highly recommend the Apartosuites Jardines de Sabatini, particularly if you are driving because it’s just on the edge of the traffic limited zone but still within walking distance of just about everywhere you’ll want to go in Madrid.
Other Single-Artist Museums in Europe
I wish I could say that I’ve visited all the single-artist museums that I’d like to in Europe, but not yet!
Here are just some of the museums I look forward to visiting in the next few years. If you’ve been to any of them, add a comment to let other Artsy Travelers know what you think!
Fondation Jean Dubuffet
Located in Périgny-sur-Yerres in the department of Val-de-Marne, the Dubuffet Foundation includes paintings and massive outdoor sculptures by Jean Dubuffet. Many years ago, we went there only to find it closed, but we did manage to peek through the fence! It looked amazing!
Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland
I’m a big fan of the work of Paul Klee and have his museum on my list for the next time we drive through Switzerland. Check the website for details.
Franz Marc Museum in Kochel, Germany
A modern extension has extended the exhibition space of this beautifully-situated museum, It overlooks a lake near the little town of Kochel in Bavaria, about an hour west of Munich. Franz Marc’s colorful work makes me smile. Check the website for details.
Conclusion
Have you visited any of the museums listed in this post? If so, let Artsy Traveler readers know what you think.
To keep reading about art in Europe, check out these posts:
Are you a fan of modern art? If so, then you’ll find plenty of art thrills in Europe, where some of the best modern art and contemporary art museums in the world are located.
In this post, I’ve chosen mostly large modern art museums in Europe that feature a variety of artists, mostly from the 20th century, and modern art museums in Europe have collections that span the decades.
My focus is on modern art so you won’t find museums like the Prado and the Louvre in this post. But you will find the Pompidou, the Guggenheim Bilbao and the Tate Modern!
As a life-long lover of modern art (check out my husband Gregg Simpson’s art and you’ll see why!), I’m a bit of a kid in a candy store when it comes to finding awesome modern art museums in Europe.
You’ll be spoiled for choice!
Highlights at a Glance
The iconic architecture of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in Spain’s evocative Basque Country
Picasso’s Guernica at the Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain–so much more powerful in person than in reproductions
The stunning outdoor art installations at the Kröller-Müller Museum near Otterlo in the Netherlands
The collection of 20th century modern masters on the 4th floor of the Pompidou in Paris
The location and ambiance of the Fondation Maeght in the hills above the French Riviera near the delightful village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Check for Exhibitions
Modern art museums in Europe often host temporary exhibitions showcasing the best of contemporary art.
Before you set off for Europe, take some time to check for special exhibitions in the places you’re visiting. Many times, I’ve changed my itinerary on the fly to catch an exhibition before it closes or to take in one at its start.
One of the great pleasures of traveling is switching gears halfway through a trip—to zig when you planned to zag. Stay open to possibilities when you travel. Often, you’ll meet someone who’ll tell you about a must-see art museum that you’ve never heard of.
On a recent trip to Porto in Portugal, we were told about a special exhibition of the work of M. C. Escher. What a treat! We never would have known about it because of its location in an exhibition space rather than a museum.
Chat with servers at dinner and strike up a conversation with other travelers you meet on the train or at your hotel. People love to share recommendations!
Modern Art Focus
As I mentioned earlier, this post focuses only on modern art museums in Europe that have significant and varied modern artcollections.
What do I mean by modern art? I’m a huge fan of 20th-century art from about the turn of the century to the 1960s. I also appreciate some (not all) of the contemporary art created post-1960.
Most of the art museums covered in this post primarily exhibit traditional modern art. That sounds like an oxymoron, but if you’re an art fan, you’ll know what I mean!
Modern art—as distinct from contemporary art—encompasses the work of a slew of big names. These include Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Henri Matisse, Georgia O’Keeffe, Rene Magritte… the list goes on and on and on.
In this post, I list only modern art museums in Europe that feature works by modern masters in their permanent collections.
Map of Modern Art Museums in Europe
From the Louvre to the Tate Modern, the modern art museums in Europe are vast and varied.
Here are the locations of all the modern art museums covered in the post–from Bilbao (#1) in Spain to the Tate St. Ives (#12) in Cornwall, England.
Although not included in this post, another excellent modern art museum well worth a visit is the Ludwig Museum in Cologne. For more about this museum check out my post Cologne’s Museum Ludwig: Best Bet for Modern Art Lovers
Bilbao, Spain: The Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (#1 on the map) is worth the hype and worth the trip. Located in the Basque region of northeast Spain, Bilbao isn’t on the beaten tourist path.
But please, if you’re in northern Spain and within striking distance of Bilbao, find the time to spend a night there so you can spend a few hours exploring the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was built to revive the failing industrial city. How marvelous that the city bigwigs used art to pull their city out of the economic doldrums and place it firmly on the world cultural map.
The move was bold, even audacious, but it’s paid off spectacularly, thanks to Frank Gehry’s spectacular structure.
Now the Guggenheim Bilbao shows up in just about every Top Ten list of modern art museums worldwide.
Exterior of the Guggenheim Bilbao
The exterior of the Guggenheim Bilbao plays a major role in its appeal to art lovers. Stroll around outside the building to see the many amazing sculptures.
Most notable are Tall Trees and The Eye by Anish Kapoor, the massive spider Maman by Louise Bourgeois, and the wildly popular Puppy by Jeff Koons.
I defy anyone to stand in front of Puppy and not smile. He is adorable. That is, if a 43-foot tall, flower-encrusted West Highland Terrier can be called adorable.
The museum’s interior is as compelling as its exterior.
On one of my two visits to Bilbao, I was lucky to catch a major exhibition of recent landscapes by David Hockney. The massive galleries and thoughtful curatorial choices made the exhibition one of my favorites, which is saying something.
I was also taken with the massive installations by Frank Serra.
The whole complex with its gorgeous setting on the Nervion River really is miraculous. The museum attracts over 20 million visitors annually.
Now, that’s an art success story!
Exhibitions at the Guggenheim Bilbao change frequently, so check what’s on and then plan your visit accordingly. You won’t regret devoting time to exploring the Basque region of Spain.
Practical Information for the Guggenheim Bilbao
Guggenheim Bilbao is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm. It’s closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Museum admission currently costs €15 for adults, €7.5 for seniors (65+) and students. Youths under 18 and Museum members are admitted free. The website has the latest rates.
Tours of the Guggenheim Bilbao
A great way to see the Guggenheim Bilbao is on a private tour if you have the spare funds, or a small group tour for the more budget-conscious. Modern art is sometimes not so easy to understand, and having a guide can really help you make sense of what you’re looking at.
You’ll also learn a lot about the stunning architecture and permanent installations such as Puppy and Maman. Here’s a guided tour offered through GetYourGuide.
Where to Stay in Bilbao
On both my trips to Bilbao, I stayed in excellent four-star hotels. Both were within walking distance of the Guggenheim Bilbao.
Catalonia Gran Vía Bilbao: In downtown Bilbao, this place is truly lovely with a very friendly staff and a good location for exploring more of Bilbao beyond the Guggenheim.
Hotel Meliá Bilbao: Situated right on the river, the modern hotel has all the amenities and is fairly easy to drive to.
Bratislava, Slovakia: Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum
Situated on the Danube as the name suggests and about 20 kilometers from Bratislava in the Slovak Republic, the Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum is billed as “one of the most romantic museums of modern art in Europe”.
The museum, opened in 2000, was founded by Gerard Meulensteen of Eindhoven, a Dutch collector and art patron, and Slovak gallerist Vincent Polakovič.
The collection includes works by artists from the experimental CoBrA group in the Netherlands, such as Karel Appel and Eugen Brands . Also included are works by Sam Francis, Christo, Corneille, Pierre Alechinsky, and others.
Plenty of quirky and colorful outdoor sculptures along with the dramatic setting on the Danube make this museum a must-see if you’re traveling to Bratislava.
Practical Information for the Danubiana Meluensteen Art Museum
Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Museum admission currently costs €10 for adults, €5 for seniors (62+) and students. Children under 6, seniors (75+) and Museum members are admitted free. The website has the latest rates.
Where to Stay in Bratislava
The Danubiana Museum is a few kilometers up river from Bratislava itself where you’ll find these two hotels. Both are located in historic buildings and highly rated.
Marrol’s Boutique Hotel: Located in Bratislava city center, this hotel is rated 5-star, but the price is more like a 3-star. It looks amazing!
Arcadia Boutique Hotel: Centrally located in a 13th-century building in Bratislava’s Old Town. Rooms include antique furniture.
London, England: Tate Modern
I’ve visited the Tate Modern in London a few times and have mixed feelings about it, to be honest! It’s a monumental place and a huge accomplishment from an architectural perspective.
I mean, seriously—a power station?
It’s pretty darned amazing that the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron could convert the Bankside power station into an art gallery and still keep much of the building’s original character.
View of the Tate Modern from the Thames in London, England
However, I can’t say that I loved—or even liked—all the art exhibited in the Tate Modern. Several exhibits comprise contemporary and installation art, most of which was kind of hit or miss, in my opinion.
However, the special exhibitions can be worthwhile. I saw a wonderful retrospective of the work of American artist Georgia O’Keeffe on one visit, and an exhibition of international surrealism on another visit. My husband, Gregg Simpson, was honored to be included in the catalog for the latter exhibition.
Location of the Tate Modern
The location of the Tate Modern on the south side of the Thames, right across the new Millennium Bridge from St. Paul’s Cathedral, is a selling point. You can see the Tate Modern in the morning and then stroll across the bridge and visit St. Paul’s and the City in the afternoon.
You can also take in two Tates in a day. A good strategy is to start at the Tate Britain upriver. Check out the paintings by William Blake and some of the best works by the pre-Raphaelites. Then, hop on the Tate Boat at Millbank Pier and sail downriver to Bankside Pier to see the Tate Modern.
The Tate Boat runs every twenty to thirty minutes along the Thames.
And if you happen be down in St. Ives in Cornwall, don’t miss the Tate St. Ives.
Practical Information for the Tate Modern
Tate Modern is open daily from 10 am – 6 pm and the admission is free.
Tours of the Tate Modern
Why not take a tour of the Tate Modern with an expert guide? You’ll learn about the history and architecture of the gallery along with highlights of the collection. Here’s a guided tour offered through GetYourGuide:
I always stay around the West End so I’m within walking distance of the theaters, Trafalgar Square and two of my favorite art museums–the National Gallery and the Courtauld.
Here are three places I’ve stayed in that I recommend and that won’t break the bank (and are still four-star and comfy):
Wilde Aparthotel Covent Garden: Located steps from the Strand in the center of the action, the Wilde Aparthotel Covent Garden is an excellent choice. I even wrote a whole post about my stay there!
The Cavendish near Green Park is in a posh area and close to just about everything. When I stayed there, I was able to walk or take a bus everywhere I wanted to go. I didn’t once need to take the Tube!
Park Plaza Victoria London Hotel is located right across the street from Victoria Station and is a remarkably good deal for a modern, four-star hotel in the heart of London.
Madrid, Spain: Reina Sofia
The Reina Sofia is home to one of the most famous paintings of the 20th century—Guernica by Pablo Picasso.
You’ve likely seen Guernica many times in reproduction. However, seeing the “real thing” is a different story.
The massive mural in the Reina Sofía has pride of place in a room of its own. You can sense how enraged Picasso must have felt as he painted it.
Its graphic depiction of the bombing of the old Basque city of Gernika in April 1937 has become an iconic image of the brutality of war.
Outdoor reproduction of Guernica by Picasso / Image by Almudena Sanz from Pixabay
As one of the premier modern art museums in Europe, the Reina Sofia combines a modern area with the arched hallways and barred windows of an old hospital. In several rooms, films representing specific 20th-century periods are running. Most are silent-era films, which makes following them a lot easier if your Spanish is minimal.
Included in the Reina Sofia are masterpieces by Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, and Juan Gris, as well as a collection of over 22,400 works divided into three sections titled: The Irruption of the 20th Century: Utopia and Conflict (1900-1945), Is the War Over? Art in a Divided World (1945-1968), and From Revolt to Postmodernity (1962-1982).
Visiting the Reina Sofía
The museum is located on the Art Walk (Paseo del Arte)—a one-kilometer stretch that also includes the must-see Prado Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
Reina Sofia is open from daily except Tuesdays from 10 am to 9 pm (Sundays until 2:30 pm). Museum admission currently costs €12. The website has the latest rates.
Tours of the Reina Sofia
Explore the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Spain’s national museum of 20th-century art, on a guided tour and learn about the diverse collection.
Stay as close to the centro as you can in Madrid. Largely traffic free, the centro is full of narrow streets and grand plazas, and not too far from Madrid’s three big museums, including the Reina Sofia.
ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini: I stayed here for two weeks and loved it! The location right across the street from the Royal Palace puts it about a ten minute walk from the centro, but still outside the traffic limited zone so you can drive there and park in the parking lot right next door. The staff are wonderful and the one-bedroom apartments are spacious and comfortable.
nQn Aparts & Suites Madrid: This place is even closer to the city center within steps of the Plaza Mayor.
Munich, Germany: Pinakothek der Moderne
The Pinakothek der Modern in central Munich is one of three Pinakotheks in Munich’s Kunstareal (art district).
The museum features an excellent collection of the works of German Expressionist artists. In addition, you’ll find works by modern masters, including Picasso, Miró, Kandinsky, Klee, and Marc.
Other exhibits are related to form and function in a section that features modern industrial design and manufacture, furniture, and appliances.
On Sundays, the admission price is significantly discounted—at least it was when I visited. After strolling through the galleries, stop by the café.
Practical Information for the Pinakothek der Moderne
Pinakothek der Moderne is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm (Thursdays to 8 pm). Museum admission currently costs €10 for adults, €7 for seniors (65+) and students. Youths under 18 are admitted free. The website has the latest rates.
Interesting Art Tour in Munich
After touring the Pinakothek der Moderne, keep the art juices flowing by taking this intriguing-looking street art bike tour with GetYourGuide. There’s a lively street art scene in Munich, a city that pioneered the graffiti movement in Germany in the 1980s.
Boutique Hotel Splendid: Located in the center of Munich within easy walking distance of many attractions. Comfortable rooms.
Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor by Hyatt: This is a bit of a splurge, but its location next to the English Garden is great if you’re looking for a stroll in nature after touring Munich’s museums. The buffet breakfast here was the most opulent I’ve ever seen.
To say that the Kröller-Müller blew me away on my first visit would be an understatement. Fresh off the plane from Canada, I’d seen nothing like it in my suburban, middle-class life.
The Kröller-Müller Museum is light, airy, and filled with famous works by van Gogh and a load of other great painters.
Even better, the museum is smack in the middle of the Dutch National Park. This amazing park teems with deer, rolling sand hills, intriguing forests, and miles of bike paths.
Visiting the Kröller-Müller Museum
When I revisited the museum with Gregg recently, I was thrilled to discover that the Kröller-Müller and the park were as awesome as I remembered.
Everything about the place is perfect!
The museum includes dozens of paintings by van Gogh, room after room of other greats from the 19th and early 20th centuries, a massive sculpture garden, and even a bustling outdoor café with excellent food.
The word that comes to mind when touring the sculpture garden is serendipity. The sculptures are modern and diverse and often positioned in unexpected places.
Every turn of a pathway through forests and across green clipped lawns reveals yet another vista and another sculpture—stone or wood or marble, some moving, some static, some aesthetically stunning, some quirky, a few ugly, and yet all perfect.
Floating sculpture on the grounds of the Kröller-Müller Museum in the Netherlands
Getting to the Kröller-Müller Museum
If you’re a fan of van Gogh and modern sculpture but haven’t visited the Kröller-Müller, then go.
Take a day tour from Amsterdam, or better, drive and stay a few days in the area. Gregg and I combined our visit to the Kröller-Müller with a bike ride around a portion of the 55-square-kilometer national park.
Explore a remarkably varied landscape that includes stunningly beautiful forests, heathlands, and sand dunes. You’ll spot impressively antlered deer, wild boar, foxes, sheep, and more.
Red deer stag in the Dutch National Park at Hoge Veluwe
Practical Information for the Kröller-Müller Museum
Kröller-Müller Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. Museum admission currently costs €13.50 for adults, €6.75 for youths (13 – 18). Children under 12 are admitted free. The website has the latest rates. Plaese note that the museum is located in the middle of De Hoge Veluwe National Park. Therefore, you also have to buy a ticket for the park that costs €13.40 for age 13 and older, and €6.70 for ages 6 -12.
Tour to the Kröller-Müller from Amsterdam
This full-day tour is a great option if you don’t have your own transport. The tour goes from Amsterdam and includes time to explore the awesome Hoge Veluwe National Park.
The Kröller-Müller Museum is in a lovely rural area of the Netherlands. You can choose to stay near the museum or in nearby Arnhem. Here’s the place I stayed in:
Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant De Buunderkamp: This place is nestled in the woods not far from the Kröller-Müller Museum. Rooms are spacious and there’s an indoor pool. You can even rent bikes to explore the area, which we did and it was gorgeous!
Paris, France: Centre Pompidou
My most recent experience with the Pompidou Center (one of my absolute favorite modern art museums in Europe) was fraught with pure terror.
Gregg and I were trying to find an art gallery on an obscure side street that even Google Maps couldn’t find. The gallery was hosting an exhibition of Gregg’s work, so finding the gallery was a matter of some urgency.
I directed Gregg to turn down what I trusted was the right street. He drove a short block over cobblestones to emerge into a wide, pedestrian-only space that butted up against the back end of the massive Pompidou Center.
Mon Dieu!
I looked up at the crazy exoskeleton of pipes and glass that had horrified Parisians when it was first built and yelled a few choice curses into my phone. The Google Maps lady was not impressed. She continued to insist that we drive across the square.
Exterior of the Pompidou Center in Paris
Luckily, the space was relatively empty of people (a rare event) so Gregg was able to execute a hasty U-turn and head smartly down the correct street. The only problem was that the street was one-way, and we were barreling down it the wrong way.
Fortunately, we found the gallery without having a head-on collision. A few hours later, after unloading the paintings and hanging the show, we were swanning about the vernissage (the opening), champagne glasses in hand.
Phew!
Visiting the Centre Pompidou
Every time we visit Paris, we make a beeline for the Pompidou. Its special exhibitions are almost always excellent.
UPDATE: The Centre Pompidou is currently closed for renovations set to last for several years. You can still take advantage of the Constellation Program that features exhibitions in venues around Paris. Check the Pompidou website for details.
The best thing about the Pompidou (before is temporary closure) is the collection on the legendary fourth floor. I don’t know where the collection will be housed when the Pompidou reopens, but I’m pretty sure it will still be a veritable “who’s who” of early 20th-century modern art.
All the most famous names are represented. Look forward to the day when you can again stroll through the rooms picking out your favorites and reveling in the glorious mishmash of colors and forms that characterize 20th-century modern art.
After sighing your way around the art, take the escalator to the rooftop to relish one of the best views of the Paris skyline.
Practical Information for the Pompidou Center
Centre Pompidou is currently closed for renovation. The website has the details.
Where to Stay in Paris
I favor staying on the Left Bank when I’m in Paris, preferably Saint Germain, although that area is getting pretty expensive. In Paris, an apartment or aparthotel may be your best bet. Hotel rooms tend to be very small.
Here are three of my recommendations for places to stay in Paris on the Left Bank.
Hotel de L’Université: I love the location of this boutique hotel–close to Boulevard Saint Germain and the Seine but a bit removed from the busiest areas of Saint Germain. Rooms are quite spacious (for Paris) and the old beams in the ceiling are a nice touch.
Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Prés: This aparthotel is part of the Citadines chain and is good value considering the excellent location right on the Seine in the 6th arrondisement. I’ve stayed here twice over the past two years.
Le Clos Medicis: Located very close to the Jardin du Luxembourg, this charming boutique hotel has attractive rooms and a very comfy lobby.
Rome, Italy: National Gallery of Modern Art
Rome’s National Gallery of Modern Art (Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna) is conveniently located on the edge of the Borghese Gardens, surely one of Europe’s most beguiling parks.
View of the Temple of Asclepius at Villa Borghese Gardens in Rome
The gallery features an excellent collection of 20th-century Italian painters, including Giorgio de Chirico (a particular favorite), Amedeo Modigliani, Antonio Canova, Giacomo Balla, and Giorgio Morandi.
You’ll also find works by Rodin, Degas, van Gogh, Monet, Duchamp, Man Ray, and Pollock.
Unlike the Vatican and the other Renaissance and ancient Roman attractions of Rome, the National Gallery of Modern Art is sparsely attended and therefore extremely pleasant.
After your visit, stroll along the shaded pathways of the Borghese Gardens.
Practical Information for the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome
National Gallery of Modern Art is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 7 pm. The admission currently costs €10.
Tour of the Borghese Gallery
The very popular Borghese Gallery is close by. Here’s an option that inclues a guided tour with your tickets. The Borghese is well worth a visit, and houses one of my favorite Baroque sculptures by Bernini.
I favor staying in apartments when in Rome because I’m usually staying at least a week. Here are three of the apartments I’ve stayed in that provided excellent value in great locations:
Monti Apartments: This centrally located place is not far from the Colosseum and close to a charming old neighborhood with lots of small restaurants and quiet side streets. The apartment is spacious, well-equipped, and excellent value. Staff are on hand during the day and the apartment has an elevator.
Viam 16b Suites: I loved this place! It’s located on a tiny side street close to the Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps in an upscale area of Rome. Unlike many apartments in Rome, the Viam 16b Suites is staffed during the day. Our suite included an outdoor terrace.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France: Fondation Maeght
The Fondation Maeght makes just about every list of must-see art museums in Europe. While not the largest modern art museum in Europe, the Maeght is one of the most respected and also the most beautifully situated.
On the grounds of the fabulous Fondation Maeght in the south of France
I can’t say that every exhibition we’ve seen at the Fondation Maeght has been great. However, you still ought to visit if you’re in the area. When the exhibitions are good, they are extremely good.
The Fondation Maeght is a private foundation that was conceived and funded by Aimé and Marguerite Maeght to exhibit modern art. The Maeghts had several artist friends, including Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Alberto Giacometti, Fernand Léger, and Joan Miró, who from the get-go donated or sold their work to the Foundation.
As Miró emphasized, the Fondation Maeght “…must before all be a place for art that remains alive.”
Visiting the Fondation Maeght
We first visited the Fondation Maeght in the 1990s during our first family trip to Europe with our young daughter. It was love at first sight!
Highlights include the giant sculptures by so many of the great 20th-century modern artists, including Miró, Giacometti, Arp, and Calder; spectacular views across the hills of the Riviera to the turquoise Mediterranean; and an airy modernist gallery.
You can visit the Fondation Maeght on a tour, but you’d be best off spending at least a few nights exploring the area and visiting the Maeght for a few hours at the beginning or end of the day when the light is best for photography.
Practical Information for the Fondation Maeght
Fondation Maeght is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm (July and Augusut to 7pm). The admission currently costs €18 for adults, €14 for youths (16 – 18), students, press and unemployed visitors. Children under 16 and disabled visitors are admitted free. The website has the latest rates.
Tour of Medieval Villages
If you don’t have a car, this tour of medieval villages that goes from Nice stops in Saint-Paul-de Vence for 1.5 hours, which is enough time for a flying visit to the Fondation Maeght.
The village of Saint Paul-de-Vence has been well and truly discovered and accommodations there are not budget-friendly. Here are two options:
Le Hameau: Located in an 18th-century farmhouse with a view of the valley and the village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, this place is close to the Fondation and includes a gorgeous pool
Hotel Marc-Hely: Located a few kilometers away in La Colle-sur-Loup, this comfortable hotel room included a balcony and very friendly properietors.
Venice, Italy: Peggy Guggenheim Collection
If I were to pick a favorite modern art museum from this Must-See list, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice would rank in the top three.
Located right smack on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro district of magical Venice between Santa Maria della Salute and the Gallerie dell’Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection just makes me smile. I can’t visit it often enough!
Carol next to a statue of a horse in front of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice.
The museum houses Peggy Guggenheim’s personal collection of 20th-century art, including masterpieces of cubism, surrealism, and abstract expressionism.
Gregg is a huge fan of Max Ernst,to whom Peggy was married for a time. Several of Ernst’s marvelous paintings are featured in the collection. Other artists in the permanent collection include Picasso, Kandinsky, Miró, Braque, Giacometti, Klee, Magritte, Dali, Pollock, de Chirico, Brancusi, Braque, Duchamp, and Mondrian.
It really is an embarrassment of 20th-century riches.
If you’re in Venice, take a break from the Renaissance and cross the canal to visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Wander the cool halls of her renovated palazzo to view the paintings and sculptures, then descend the steps to the edge of the canal and watch the boats go by.
Venice panorama city skyline at Venice Grand Canal, Venice Italy
Practical Information for the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Peggy Guggenheim Collection is open daily except Tuesdays from 10 am to 6 pm. The admission currently costs €16 for adults, €14 for seniors (70+), €9 for students under 26. Members and children under 10 are admitted free. The website has the latest rates.
Art Tour in the Dorsoduro
This private art and culture tour includes both the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the wonderful collection of Venetian art at the Accademia.
Venice is expensive, but splurge and stay in a central area of this remarkable city rather than in nearby Mestre. Venice at night is the best. Streets that are thronged during the day become dark and empty and you’re bound to get lost on your back back to your accommodations. But you’re on an island and eventually you’ll find your way through alleyways that look like they haven’t changed in centuries, which is pretty much the case.
San Teodoro Palace: This one-bedroom apartment is huge by Venice standards and located steps from the Rialto Bridge in a very lively and touristy area.
Ca’ Mirò: Settle into this two-floor apartment in a quiet area of Venice not far from the train station and become a temporary Venetian. It’s gorgeous.
Another option if you’ve visited Venice before and are looking for some peace and quiet, is to stay on the island of Murano. I recently did just that. Here’s my post with recommendations for what to do and where to stay: Choose Murano For a Unique Venetian Experience
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Near Copenhagen, Denmark
The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (#11 on the map at the top of this post) is about a 30-minute train ride north of Copenhagen. It’s world-renowned as one of Europe’s best modern art museums, and therefore a must-visit for the Artsy Traveler!
Check what exhibitions are on, but even if they don’t appeal, visit the museum anyway. It makes for a lovely morning out from Copenhagen. You reach it by train (covered by the Copenhagen Card) followed by a pleasant 20-minute stroll along a suburban road to the museum.
After visiting the exhibitions, head outside where the real stars of the museum are located.
Sculpture at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art near Copenhagen, Denmark
Practical Information for the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is open from 11 am to 10 pm on Tuesdays to Fridays and 11 am to 6 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The admission currently costs DKK 145 for adults, DKK 125 for students. Louisiana members and youths under 18 are admitted free. The website has the latest rates.
Day Tour from Copenhagen
Here’s a private day tour to Louisiana Museum of Modern Art from Copenhagen with Viator, or on another day, consider this day trip from Copenhagen with GetYourGuide to three interesting destinatoins outside Copenhagen: Kronborg, Frederiksborg Castle and Roskilde:
Here are two recommended places to stay in Copenhagen, both in the atmospheric Nyhavn area.
Sanders Haven: This huge apartment is one of the best places I’ve stayed anywhere in Europe (which is saying something). If it’s available, book it!
Phoenix Copenhagen: A stylishly upscale hotel in the Nyhavn area with friendly staff.
Tate St. Ives in Cornwall, England
The Tate St. Ives (#12) is a delightfully compact and easy-to-tour museum overlooking the sea in lovely little St. Ives. I visited on a recent trip to Cornwall, and was lucky to sit in on two curator talks about local artist Robert Lanyon. Here’s one of his pieces.
Lost Mine by Peter Lanyon
Practical Information for Tate St. Ives
Tate St. Ives is open daily from 10 am to 4:20 pm. The admission currently costs £13.50 and visitors aged under 18 is admitted free. The website has the latest rates.
Entry to the Barbara Hepworth Museum
A few minutes’ walk from the tate St. Ives is the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden. This place is well worth a visit if you’re a fan of world renowned sculptor Barbara Hepworth. Here’s a link to tickets to the site.
Tregenna Castle Resort: Why not stay in a castle! This place is about a kilometer from St. Ives and overlooks the Cornish coast. It even has a heated indoor swimming pool and an outdoor seasonal heated swimming pool.
Sightseeing Tips
I highly recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time when you’re traveling in Europe. Major art museums are increasingly crowded, with long lines that sap your sightseeing energy. Who can enjoy art after standing for an hour under the hot sun waiting to buy tickets?
By purchasing your tickets in advance, you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast before strolling straight into the museum past the long lines of tourists who did not book ahead.
You’ll be sighing in front of some of the world’s great masterpieces in no time!
What are your favorite modern art museums in Europe? Share your suggestions and recommendations for fellow artsy travelers? Please share them in the Comments below.
Looking for more great art? Here are posts on a few more of my favorite art museums in Europe:
Affectionately nicknamed Windy Welly, New Zealand’s capital city Wellington is quirky, cultured, and gorgeous. This harbor-hugging city is a vibrant mix of art, film, and sea air, where creativity swirls.
In one day and two nights, you can see the highlights of this charming city, and very likely experience a few gusts of wind.
In this post, I explore what to see in Wellington, a city where art meets adventure, and where even the blustery weather is part of the charm.
Arriving in Wellington
If you’re coming from the South Island, you’ll arrive by ferry into Wellington’s huge harbour that embraces you with jutting peninsulas to the right and left.
I dropped off my rental car in Picton on the South Island and picked up a second car for touring the North Island moments after docking. The process is a breeze. This time, I get a black Chev Trax that feels a bit big for me, but it handles well and is comfortable to drive.
Julia directs me into the traffic streaming alongside the harbour for the short drive to the Museum Apartment Hotel across the street from the water and New Zealand’s premier Te Papa Museum.
We’re given a two-bedroom suite with balcony on the fifth floor. I loved this place! The Museum Apartment Hotel is awash with interesting artworks in the public areas—sculptures, paintings, and installations.
It’s already 6:30 in the evening by the time we get checked in so we drop off our luggage and walk across the street to a Malaysian restaurant. After two good curries and some garlic naans, we stroll down Wellington’s main drag.
Lots of restaurants and young people make for a lively street, our first big city stroll since coming to New Zealand.
Best Day in Wellington
If you have just one day in Wellington as I did, then I suggest focusing on four sites: the WETA Workshop (where the props for Lord of the Rings, among many other films, were created), Victoria Park, the spectacular Te Papa Museum, and the harbour area.
Visiting the WETA Workshop
For us, first priority is a tour of the WETA workshop. If you have any interest in all in film (and who doesn’t?), then you must take this tour.
Here’s a tour offered through GetYourGuide. Booking well in advance is highly recommended.
The Weta workshop is located in the suburb of Miramar, a regular neighborhood spread across the hilly Miramar peninsular. Light traffic makes driving there from downtown Wellington a breeze.
Our Experience Touring the WETA Workshop
We arrive early and are able to get on the 10 am tour instead of waiting until 11 am. Just before the tour, we snap photos of Gollum and a troll outside the workshop. Photography inside the workshop while on the tour is forbidden.
The cheerful American guide, who is an actress herself, takes us on the tour where we learn how many of the effects and models used in Lord of the Rings and other films are made.
We get the opportunity to hold various props including the two types of chain mail used in the Lord of the Rings movies—the heavy version made of steel and the super-light version made of rubber.
Apparently, studly Viggo Mortensen wore the heavy stuff a lot of the time. He also lugged around one of the real swords for many of his scenes, although apparently not for the scene where he holds the sword aloft for long periods in Return of the King.
We’ve already heard from a few of the guides on other tours in New Zealand about Viggo’s prowess. He’s the actor mentioned most frequently and with the most respect.
Check out the WETA Workshop Gift Shop
The tour ends in the gift workshop (of course), where Julia and I both make purchases.
I buy a very nice black bag with the slogan “Be Creative and Make Cool Stuff” and Julia buys a black t-shirt with the same slogan. I promise not to carry the bag at the same time she wears the t-shirt.
Victoria Park in Wellington: Into the Woods of Middle Earth
Victoria Park spreads like a thick green blanket over a mountaintop close to the WETA Workshop. We wind up the flanks of the mountain and park where Julia’s i-phone tells us is the beginning of a track leading to a key location in the Fellowship of the Ring.
Even I remember the scene where the four hobbits cower under the roots of a huge tree while the scary Ringwraiths snort and stamp just above. Small signs pointing to the location are thoughtfully provided.
We walk back and forth along the track, taking pictures and trying to imagine the scene. Meanwhile, mountain bikers speed pass, one narrowly missing me. I don’t think he noticed. The forest bristles with black, twisting trees. Pictures can’t quite capture the deliciously menacing atmosphere.
Panoramic View of Wellington
We drive up to the top of the hill to enjoy a panoramic view of Wellington. It really is a very good-looking city. It reminds me a little bit of Vancouver, but windier and more Pacific feeling. I can see why lots of young people choose to live there.
Touring Te Papa Museum
Te Papa is billed as New Zealand’s top museum, and for good reason. It’s large, free, and a bit overwhelming, but well worth several hours of your time. I love museums, and this one is a keeper.
New Zealand’s national museum is home to over two million objects representing art, natural history, New Zealand histories, mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), and Pacific cultures. You can spend a lot of time browsing through the exhibits and learning about New Zealand.
A highlight is the earthquake simulator. I am uncomfortably reminded that the same Ring of Fire that runs through New Zealand passes under Vancouver. Earthquakes are pretty much a daily occurrence in New Zealand, although most are too small, thankfully, to be felt.
I could have used another day to tour the permanent collection.
In addition to the permanent exhibits, the museum hosts special exhibitions. Both of the ones I toured were wonderful.
Gallipoli Exhibition
The Gallipoli exhibition was mounted to commemorate New Zealand’s participation in World War I.
The exhibition includes massive models of eight people involved in the conflict—seven men and one woman. The models defy description. They are 14 times larger than humans and created with such incredible skill that every pore and hair and sweat drop is visible. The figures anchor a wrenching exhibit about the disastrous Gallipoli campaign.
At the end of the exhibition is a stack of paper poppies. Visitors are invited to write on one and drop it in a giant vat.
I write “In Memory of my great-grandfather who was killed at the Somme.” It is comforting to realize that 100 years after his death, Corporal Seaton is still remembered and mourned by a great-granddaughter he never knew.
Dreamworks Special Exhibition
On the top floor of the museum is another special exhibition that is the direct opposite of the sobering Gallipoli exhibit. This one costs $15 but is well worth it. The subject is Dreamworks animation, and through a variety of multimedia exhibits explains the animation process and all the work that goes into making animated features such as Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, and more.
Huge screens loop footage to explain the various processes—from story boarding to drawing to background painting to character development to music scoring (not necessarily in that order).
Wellington Harbour
After visiting the museum, we stroll through the very attractive harbourside park next to the museum before grabbing a takeaway (not take out I’ve discovered) pizza and retiring to our lovely room for a quiet evening.
Eating in Wellington
While I opted for take-away during my visit to Wellington, there are plenty of better options. Here are suggestions for four places to eat in Wellington:
Logan Brown Restaurant and Bar (Cuba Street): a fine-dining standout in Wellington.
Ortega Fish Shack: praised for its seafood and warm ambiance.
Rita: modern, stylish kitchen with local ingredients.
The Old Quarter: a lively fusion-cuisine escape for an informal evening out.
Staying in Wellington
I highly recommend Museum Apartment Hotel in downtown Wellington, particularly if you enjoy art, along with a spacious suite to spread out in. Here are some other options:
As our whirlwind one-day visit to Wellington draws to a close, here again are the four things I recommend during during your visit:
Weta Workshop in Miramar — where cinematic magic comes alive, and props, armour, and effects from films like The Lord of the Rings are crafted.
Victoria Park — a lush green lookout above the city, blended with cinematic forest trails and sweeping views of Wellington’s rooftops and sea.
Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa Museum) — New Zealand’s national museum, where culture, art, nature and history intersect in awesome gallery spaces.
The vibrant harbourfront — the youthful, energetic waterfront that frames Wellington’s bay
Whether you’re here for film magic, museum marvels, sea-spray walks or forested hill climbs, Wellington manages to fold them all into one dynamic city. May your next visit stay windy in the best possible way, with a rental car ready, taste buds primed and your camera set for adventure.
More New Zealand
Here are all the posts I wrote to document my three-week driving trip around New Zealand. Check out my tips and recommendations for exploring this magical country.
If you’re looking for a wonderful way to experience Abel Tasman National Park on New Zealand’s South Island, then I highly recommend taking a multi-day kayaking and hiking trip with Wilsons Abel Tasman. Their tours perfectly blend comfy accommodations and gourmet food with serenity, mild physical challenge, and soul-nourishing beauty.
Abel Tasman National Park is where golden sand meets turquoise sea, and the forest hums with ancient life. The best way to fully enjoy the park is by hiking its quiet trails and kayaking along the shore. You can experience the park independently, but if you’re traveling and don’t have camping gear, consider taking a tour.
I chose a three-day Kayak & Walk Adventure with Wilson’s and experienced a seamless mix of luxury, logistics, and natural wonder. Wilsons Abel Tasmanorchestrates every detail so you can simply breathe, paddle, and walk your way through paradise.
In this post, I provide a detailed account of my experience on the Wilsons three-day Kayak & Walk Adventure in Abel Tasman National Park. Note that the company provides many other tour options, from half day hikes to five-day adventures and even custom itineraries.
NOTE: I paid in full for my experience with Wilsons Abel Tasman and receive no income from them. I wrote this post solely to share what I consider to be one of the best Multi-Day tours I’ve taken in fifty years of traveling.
Day 1: Starting the Abel Tasman Multi-Day Trip
The day before the start of the journey, Julia and I stay at Grand Arden Monaco-Nelson (definitely recommended) where two sturdy black carry-on style duffle bags are delivered. That little detail endears me to Wilsons before I even start the tour.
From the moment I open my lovely new bag to when I empty it of salt and sand-crusted clothes at the end of the tour three days later, every detail is cheerfully taken care of.
Promptly at 10:15 am, a bus collects us for the 40-minute ride to Motueka through New Zealand’s breadbasket: rolling fields of apples, hops, and grapes stretching to the horizon.
Our driver shares local lore such as how tobacco once dominated these valleys until it was replaced by healthier, more sustainable and less tax-intensive crops.
At the Wilsons office in Motueka, I put my cash, my phone, and my passport in the company safe and receive my day pack which I load up with a jacket (never once needed), my camera, the company-provided water bottle, my bathing suit and beach towel, a pair of water shoes which will apparently be needed later in the afternoon, and the obligatory bottles of insect repellent and sun screen.
I experience a few moments of terror giving up my phone, but decide that three days with no access to a screen will do me good. Julia does not give her phone up, although the following day she puts it in her back pocket and then sits on a rock.
The screen cracks and she is not amused, but fortunately, the damage is not terminal.
The Boat to the Start of the Track
From Motueka, we drive to Kaiteriteri and board a sleek boat for a one-and-a-half-hour ride up the coastline. What takes one and a half hours by fast boat going up will take three days coming back via track and kayak.
The scenery is pure fantasy:
Golden crescents curve around turquoise seas
Forested hills roll into the distance
Beaches glow like honey under the sun
We sit on the upper deck, faces kissed by the wind. The boat stops at quiet coves to drop off hikers and pick up others. A highlight is passing the famous split apple rock.
We land at Tōtaranui and get ready for what will be a seven-kilometer walk along a portion of the Abel Tasman track to our first stop—the Meadowbank Homestead where the ancestors of the Wilsons first settled as pioneers back in the 1880’s.
First Steps on the Abel Tasman Track
I eye the rest of our group — couples from England, Belgium, Santa Fe, and Auckland — and silently rank their apparent fitness levels. My desk-bound winter self is nervous.
The first part of the track is an easy stroll past the campground. However, too soon, the three-foot wide, evenly graded, hard-packed track starts to climb. I hate that my breathing turns quickly to gasps. Will I be the lame duck of the group, trailing far behind, praying for quick death?
Fortunately, I manage to keep up with Garrick, our knowledgeable and cheerful guide who, bless his Kiwi heart, stops frequently during the climb to point out flora and fauna and talk about the sobering effects of climate change and the damage wrought by centuries of misuse by humans, particularly during the past two centuries.
I learn that New Zealand’s unique bird life once thrived without predators until the Māori and later the European colonists introduced mammals like rats, stoats, possums, and other furry wee beasties. The result? A 97% drop in native bird populations.
That’s a lot of birds gone forever. The forest we walk through looks primeval but is in fact second growth, just like in my home in British Columbia. Birds are in evidence but there are so many fewer than there once have been.
We pass traps set to protect the remaining birds from marauding mammals. At the summit of this portion of the track, we’re rewarded with a view of a golden arc of beach fading into a vivid turquoise sea.
We then head downhill, occasionally glimpsing the ocean but mostly enclosed in forest. The track leads to an empty beach. We walk along it for a fair distance, the sun blazing. I look for wetter sand that doesn’t give as easily, but progress is slow.
Then it’s back up the track for another climb—steeper but not too long. My confidence grows. The track then winds over mostly flat ground enclosed on both sides by lush forest.
The Great Estuary Crossing
We arrive at a wide estuary, and Garrick instructs us to put on our water shoes quickly. There is little time to lose if we want to make it across the estuary without swimming.
We think he’s kidding.
None of us really believes we’ll walk in the water for long, but we’re soon proved wrong. The water quickly rises to knee level. Each step is a slog and the distance to the other side of the very wide estuary keeps getting longer.
I love the feel of the salt water on my hot, sandfly bitten legs and the view all around is achingly gorgeous in the late afternoon light, but there is no escaping the considerable effort required to keep going.
Wimping out is not an option. I start to count steps as I forge onward through water that millimeter by millimeter gets deeper. The other side is still very far away.
Garrick takes off his pack and holds it above his head. Seriously? Yes. The next part is deeper, a lot deeper.
We all hoist our packs over our heads and forge ahead. The water rises up to my thighs, then to my buttocks, my waist and halfway up my chest. We keep walking. I think of my camera in the pack. I’d not put it in the provided plastic liner. Would I really need to swim? The water keeps rising. Centimeters replace millimeters, and still dry land is far away. The water reaches my armpits.
Then, to my relief, the water starts to recede. We keep slogging step by step and the water falls steadily until finally we reach sand.
Here’s Julia after the walk; you can see how high the water got.
Garrick promises us that we need to walk just another ten minutes to the lodge. The fast-filling estuary stretches to our left; the bush to our right. My water shoes are packed with pebbles. I finally give up trying to coax the pebbles into shiatsu-like positions and pull off the shoes to walk barefoot over the sand.
Meadowbank Homestead: Comfort in the Wild
Champagne greets us on arrival. The lodge, a lovingly rebuilt 19th-century homestead, offers gourmet meals, private bathrooms, and comfy beds, all framed by estuary views that glow at sunset.
After downing a glass of chilled champagne, my next priority is a shower in the huge modern shower enclosure—too big to be called a stall. Few things in life feel more divine than hot water sluicing over a sand-encrusted body.
I change into dry clothes and join the group on the veranda where I quickly acquire a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The sun floods the estuary with a flaming golden light, the water an iridescent turquoise.
Day 1 Dinner
Dinner consists of soya-soaked noodles with bright crunchy greens followed by rack of lamb accompanied by a spinach salad and barley risotto with Parmesan cheese. Dessert is cheese and crackers for me; cheesecake for Julia.
Every bite is excellent.
Coffee in the lounge is followed by a presentation about the family who settled this place. It really is a fascinating story that even includes a murder.
Day 2: Kayaking and Connection in Abel Tasman
Breakfast starts at 7:30 with granola and yogurt followed by a cooked option. I choose porridge served with real cream and brown sugar. Hot toast is delivered to the table by the hard-working guides.
Morning Walk
At 9 am, we start off on a morning walk to a bay where the kayaks await. Julia has a cold and decides to stay at the lodge. She will catch the coastal boat at noon, hang out on the beach for awhile, and then walk the final two-hour stretch with Garrick.
The first walk of the day takes us up gentle switchbacks to a spectacular lookout. I like gentle switchbacks. They require effort and sweat but not to an excessive degree.
From the top, the track heads back downhill to the ocean. Just before we arrive at our destination, a series of wooden bridges across the estuary provide a welcome diversion. It is all so incredibly scenic.
I arrive at the beach to find kayaks lounging like fat red and yellow crayons on the golden sand.
Kayak Safety
After being instructed in kayaking safety, we each squeeze into our skirts and life jackets, looking for all the world like a troupe of aging and demented ballerinas.
We learn how to get into the kayak, attach the spray skirt, work the pedals, and then get out of the kayak. We also learn about capsizing and are assured it will not happen. I hold on to that thought.
Out on the Water
Finally, we push the kayaks into the water and are seated for real. I’m paired with a Belgian speed demon who sets an Olympic trial pace. I find out later that he was a rower in his youth.
Within seconds, my arms are aching and I seriously question the wisdom and even the possibility of five more hours of paddling. Dip, twist, dip, twist, the pace he sets shoots us forward. Finally, Jack our kayak guide, yells at us to stop and wait for the rest of the group to catch up.
Fine with me. I have no need to be the fastest kayaker, although apparently my companion does.
Spectacular Kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park
We kayak at a slower pace across an azure sea past golden crescent beaches and around islands crusted with jumbled white rocks. Sea birds with skinny black necks cry into the wind, and the plump brown jelly beans basking on the rocks turn out to be seals.
One of the seals rolls into the sea and swims towards us—waving his fins and doing somersaults.
We’re not allowed to go closer to the seals than twenty meters but if the seals come to us to play, that is okay. We’re lucky to experience a full on seal encounter with a good five minutes of frolicking to remind us that life is joy.
Kayak Sailing
After paddling quietly around an island, we head out across a wide expanse of ocean heading south. Jack gets us to raft the kayaks together and tells us we are going to sail. The two women at the front of the two outside kayaks hold the bottom two corners of the square black sail. Straps from the top two corners are wrapped around two paddles held aloft by the two men in the two outside kayaks.
The sail is raised and we’re off. When I look at the land, I feel like we are not really moving, but when I look down at the wake rushing between my kayak and the one next to me, I see a considerable wake. We are sailing as fast, maybe a bit faster, then we can paddle but with a lot less effort.
Evening at Torrent Bay Lodge
At the end of a wonderful day of kayaking, we ground our kayaks on the sand in front of Torrent Bay Lodge. I make my grateful way to my room to find Julia is already there, showered and relaxed after a two-hour hike along the track.
After a hot shower, I change into my one dry outfit reserved for the evenings and join the rest of the group out on another picturesque veranda overlooking the ocean and a soft pastel sunset.
Dinner is perfectly cooked salmon, cheesy potatoes, and salad followed by key lime pie. I try to stay up as long as possible, but by 9:30 pm, my eyes no longer keep open.
We turn off the light and drop into the heavy sleep of the well-exercised.
Day 3: Farewell to the Golden Coast
Dawn rises over the Tasman Sea the next morning as we enjoy a breakfast of zucchini fritters, bacon, and assorted breads, juices, and coffee or tea. The food really is first rate.
On this the last day of the three-day trip, I kayak for the morning and then walk for the afternoon. Julia again takes the boat to the lunch spot while I kayak. We’ll walk together in the afternoon.
Kayaking with Jack
On the second day of kayaking, I am fortunately paired with Jack, the guide. The Belgian speed freak has left early and I can comfortably enjoy a much less frenetic experience. My right arm is very sore after day one and so I often need to rest it.
Fortunately, for much of the morning, we drift slowly past seal-crusted rocks ringing an island that has been made into a bird sanctuary. The cacophony of bird sounds is lovely to hear, but apparently it’s only a whisper compared to how the birds sounded back when Captain Cook arrived in the 1700s.
The bird song that had shattered the dawn at four in the morning every day was so loud that Cook had been obliged to move his ships farther out to sea so his crew could get their beauty sleep.
Lunch on the Beach
After our morning of kayaking, we meet Julia on the beach and enjoy our packed lunch. The company has seen to every detail. On both mornings, the group can pack their own lunches from an assortment of food laid out on the back porch of the lodges.
Along with plenty of healthy choices are a few bins of candy—jelly beans, fudge, licorice. What’s not to love?
Last Walk Along the Track
Our last afternoon is spent walking the final portion of track before we reach the beginning of the park where we’d caught the boat two days earlier.
Garrick sets a leisurely pace along a track fortunately devoid of any steep bits. The scenery on this last day is as spectacular as ever.
A Wilsons bus picks us up (they really have their infrastructure organized well) and delivers us back at the office in Motueka where I settle my bar bill for the two nights and then board a minibus for the trip back to our hotel in Nelson.
The three days have been perfect in every way.
Reflections
The Abel Tasman Kayak & Walk with Wilsons Abel Tasman isn’t just a trip — it’s a love letter to nature, a reminder of balance, and an invitation to slow down.
I can’t recommend it highly enough. Here are some more tour options in Abel Tasman National Park from GetYourGuide:
Here are all the posts I wrote to document my three-week driving trip around New Zealand. Check out my tips and recommendations for exploring this magical country.
Our three-week New Zealand odyssey is entering its final, golden chapter.
After geysers, glowworms, and volcanoes, we trade steam and sulfur for hobbits, hot sand, and good wine.
From the rolling green hills of Hobbiton to the wild beauty of the Coromandel Peninsula, this last stretch of our journey feels like New Zealand is giving us a fond farewell tour — part fantasy film set, part seaside dreamscape.
Our last days exploring New Zealand’s North Island is a series of perfect contrasts: whimsical Hobbit holes and sweeping coastal cliffs; sultry hot pools and breezy beach walks; a glass of prosecco on a vineyard terrace and a pint of ale in the Green Dragon. Finally, we land in Auckland — the City of Sails — for a birthday celebration on Waiheke Island, a few sheepish adventures up north, and a last look at this country that has utterly stolen our hearts.
Here’s a map of everywhere we visited in our last few days in marvelous New Zealand:
Is the movie set for Hobbiton an over-priced tourist trap? Kind of.
Is it worth visiting? Absolutely!
The roads leading across lovely rolling countryside to Hobbiton are empty on the first wet morning of our trip as we drive an hour from Rotorua to Hobbiton.
We anticipate no crowds and lots of time for people-free photos. Five minutes after turning off the empty main road onto an empty side road, we drive into a parking lot teeming with tour busses and cars.
Where did they all come from? It’s like they are breeding like, well, hobbits.
Make sure you book your tickets well in advance of your visit:
We are assigned our giant green Hobbiton bus for the 11 am tour. The bus winds up a steep road that runs across property belonging to the Alexander family. The property is one of twelve properties scouted for Hobbiton.
Considering the cash cow that the movie set has become, I should imagine the family is very pleased to own the chosen property. Apparently, after Lord of the Rings, the set was left to grow weedy and neglected. However, after the set was revived for the shooting of The Hobbit movies, the site’s potential as a tourist destination was realized.
I am prepared to be underwhelmed and am very pleasantly surprised. Once we clamber off the bus, our friendly guide takes us on an hour-long walk around the set that ends up at the Green Dragon, where we are given a pint of ale or cider.
The big attraction is the incredible attention to detail and the beauty of the set. It’s impossible not to snap pictures continuously. We are lucky that the site is not too crowded and so we are able to get lots of shots without people. It it is all just so darn cute.
It’s impossible not to smile as we wander the small pathways that wind around the set, revealing new and frankly adorable vistas at every turn.
In the gift shop after our “free” glass of ale in the Green Dragon, Julia lays out some serious dollars on souvenirs before we climb back into the car for the drive up to the Coromandel Peninsula.
The Glorious Coromandel
I’d heard the under-visited Coromandel Peninsula was a must-see, and it doesn’t disappoint. We’d debated between the Coromandel and the Bay of Islands, but skipping the extra driving turns out to be a wise choice.
Our three nights — one in Whitianga and two in Pauanui — give us a chance to slow down and simply enjoy the views. Sightseeing consists of spectacular drives, a few good tramps in the forest, amazing beaches, and a fair bit of just hanging out.
Our drive north from Hobbiton to Whitianga on the east coast of the Coromandel takes us up and over two mountain ranges with a good supply of New Zealand’s typically twisty roads and one-lane bridges. I am getting pretty good at the driving and take the curves like a pro (but a slow pro).
We arrive at Whitiagana around 4 pm and check into the Beachside Resort Motel Whitianga across from a wide beach, then set off again almost immediately for Hot Water Beach–reputed to be one of the top ten beaches in the world.
Hot Water Beach
Hot Water Beach is best visited two hours either side of low tide. I check the conveniently supplied tide tables at the hotel reception and realize that if we don’t go this afternoon, we won’t see Hot Water Beach at all.
Low tide is 6:30 pm. The next day, it’s very early in the morning and even later in the evening. Although tired after a long day of Hobbiting and driving, we pull on bathing suits and set off back the way we have just driven.
A 30-minute drive south brings us to the turnoff for Hot Water Beach. Armed with the spade we got from reception back at the hotel, we join the throngs of bathers at a small area of sand exposed by low tide.
Many pools are already dug and many already vacated. The pools fill with hot water from the geothermal activity bubbling away just under the sand. In places, the sand is too hot to walk on.
We settle into a pool and dig into the sand to release more hot water. Occasionally, yelps of pain cut the evening air as people nearby tap into more heat than they want. Just a few yards away, the Pacific Ocean pounds into the beach as the sun sets.
Yeah, it’s pretty cool.
Cathedral Cove
The next morning, we set off along the same road south, this time to Cathedral Cove, which is not far from Hot Water Beach.
Cathedral Cove is accessible only on foot or by water taxi. We opt for the water taxi which whisks us in ten minutes from the beach next to the car park to one of the most beautiful beaches on the Coromandel.
We loll about in the sun for several hours and enjoy swimming in crystal clear waters from a smooth sand beach (no beach shoes required here!). Here are just a few of the stunning pictures I took.
Tours in the Area
Here are some tours from GetYourGuide that include both Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove:
From Cathedral Cove, we drive down the Pauanui to a lovely suite at the Grand Mercure Puka Park Resort billed as a tree hut.
We do feel a bit Tarzan-like standing on the balcony and looking into the top branches of the surrounding forest.
The beach, however, is spectacular and deserted. We snap a lot of pictures.
Tairua
On our second full day on the Coromandel, we drive over to Tairua, a charming little town across the estuary from Pauanui.
I buy a lovely ring for me and a necklace for my mother at a little art gallery and chat with the lady about art. We then drive as far as we can up Mount Paku and walk the steep track to the top.
We are told later that by climbing Mt. Paku we are sure to return to the area. Well, I wouldn’t say no to that. Mt. Paku is a volcano that rises high above Tairua with spectacular 360-degree views from the top (and a fair number of hungry mosquitoes).
Auckland & Waiheke: Birthday Bliss in the City of Sails
We bid farewell to the Coromandel and encounter traffic and freeways for the first time in weeks.
Auckland feels huge after the serenity of the countryside, but the Sky City Grand Hotel quickly wins us over with its harbor views and plush comfort.
My Perfect Birthday
In New Zealand, I get two birthdays. On March 18th, friends from Australia post their Happy Birthdays on Facebook and then on March 19th, my friends and family up north post. I like stretching out my birthday over two hemispheres.
Julia has organized a special trip for my birthday and finally reveals what it is. At 4 pm, we take a 35-minute ferry ride to Waiheke Island (Auckland’s answer to Bowen Island but with vineyards) and enjoy a Twilight Wine Tour and Dinner. The whole evening is perfection. Waiheke Island is stunning with ocean vistas from every hilltop.
Wine Tour on Waiheke Island
We are the only people on the tour so our cheerful driver takes us on a few unscheduled loops around the island before we end up at the Batch Winery.
Here we sample four wines–starting with a lovely Prosecco and ending with a Cabernet. Since Julia does not really like wine, I am obliged to also sample her wines.
We are then served a two-course meal that is one of the best meals we’ve had in New Zealand. As we eat, the sun starts to set over the Pacific Ocean. Magic!
If you’re in Auckland, I highly recommend booking a wine tour on Waiheke Island. Here’s an option with GetYourGuide:
On our last full day in New Zealand, we drive north to explore Wenderholm Park, a fairytale landscape of tangled trees.
Our next stop is the little town of Matakana. Today is market day and the little village center is thronged with stalls selling mostly food. We grab lunch from various stalls and wander around. Matakana definitely puts the “ch” in charming. I buy a jar of wonderful peanut butter only to have it confiscated at security the next day as we board the plane for home. Sigh.
Finally, we give in to curiosity and visit Sheepworld, north of Auckland — a delightfully quirky and surprisingly informative attraction.
The 90-minute sheep show is run by a very entertaining and sheep-sharp man. We learn about the two breed of sheepdogs used in New Zealand–the “looker” and the “barker” and then file out to the paddock to watch three dogs (two barkers and a looker) herd a flock of sheep.
The guide talks a lot about how the dogs–all of which are puppies–are trained. I’ve never seen sheepdogs at work and I must say they are very impressive.
We are then directed back into the barn to watch the sheep shearing. The guide talks a lot about the work of the sheep shearer-brutally difficult and requiring tremendous skill. I am fascinated. Who knew sheep could be so interesting?
Finally, we are given bottles to feed some of the lambs. Major cute attack.
Auckland Aquarium and the Journey Home
On our final morning, we take the “shark bus” to the Auckland Aquarium. It’s pricey and claustrophobic, although the penguins are undeniably charming. We head back to town for a last lunch before the final drive to the airport.
After having driven over 2000 kilometers without nary a scratch in three weeks, I’m relieved to hand over the keys at the airport and then to hit the shops for one last sweep of souvenirs.
Conclusion: A Farewell to the Land of Magic and Mellow Moments
The takeaway from my three weeks in New Zealand as expressed in these six blog posts is my hope that people will consider a trip to this most interesting and easy-to-manage countries.
New Zealand pretty much has it all: amazing scenery, spectacular beaches, plenty of adventure activities, thousands of kilometers for tramping, compelling culture cheerfully presented, friendly people, empty roads, and good food and accommodation options.
New Zealand also feels very safe. It is comforting to tramp through forests and not worry about being killed by snakes, crocs, bears, spiders, etc., or people for that matter. Never once, even in downtown Auckland at night, did we feel in any danger.
Kia ora, New Zealand — and thank you for the memories, the majesty, and the marvelous journey.
More New Zealand
Here are all the posts I wrote to document my three-week driving trip around New Zealand. Check out my tips and recommendations for exploring this magical country.
A road trip through glaciers, gold towns, and coastal magic
Introduction: One of the World’s Great Drives
The long drive from Queenstown along the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island to Picton to catch the ferry across Cook Strait to Wellington must rank among the planet’s most scenic.
You’ll marvel at out-of-this-world lakes and peaks, explore gold rush towns like Hokitika and Nelson, and experience the swoon-worthy beauty of Abel Tasman National Park.
Driving is absolutely the best way to see this wild region of New Zealand.
During a three-week road trip around New Zealand, I spent five days driving from Queenstown north to coastal Nelson, and onward to Picton. Here’s how it unfolded — and what I recommend if you’re planning your own South Island adventure.
Highlights of New Zealand’s South Island
Experience fantastic scenery: Wanaka, Hokitika Gorge, Punakaiki, Abel Tasman National Park
Driving time: 1.5 hours (but allow longer for photo stops!)
The drive to Wanaka from Queenstown is truly spectacular. Traffic will probably be light as you wind through remote mountain passes, each turn revealing yet another postcard perfect view.
In Wanaka, I stayed at the Alpine Resort Wanaka THC in a spacious one-bedroom apartment right on the lake. The property is a short stroll along the shoreline to the lovely town of Wanaka, where you’ll find plenty of good restaurants.
Wanaka feels calmer than Queenstown with more locals and fewer thrill seekers, yet with the same staggering scenery and great access to hiking and cycling tracks.
Tip: Stay two nights here. Hike Roy’s Peak, take a lake cruise, or visit the quirky Puzzling Worldattraction.
Here are some options for things to do in Wanaka from GetYourGuide:
Here are some more great options for hotels in Wanaka:
Alpine View Lodge: Serene garden and terrace, family rooms available
Lakeside Apartments: Gorgeous place with apartments overlooking Lake Wanaka and Mount Aspiring National Park.
Wanaka to Hokitika: The Long Wild Drive
Distance: 419 km | Realistic time: 8–9 hours
The longest driving day of our trip is from Wanaka north along New Zealand’s wild west coast to the beach town of Hokitika—a distance of about 419 kilometers.
Google maps estimates the driving time at five hours, but the people at Google maps have probably never driven the actual road. The reality is more like nine hours.
The drive is well worth the effort. The road curves through rainforests, over one-lane bridges, and along stretches of windswept beach. You’ll want to pull over constantly just to breathe it all in.
Tip: Fill your tank in Wanaka — petrol stations are few and far between on this stretch.
Stop: The Hokitika Gorge
A short detour off the main road leads to the Blue Pools Track — a gentle 3 km return walk through native forest to a suspension bridge. Look down to see water the color of blue jay wings swirling at the base of masses of jumbled rocks.
I highly recommend doing the walk, but be warned that you may attract several unwanted guests. By the time I returned to the car, my ankles were running with blood from sandfly bites. Nasty buggers.
Tip: Slather exposed skin liberally with repellent!
The West Coast Glaciers: Franz Josef & Fox
The West Coast is home to two of the most accessible glaciers in the world — Franz Josef Glacier (Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere) and Fox Glacier (Te Moeka o Tuawe). Both descend from the Southern Alps into lush temperate rainforest, a phenomenon found almost nowhere else on earth.
I decide not to stop to explore the glaciers which require significant hiking time that I don’t have in my packed itinerary. Also, the clouds have rolled in to obscure the glaciers, and as a west coast gal with plenty of trips to the Canadian Rockies under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of glaciers over the years.
But if the weather cooperates and your itinerary is flexible, I suggest stopping for the night and exploring a glacier or two.
Explore options:
Guided heli-hikes (the best way to actually walk on the glacier)
Arriving in Hokitika, I head straight for one of its famous jade workshops. Hokitika was founded in the 1860s during the West Coast gold rush, when fortune-seekers from around the world crowded its muddy streets. Today it’s quieter, but still brimming with creative energy.
After much deliberation, I buy a pikorua (jade twist pendant), a traditional Māori design symbolizing connection and life’s winding path.
The historic town center, with its heritage buildings, quirky cafés, jade shops, and art galleries, is worth a wander. Finish your evening by watching a breathtaking sunset over the Tasman Sea.
Don’t Miss: The Glow Worm Dell
After dark, I suggest you walk about a kilometer to the Glow Worm Dell, a free attraction just outside town.
I arrive to the edge of a pitch dark forest to find several cars parked nearby and an interpretative sign advising visitors that glow worms are ahead and to enjoy them in silence.
Handrails are provided for you to grope along as you walk up a small track in total darkness. If ever there was a good location for a serial killer, this would be it.
Fortunately, within about five minutes, you’ll enter glow worm fairyland. Spread out all around and above you are points of light from glow worms suspended from the trees.
Stay awhile to drink in the glow worm vibe. It really is like flying through Neverland.
Tip: Keep quiet to let everyone enjoy the moment — and bring a small flashlight for the walk back to town.
Staying in Hokitika
Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the hotel I stayed in Hokatika (no hot water for my morning shower!), but fortunately, there are many good options. Here are two I wish I’d stayed in:
Rimu Lodge: A few kilometers outside the town, this place looks fabulous!
The road between Hokitika and Nelson is narrow and winding and jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
You’ll hug cliff edges, snake through rainforests, and occasionally need to slow to a crawl to cross one-lane bridges (very common in New Zealand!). I get quite proficient at inching around sharp curves and making use of pull outs to let cars behind me pass.
Fortunately, the road is just about as empty as all the other roads I’ve encountered so far on New Zealand’s South Island.
Take time to stop to snap photos and inhale the sea air. Here’s the rental car I drove from Queenstown to Picton. Oh, and the view.
Driving Tips:
Keep left! It sounds obvious, but many international drivers forget on quiet roads.
Pull over to let faster cars pass — locals will thank you.
Plan shorter driving days; distances can be deceiving.
Carry snacks and water, and don’t rely on constant phone service.
Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks)
Heading north, make sure you stop at Punakaiki, famous for its “Pancake Rocks” — limestone cliffs eroded into thin, stacked layers that resemble giant piles of flapjacks.
When the tide is right, the ocean surges through blowholes, sending up plumes of spray. Even on calm days, the sea views alone are worth the visit.
Arrive early to beat the crowds. The track winding around and through the rocks leads to stupendous views both of the stacked rocks and out to the Tasman Sea.
I’ve always been a sucker for cool rock formations and the formations at Punakaiki are as good as anything I’ve ever seen. The sea is relatively calm so the famous blow holes are quiet, but I still get many wonderful shots.
Nelson: Sunshine, History & the One Ring
After driving through several mountain passes, you’ll finally reach Nelson, one of New Zealand’s oldest cities and sunniest spots. Founded in 1841, it quickly became a hub for shipping and early settlers. Today, it’s known for its arts scene, beaches, and nearby wine country.
I recommend staying at the Grand Monaco Arden Nelson, a gorgeous hotel about 10 kilometers west of Nelson. The hotel is set up to look like a ye olde English town in the Cotswolds. The apartment we’re given includes a large living room and kitchen with a separate bedroom. There is also laundry.
After dropping our bags, my daughter Julia and I take a taxi into Nelson’s compact center. I’ve done more than enough driving for awhile!
Julia, a devoted Lord of the Rings fan, has her heart set on going to the shop run by the jeweler who created the original ring for Lord of the Rings films.
The jewelry on display is fantastic. I pick up one of the rings (not THE One Ring) and ask the price. The attendant tells me it costs $2,500. I put it down again, quickly.
The One Rings on display all cost $1000 and up. Fortunately, Julia has done her homework and knows that replica One Rings retailing for around $100 are available. She asks the attendant.
“Oh, you want those ones. We keep them in the back.”
“Okay, can I see them?”
With a resigned air, he fetches a tray of “cheap” One Rings from the back and looks long-suffering while Julia makes her selection. While not solid gold, the One Ring that she purchases is gold-plated and comes in a lovely souvenir box. She threads it through the chain around her neck and leaves the shop a happy woman. Well, why not?
Exploring Nelson
Nelson’s downtown is charming and walkable, filled with art galleries, gardens, and heritage buildings.
Wander up to the Nelson Cathedral and stroll through the lush gardens beside it, then browse local outdoor shops (closing promptly at 5:30 — New Zealand time is early!).
The next day we embark on a three day, two night hike and kayak tour of Abel Tasman National Park with Wilsons. That incredible experience gets its own post: Abel Tasman National Park: Experience a Multi-Day Kayak/Hike Adventure.
Staying in Nelson
In addition to the Grand Monaco Arden Nelson, which I highly recommend, here are some other accommodation options in Nelson:
Nelson to Picton: Wine Country and Coastal Views
After the Abel Tasman adventure, we rest up in Nelson before driving to Picton, where we’ll catch the ferry to Wellington.
The guide on the Abel Tasman adventure advised me to take the super-scenic Queen Charlotte Drive to Picton. I take one look at the corkscrew curves on the map and opt for the longer, gentler inland route. Even this “boring” road winds through vineyards and mountain vistas that are still breathtaking by any standard.
Tip: The region around Blenheim and Picton is the heart of Marlborough wine country, home to some of the world’s best Sauvignon Blancs, including many of the wines I’ve been sampling on this trip (after the driving day is over, of course). I am hooked on New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and have made it my mission to sample as many varieties as I can during the course of the trip. It’s a responsibility I take very seriously.
Here’s a wine tour you can take from Nelson with GetYourGuide:
When you rent a car in New Zealand, you can’t take it on the ferry between the North and South Islands. I have no idea why, but fortunately, the process goes very smoothly.
I park our trusty Toyota rental car, walk up to the Budget counter adjacent to the ferry terminal, drop the keys, walk across to the terminal and drop our bags, and then stroll into pretty little Picton for a bite to eat before the ferry arrives.
When the huge ferry slides into dock, join the throngs of foot passengers, and if your budget allows, make your way to the Premium Lounge where there are plenty of comfy seats by the window along with free soft drinks and okay food, and a cash bar.
The journey takes three and a half hours. Most of the time, you’ll probably be staring out the window at the stunning view of Marlborough Sounds.
New Zealand really is a ridiculously beautiful country!
Final Thoughts: The Magic of the West Coast
From the glacier valleys to the jade shops, from glow worms to golden beaches, the wild west coast of New Zealand’s South Island isn’t just a route. It’s an adventure that I highly recommend.
Practical Travel Tips
Best time to go: November–April (warmer, drier months)
Car rental:Book early; pickup in Queenstown, drop in Picton
Sandflies: Bring heavy-duty insect repellent — trust me
Weather: Expect rain — it’s what makes the rainforest lush
Apps to download: Google Maps, CamperMate (for fuel & facilities)
More Posts on New Zealand
Here are all the posts I wrote to document my three-week driving trip around New Zealand. Check out my tips and recommendations for exploring this magical country.
No trip to New Zealand is complete without spending time in the simmering center of New Zealand’s North Island, where the ground steams, the lakes bubble, and the air smells faintly of sulfur and adventure.
Allow at least four days to explore the core of New Zealand’s steamy North Island: hike among volcanoes in Tongariro National Park and steep yourself (sometimes literally) in the geothermal wonders of Rotorua.
It’s New Zealand turned inside out — the raw earth on full display. In this post, I cover the highlights of the steamy North Island:
Guided hike in Tongariro National Park
Geothermal Sites in and around Rotorua
Māori Evenings in Rotorua
Here’s a map of the places mentioned in this post:
If you’ve taken the ferry from the South Island to the North Island, you’ll set off from Wellington (#1). It’s a leisurely four-hour drive north to Tongariro National Park, a distance of 336 kilometers.
Don’t Miss Bulls
The drive takes you through the lovely little town of Bulls (#2) where I suggest you stop for lunch and enjoy the plethora of bull puns.
Social-a-bull is the town hall, Relieve-a-bull is the town toilets, Read-a-bull is the town library, Delect-a-bull is the café where we eat lunch, and on it goes.
Love that Kiwi humor!
Tongariro National Park
Spend at least two nights and a full day (preferably two full days) in Tongariro National Park (#3), a spectacular area of New Zealand’s North Island. You won’t run out of hikes and drives to explore this incredibly scenic landscape.
I recommend you take a guided walking tour (or even attempt the nineteen kilometer Tongariro Crossing), check out jagged lava rock formations on Mount Ruapehu (#4) and best of all, take a scenic flight over Mount Ngauruhoe (#5), AKA Mount Doom.
Read on for details!
Staying in Tongariro National Park
Since the closure of the iconic Chateau Tongariro in 2023, accommodation options are somewhat limited in the park. Here are some suggestions:
Skotel Alpine Resort (#6): Family friendly place close to the Tongariror National Park Whakapapa Visitor Centre
The Park Hotel Ruapehu (#8): Affordable accommodations in a stunning alpine setting in Tongariro National Park
Tongariro Crossing
The big attraction in Tongariro National Park is the Tongariro Crossing, one of New Zealand’s most popular tracks. It’s a nineteen kilometer one-way track that takes hikers up and over an alpine pass between Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Tongariro.
While planning my trip to New Zealand, I seriously considered doing the crossing. My daughter (intrepid travel companion Julia) studied maps, while I worried about having the right boots and clothes.
The hike lasts for about eight hours. That’s a lot of walking!
Despite our misgivings, we decided to give it a go and booked to take a guided crossing with Adrift Tongariro Guiding.
Then, a few weeks before flying to New Zealand, we chickened out and decided to cancel the crossing and opt instead for the half-day hikes also offered by Adrift Tongariro Guiding. You can check availability of the tour with GetYourGuide:
Half Day Tongariro Hike with Adrift Tongariro Guiding
The tour is advertised as an alternative for people who have decided not to attempt the entire crossing or don’t have the time. The itinerary is vaguem, dependent on the will of the group on any particular day. Well, how hard can it be?
Here’s my experience completing the two hikes during the morning. Spoiler alert, I totally recommend it!
Hike 1 to Soda Springs
We are picked up at our hotel at 8:30 am by a young man in a white van and driven along with four people from Barcelona to the trail head for the Tongariro Crossing. We join the throngs for the first hour of the hike.
Note: If you decide to do the Tongariro Crossing, be warned that the trail can get very crowded. It didn’t look like a lot of fun to me, to be honest!
Just before the trail veers upwards to the Devil’s Staircase, we hang a left and scramble up to Soda Springs—a waterfall across the valley from Mount Ngauruhoe.
We are blessed with perfect conditions for the first hour of the hike. The sky is achingly blue and the perfect cone of Mount Ngauruhoe is postcard perfect.
Hike 2: Hike up Mount Pukakaikiore
After we hike back to the car park, the guide drives about ten minutes for the start of our second hike. This one takes us up an extinct volcano and is considerably more challenging than the well-groomed track of the Tongariro Crossing.
We start off walking through waist-high bracken and heather along a very rough track full of holes waiting to swallow ankles. The guide presses cheerfully on and we follow, pushing aside branches, watching anxiously for holes. We emerge from the thick bushes that in most places obscures the track to find ourselves on the flank of a small, presumably extinct, volcano.
We are to climb to the top along a barely defined track.
The slope is very steep, and really too much for me, but the guide insists I can make it and so I start up. He suggests short steps and a steady pace. After about fifty meters, he asks if I’d like a pole. I grasp at it like a drowning woman.
It feels precarious and exposed on the steep slope, although compared to the giants surrounding us, the volcano we are on is pretty tame. E ven so, I don’t dare look down and I dread looking up to see how far there is to go.
The Spaniards pass me at a annoyingly speedy clip and I’m obliged to show my ego to the door. I’ll be glad if I can make it to the top without tumbling backwards. If it takes half the day, well, they can wait. Maybe they can have a siesta at the summit.
I plod slowly, painfully up, up, up, the slope rising steeply, the guide several paces above exhorts me forward with cheerful optimism. Julia stays at my side, willing me forward, assuring me that I’ll feel great when I make it to the top.
I count the steps one to ten, pause, breathe, count another ten steps, pause, breathe. I’m Edmund Hillary making the final ascent on Everest (he was a Kiwi after all).
Up ahead, the Spaniards and the guide are already at the top. The guide tells me the steepest part is over. Yeah, right. Ten more steps, pause, breathe, look. Indeed, the top is within reach.
I gather my resources (such a great phrase) and push my legs to the top, striding with some confidence and less pain now that I am sure of victory.
In comparison to the monster volcanoes spread out before me, little 500,000 year old Pukakaikiore looks like a forgotten pimple on the volcanic plain, but I feel like I’ve just summited Mount Doom.
For the rest of the afternoon following our descent, I gaze across the valley at it with great satisfaction. Dwarfed by Mt. Ngauruhoe’s tall and perfect cone—the star quarterback looming over the washed up old guy spitting memories in the corner—little Pukakaikiore remains my personal Everest.
Mt. Rupahoe – Lord of the Rings Location
After lunch and a bit of a rest from our morning hike, we set off to explore the ski area on Mt. Rupahoe, the third of the three large volcanoes populating the park.
Just above the ski area is, according to Julia’s handy Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook, the location where many of the scenes with Frodo and Sam climbing Mount Doom were filmed. The area is apparently rife with cool black rocks.
Well, indeed it is. The drive up to the ski area is as spectacular as so many of our drives in New Zealand.
We park and follow signs to the Mead Wall. A short hike brings us to a ridge strewn with rocks that look like they’ve been tossed by giants. Filming up here must have been a challenge!
Tongariro Flightseeing Tour
We wake up to greet a perfect day. The volcanoes are 3-D cut-outs against the stark blue skies. We decide to cap our Tongariro visit with a flightseeing tour.
Julia calls promptly at 8 am when the Mountain Air company just down the road opens and books us for a 9:30 flight of 25 minutes that will take us over the Tongariro Crossing and around Mt. Ngauruhoe.
Just Julia and I board the four-seater plane along with Oliver, our pilot.
Julia rides shot gun at the front while I squeeze into the back seat. For the next 25 minutes, we are treated to close up views of the volcanoes and 360-degree views of the entire Tongariro National Park and beyond.
I snap picture after picture, pausing every so often to just watch awestruck at the landscape spiraling into eternity below me. We fly over and around Mt. Ngauruhoe and see clearly the lava flows from the various eruptions over the past decades.
People apparently climb the shifting scree slope, but I can’t find what route they could use. No climbers are on the mountain this early in the day. To me, the perfectly circular cone looks impossible to climb from every viewpoint.
After 25 minutes that feels like 5 minutes, we land on the grass field with barely a bump, happy and a bit sad to be back again on earth. We agree that the cost of the flight is worth every penny.
Back in the car, we head north for our next adventure—two nights in the middle of a giant caldera otherwise known as Rotorua.
Rotorua: North Island Must-See
It’s just a two hour drive to Rotorua. We made two stops: at Lake Taupo and at Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.
Lake Taupo
Definitely include a pit stop at Lake Taupo (#9), the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand. A highlight is Huka Falls (#10) which we stop to admire. It’s a raging white water spectacle surging through the shallow gorge.
There is no charge to visit the falls or use the car park.
If you have time, linger awhile at Lake Taupo and take one of the many cruises to view Māori rock carvings. Here are some options with GetYourGuide:
About half an hour south of Rotorua, Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland (#11) is a must-see. Set aside several hours to enjoy what has to be one of the coolest (well, hottest) geothermal areas I’ve ever seen—and I’ve been to Yellowstone.
Bubbling mud, hissing fissures, boiling lakes with day-glo colored edges, a pool the color of toxic waste are all spread across an area laced by walkways. Signs everywhere exhort visitors to keep to the path, the implication being that one false step leads to death.
At the Champagne Pool, I ask the ranger guy if anyone has ever been injured at the site. He tells me that back in the 1960’s a local teacher visited the site with his dog. In those days, a fence did not separate the walkway from the Champagne Pool. The man’s dog ran into the pool and the man ran after the dog to save it.
Both died—quickly. On that sobering note, we keep snapping pictures, awed by the display of nature’s true colors.
After enjoying the stunningly steamy landscapes at Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, we drive a few more kilometers to the lovely town of Rotorua (#12).
Staying in Rotorua
I recommend staying in the the charming Millennium Hotel in Rotorua (#13). We’re given a lovely room on the Club floor with access to the swanky Club Lounge where we get free canapes and wine in the evening and breakfast in the morning.
Here’s a map showing some other options:
After getting settled at the hotel and enjoying some free canapes and champagne, we get ready to go do our first of two Māori experiences that we’ve booked in Rotorua.
Māori Experience #1: Te Pau Tu – The Gathering Place
Our first experience is at Te Pau Tu – The Gathering Place (#14). Our ticket includes a pick-up from our hotel.
During the fifteen-minute drive to Te Pau Tu, the voluble Māori guide entertains us with a commentary about the village and what we are about to experience.
One of the men from the tour group is appointed our Chief. The driver explains that when we arrive at Te Pau Tu, we will experience the traditional Māori welcome challenge. Warriors will come out of the village and challenge the visitors.
We are cautioned to not, on any account, laugh or even smile at the actions of the warriors. We are, however, allowed to take pictures.
Arrival at Te Pau Tu
We arrive at the village and join another four tour groups, each with its own chief (all men). The five chiefs are lined up in front of the 150 visitors (or thereabouts) and await the arrival of the warriors and the commencement of the welcome ceremony.
Everyone takes the request to keep a straight face very seriously. No one dares even crack a smile.
Three women appear above the entranceway and blow conch shells to announce the arrival of a canoe paddled by five warriors. They stamp and roll their eyes and stick out their tongues as we all watch with sober concentration.
Finally, a branch is laid at the feet of each chief and noses pressed twice, called the hongi. That is the signal that the welcoming ceremony is complete and the visitors mau enter the village.
We are also allowed to talk and smile again.
Craft Demonstrations
As darkness falls, we file into a recreation of a Māori village and are separated into five groups. Each group is taken around to five different learning huts where we are given demonstrations of various Māori crafts and practices.
We learn how the Haka is performed, watch a demonstration of games played back in the day to train warriors, learn that the word “tattoo” is a Māori word, see a demonstration of the poi balls used by the women in dances, and learn about Māori weaving.
The demonstrations are very well done by the men and women who participated in the welcome ceremony. The atmosphere is relaxed and cheerful. It feels like a family business that is really making a solid go of it.
Performance and Dinner
After the demonstrations, we watch the food that will be served for dinner being lifted from the ground. The cooking process on hot rocks under the earth is called Hangi.
We then enjoy a performance of songs and dances before being directed into the dining hall to enjoy a buffet dinner of chicken, lamb, and vegetables cooked in the ground and several good desserts (not cooked in the ground).
On the way back to the hotel on the bus, our entertaining driver sings songs—some solo and some participatory.
Get your tickets well in advance for the Te Pa Tu Māori Cultural Experience with Dinner:
After a lovely breakfast in the exclusive Club Lounge at the Millenium, which we have virtually ourselves, we set off to tour the Rotorua Museum (#15). On the way, we stop to admire a fantastic yarn-bombed tree outside the Rotorua Arts Centre.
It’s Sunday morning and a small craft market is set up on the grounds of the arts centre. Julia stops to buy some crocheted measuring tapes and chat with the lady about crochet.
We start by touring the grounds of the Rotorua Museum—a fabulous, Tudor-style concoction that once housed the hot spring baths that attracted visitors from all over the world. The grounds also include a rose garden.
Laughing Pool
I take pictures while Julia amuses herself by throwing her shadow over the roses just as I snap them. She can’t stop laughing.
Minutes later we walk to the lake edge—a steaming expanse of geothermal activity dotted with signs warning against leaving the track. One of the many interpretative plaques tells us that a small natural pool just off the track is called the Laughing Pool.
Apparently, the gasses emitted make everyone who takes a dip in it giddy with laughter. Hmm. That might explain our strange outbursts of hilarity.
Rotorua Museum
The Rotorua Museum has an excellent display about the Māori people from the time they arrived in New Zealand about 1,000 years ago to today. We have a hard time tearing ourselves away.
Hell’s Gate Geothermal Reserve and Mud Baths
Hell’s Gate (#16) is a geothermal area of steaming, bubbling gray pools that also includes mud and sulfur baths open to the public.
I’ve always wanted to roll around in a mud bath. Don’t ask me why. Maybe I was a hippopotamus in a former life.
We arrive at Hell’s Gate in the early afternoon and pay the admittedly steep admission fee. If you don’t have your own wheels, you can take a half-day tour from Rotorua to Hell’s Gate with GetYourGuide:
After arriving, we stroll around the geothermal areas in search of an area to enjoy our picnic lunch before plunging into the mud and sulfur pools.
We find a picnic table up in the trees, a little bit away from the pungent sulfur smells gushing out of the hissing steam holes and mud pots. Two large tour groups from a cruise ship stampede past.
Instead of following them to see what else the area has to offer (a hot water waterfall and geyser well worth seeing), we slip around them to start our mud/sulfur bath experience, secure in the knowledge that the bathing area is too small to accommodate the tour groups.
Experiencing the Mud and Sulfur Pools
We strip to our bathing suits and are directed to one of three gray pools. Ours is quite large and unoccupied.
I had envisioned a kind of mud pile that I roll around in, but the reality is a warm pool of gray water that a lot of other people have sat in. We inch in, feeling globs of mud under our feet.
We soon realize that the drill is to scoop up handfuls of mud and smear them all over our arms, necks, and faces. Of course every time I dip my arm into the muddy water (it’s about two feet deep), I wash off the mud I’d just slathered on.
Some skill and foresight is required to achieve, and more importantly sustain, sufficient coverage. We are allowed to spend up to twenty minutes in the mud pool which turns out is more than enough.
After clambering out, we take a good long shower and then inch into the hot sulfur pool which is really just a big hot pool. The sulfur pool is quite a bit hotter than the mud pool so we last about ten minutes before deciding to call it a day.
We shower and get dressed, stop into the gift shop, have a quick ice cream cone, and return to the parking lot.
Should you go? It’s expensive; I’ve not going to lie. But then again, when do you ever get to roll around in mud? I’m glad I went, although the sulfur smell impregnates my bathing suit with such ferocity that several washings, along with dips in pools and the ocean was not sufficient to remove the smell.
If you go, consider wearing an old bathing suit that you’ll not mind tossing after the experience.
Te Puia Māori Experience
In the late afternoon, we set off for our second Māori, this one at Te Puia (#17), one of Rotorua’s major geothermal attractions that includes a kiwi habitat; a school for Māori carving, weaving, and stonework; and Rotorua’s biggest geyser.
The bus picks us up first and then trundles all over Rotorua picking up more people until finally we arrive at Te Puia and get a sticker designating us as Combo Visitors.
We get the guided tour of the grounds followed by a Māori welcome, a song and dance performance, and the feast. The experience lasts about five hours.
A Māori guide takes us around the grounds with a group of about forty people. We are lucky to arrive at the main geyser just as it blows its top—an impressive site indeed.
The craft areas are pretty much deserted since it’s a Sunday and few students are working. No problem—we get extra time in the fine gift store.
Māori Welcome
We are assembled in front of the Marae—the meeting house—at around six pm to witness the traditional Māori welcome.
The ceremony is the same as the night before, although this time only one man is designated chief. We are again requested not to smile or laugh during the ceremony. Several warriors emerge from the Marae and challenge the group with gestures and stylized movements.
When finally the branch is laid in front of the chief and accepted, we are welcomed into the Marae for the performance. The dancers are as energetic as the ones the night before.
Buffet Dinner
The buffet dinner of the hangi and other food served after the performance is a bit posher than the dinner we had the night before. There is a greater variety of food and the dining area is a bit more upscale.
Geyser Gazing
The Te Puia experience also includes a last look at the geyser in the moonlight. We board a jitney that takes us out to the geothermal area where our host talks about Māori legends and traditions while we wait for the geyser to blow.
It usually performs hourly, but of course the exact timing cannot be predicted. We are very fortunate when just ten minutes before we are due to return to the front entrance, the geyser decides to put on a spectacular show. Plumes thirty meters high shoot straight up into the star-spattered sky, the heat steaming glasses and cameras.
It’s a magical end to the evening.
Which Māori Experience?
So which Maori experience do I recommend? I honestly can’t decide because both are awesome. I think my recommendation would be to go see the geysers and geothermal activity at Te Puia (and they really do have a great gift store) and then do the dinner evening at Te Pau Tu – The Gathering Place
The Te Pau Tu experience is less posh than Te Puia, but a bit more authentic-feeling. The performers talk with small groups of people while they demonstrate the various crafts. Both experiences feel like family affairs (which I believe they are).
The main point is that a visitor to Rotorua should experience at least one Māori evening that includes, at a minimum, the welcome ceremony, the hangi, and a performance.
Although both evenings cater to tourists (well, who else?), the cheerfulness and enthusiasm of the guides and performers feels genuine.T
Conclusion: Steam and Story
From the icy volcanic peaks of Tongariro to the bubbling mud of Rotorua, this steamy center of New Zealand’s North Island feels alive in a way few places do.
The ground moves, the air steams, the legends breathe. You can hike across a mountain born of fire in the morning and soak in a hot spring by night. It’s elemental, theatrical, and utterly unforgettable — a reminder that in New Zealand, the earth doesn’t just sit quietly beneath your feet. It performs.
Seeing a concert that features opera and classical music ranks right up there as one of my top unique things to do in Rome.
When traveling in Europe, I love slipping into local concerts—often on a whim. A poster in a hotel lobby or a flyer on a lamppost is all it takes. Most of the time, it’s worth every euro.
That was certainly the case with the Great Opera Arias Concert by Opera Lirica di Roma at the historic Palazzo Poli. Located right behind the Trevi Fountain, this concert will delight you with an hour of pure music magic.
See the concert at 7:30 pm, throw your coin in the Trevi Fountatin at 9 pm when the crowds have thinned, and then waft into the Roman night to enjoy a gourmet dinner on a moonlit piazza. Now that’s what I call a quintessential Rome experience!
🎟 Full disclosure: I received a complimentary ticket to the Great Opera Arias Concert in Rome in exchange for this post on Artsy Traveler. Spoiler: I’d happily pay for this experience.
The Venue: Palazzo Poli
The opera in Rome concert takes place inside the Palazzo Poli, the grand building that forms the backdrop to Rome’s iconic Trevi Fountain.
The concert hall in the Palazzo Poli is high-ceilinged, air conditioned, and spacious with plenty of leg room between the rows. This is by no means a trivial benefit!
Over the years, I’ve attended more than a few of these kinds of concerts held in venues that were less than stellar. A few weeks prior to attending the concert at Palazzo Poli, I went to a concert in a tiny church in France where the pews were so close together, I had to sit sideways and the temperature was well over 40 degrees. Although excellent, the music couldn’t compensate for the discomfort and I left at the interval.
Be assured that you’ll experience the Great Opera Arias Concert in complete comfort. Another plus is the inclusion of several modern tapestry art pieces hanging from the ceiling in addition to a magnificent modern chandelier.
Here’s something special: the palazzo’s balcony offers a rare bird’s-eye view of the Trevi Fountain. Before or after the performance, step outside and watch the crowds from above—it’s one of Rome’s most unforgettable perspectives.
I guarantee you’ll not be the only audience member posing for a selfie before the concert begins. Here’s mine!
The Quartet: Pure Joy
The string quartet is led by one of the most enthusiastic first violinists I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. At the beginning of the concert, she practically bounds onto the stage along with the second violinist, violist, and cellist.
Throughout the performance, her love of the music is amply evident. She conducts with such joy, her face often lit with a radiant smile. Her enjoyment is contagious and adds materially to my own enjoyment of the music.
Highlights include:
Marcello’s Adagio in D-minor, a calming opener after the bustle outside
Excerpts from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, always refreshing in an Italian setting
A rousing Rossini William Tell Overture (Galop) that had the audience grinning (especially those of us who remember The Lone Ranger).
The Voices: Soprano & Tenor
The program features a soprano and a tenor, and both are delightful. Their voices beautifully fill the space and the cries of bravo and brava after each song attest to the quality of their performances.
The tenor’s performance of Nessun dorma from Turandot is particularly spine-tingling. I doubt there is a dry eye in the house by the time he hits the final heart wrenching note.
The Repertoire: Familiar Yet Fresh
What I appreciate most is the balance:
Beloved arias such as Nessun dorma and Bella figlia dell’amore
Lesser-known gems that expand my opera horizons
A welcome absence of overplayed staples like O sole mio and Figaro
The alternating structure—quartet-only pieces interwoven with vocal performances—keep the hour varied and interesting.
The Audience: Engaged & Enthusiastic
Tourist concerts sometimes risk being background entertainment, but not this one.
During the encore, I angle myself to watch people’s expressions as they listen to the music. Every face is rapt with concentration and enjoyment, and at the end of the piece, the standing ovation is genuine and heart felt.
Practical Details
Venue: Palazzo Poli, Via Poli 54, Rome
Length: About 1 hour starting at 7:30 pm
Booking: Reserve online; limited tickets may be available at the door
Tip: Arrive early to enjoy the Trevi Fountain balcony view before the music starts
If you’re looking to elevate your photography skills and truly capture the grandeur of Jasper, Alberta, treat yourself to a Jasper Photo Tour.
Guided by professional photographers Mike and Beth Gere, these small-group tours offer everything from wildlife and night-sky photography to early-morning “golden light” excursions.
Whether you’re a beginner with a smartphone or a pro with a DSLR, you’ll come away inspired — and with better photos than you thought possible.
We were lucky — we had him all to ourselves, which meant a session perfectly tailored to our interests and skill levels.
Julia, a crochet artist, wanted to photograph the miniature train she had crocheted against the sweeping backdrop of Jasper’s peaks. Mike happily accommodated, offering tips on staging, depth of field, and composition for her Nikon SLR.
Here’s how our luminous morning unfolded.
Lake Beauvert
Mike picked us up at our hotel, Lobstick Lodge, right at 8 a.m. and drove to a quiet vantage point overlooking Lake Beauvert, with views across the still water toward the super swanky Jasper Park Lodge.
He began by giving Julia a quick refresher on focal lengths and exposure settings while I wandered the shoreline, iPhone in hand, chasing reflections and texture.
One of my favorite captures from that morning was this twisty tree silhouetted against the mirror flat lake, mountains rising beyond like a watercolor wash.
After her refresher lesson, Julia worked on taking pictures of her crochet train in front of the view.
River Views
We hopped back into Mike’s SUV and wound our way toward a bridge over a rushing stream, stopping often to scout compositions. Although the morning was overcast, the moody light lent itself well to dramatic shots.
Mike showed me how to use my iPhone to blur the rushing water in the photo below.
Burnscapes and Renewal
Many of our stops took us through haunting burnscapes — blackened trunks from the July 2024 wildfire standing stark against a bruised sky.
Mike told us about his experience during the terrible fire that wiped out many homes and businesses in Jasper.
On a positive note, the residents of Jasper are rebuilding. Just over a year later, you’ll see evidence of the fire everywhere in the form of burned trees and vacant lots, but you’ll also see a lot of rebuilding, with almost all hotels and restaurants again welcoming visitors.
Wildlife Encounter
On the way back toward Jasper, Mike’s eagle eyes spotted elk grazing in a river valley. He parked and led us down a narrow path bordered by burned trunks, and pointed out a safe vantage point from which to watch a female elk pick her way across the river, her reflection shimmering in the current.
I snap a few photos with my iPhone zoomed to the max, but the results are just okay compared to the shots below that Mike took with his professional camera and large zoom lens. Beautiful!
Elk taken October 4, 2025, Mike GereElk taken October 4, 2025, Mike Gere
Looking at Mike’s photos makes me think about taking up photography with a decent camera again! Perhaps one day.
What We Learned (and What You Will, Too)
Even a short two-hour tour left us with a surprising amount of new knowledge — and confidence.
I finally learned how to use Live Mode on my iPhone to photograph flowing water, then apply loop, bounce, or blur effects.
Mike showed me how to dial in scene brightness before pressing the shutter — a small trick that makes a big difference.
Julia’s understanding of exposure, composition, and creative framing sharpened significantly during our session.
Even as a so-called “non-photographer,” I was given thoughtful pointers on framing and lighting. Mike has a gift for meeting people exactly where they are.
Tours on Offer at Jasper Photo Tours
On their website, Mike and Beth offer a well-rounded lineup of photographic experiences, suited to all levels and interests. Here’s a sampling of available tours:
Tour Type
Duration & Price*
What You’ll Do
Intro to Photography (2 hrs)
CA$210
A beginner-focused workshop covering fundamentals — ideal for newcomers
Night Photography Tour (2 hrs)
CA$210
Shoot in Jasper’s Dark Sky Preserve, learn long exposures, star trails, aurora opportunities
Wildlife Photography Tour (3 hrs)
CA$315
Head to prime wildlife zones, with more time to wait, stalk, and capture animal moments
8-Hour Icefields Tour
All day
Venture along the Icefields Parkway, glacier views, sweeping landscapes
* Prices as listed on Jasper Photo Tours’ “Book a Tour” page in Canadian dollars.
Mike and Beth keep groups intimate — no more than three photographers per tour, ensuring personalized instruction. And non-photographer companions can tag along for free.
Our Evening: Night Skies & Jasper SkyTram
Inspired by Mike’s encouragement, Julia and I decided to continue our photo adventure that evening by signing up for the Jasper SkyTram Night Sky Experience.
Jasper SkyTram offers special night-sky excursions on Saturday evenings in September and Friday/Saturday evenings in October — timed perfectly for sunset and stargazing.
As the sun dipped, the peaks blushed gold and pink. We walked around the boardwalk encircling the restaurant at the top of the SkyTram to capture dozens of shots of the spectacular view. Here are just a few.
Once darkness fell, we joined astronomers from the Jasper Planetarium, who had set up telescopes along the boardwalk. We gazed at the moon, stars, and almost glimpsed Saturn before clouds rolled in.
Inside the tram-top restaurant where we retreated to warm up with hot chocolates, I noticed several large night-sky and aurora images taken by Mike Gere.
In Jasper, everyone seems to know everyone. When we mentioned to one of the astronomers that we’d taken a photography tour that morning, he smiled knowingly — “Ah, with Mike? He’s up here shooting right now.” He pointed to the icy path leading away from the boardwalk and around the side of the mountain.
Why I Recommend Jasper Photo Tours
Tailored instruction – Small groups mean lessons match your pace and interests.
Access to hidden gems – Explore early-morning and off-the-beaten-path locations.
Creative learning – You’ll deepen both technique and storytelling through your lens.
Welcoming to non-photographers – Companions are free to join and still learn.
Dark Sky advantage – Jasper’s pristine night skies make for stunning astrophotography.
If you’re visiting Jasper, whether as a dedicated photographer or a curious traveler, I can’t recommend Jasper Photo Tours enough. You’ll leave not only with better pictures, but with a deeper appreciation for the rhythm of light, landscape, and creativity itself.
Best Season: May–October for landscapes; October for Dark Sky stargazing
Book Early: Spots fill quickly during fall foliage and aurora season
Final Reflection
As someone who usually points and shoots with an iPhone, I didn’t expect to come away from a morning photo tour in the mountains feeling so creatively charged.
But that’s the beauty of Jasper Photo Tours — they meet you where you are and help you see and appreciate the world in front of you.
For more about photography tours, check out my post about the photography tour I enjoyed in Rome a few weeks before traveling to Jasper:
Moms and daughters can make excellent travel companions. If you’re looking for a special way to celebrate your relationship with your mom or your daughter, consider a rail journey with Rocky Mountaineer.
Away from your daily lives, you can relax and enjoy each other’s company while you gaze at the spectacular scenery sliding past your window, explore interesting locations together, and soak up new experiences.
My Daughter and Me
Since my daughter Julia was five years old, I’ve taken trips just with her—from two-day visits to nearby Victoria, BC, when she was little to exploring England when she was 14, riding the rails around Japan when she was 18, and in recent years, exploring Costa Rica, Greece, and Iceland.
One of our most delightful mother-daughter bonding experiences has been the two journeys we’ve taken on the iconic Rocky Mountaineer:
Two-day Journey Through the Clouds from Vancouver to Jasper via Kamloops (2023)
Three-day Rainforest to Gold Rush from Vancouver to Quesnel to Jasper (2025)
In this post, I share my experience on the three-day Rainforest to Gold Rush journey I recently enjoyed on the Rocky Mountaineer.
At 8:30 am, we board the Rocky Mountaineer from a nondescript railyard in North Vancouver, not far from Julia’s apartment. Day 1 is short with just three hours on the train to cover about 90 miles. But it’s packed full of breathtaking scenic beauty.
We settle into our roomy GoldLeaf dome seats and start exploring the various comfort buttons. The massive glass windows arch high overhead, so as soon as the train gets underway, I feel like I’m floating through the trees.
West Vancouver
Within minutes, we leave behind the industrial rail yards and skirt Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver, one of Canada’s wealthiest neighborhoods. Moss-draped trees frame glimpses of ocean and gorgeous homes clinging to the cliffs.
We pass Bowen Island where I live (pictured below) brooding under the leaden clouds.
There’s so much to look at that I spend most of my time snapping photos and oohing and aahing at the spectacular beauty of this corner of the world.
I’m entranced—and I live here!
Along the Sea to Sky Highway
Even in a drizzly west coast rain, the route along the Sea to Sky Highway is stunning. To the left as we head north is the glassy expanse of Howe Sound and to the right rise sheer cliffs.
Food on the Rocky Mountaineer
The Rocky Mountaineer is justifiably famous for its food and hospitality. Two meals are provided on full days and one on the shorter first day. Each carriage divides its 70 guests into two sittings. On the first day, we are scheduled for the later breakfast. The next day, we’ll be in the first seating.
While we wait, we’re served hot drinks (the coffee is excellent) along with warm cranberry bread drizzled with lemon sauce. Around 10:30 am, the cheerful hosts invite us down to the dining car, where choices include eggs benedict, smoked salmon avocado toast, pancakes, and chia pudding (my favorite, pictured below).
Practical tip:
GoldLeaf service includes all meals, drinks, and snacks. Dietary restrictions can be accommodated if noted at booking.
Arriving in Whistler
By noon, we’re pulling into Whistler Creekside. I wax nostalgic with my daughter (part of the mother-daughter bonding experience) about my first visit back in the 1970s, when Whistler was barely ten years old.
In those days, we skied in blue jeans no matter how cold the weather got, and a day pass cost $7. Nowadays, a day pass costs around $300. Mind you, skiers now get access to dozens of runs on two mountains (Whistler and Blackcomb) instead of only the handful of runs available on Whistler at the time, so comparatively speaking, it’s probably still a bargain.
The sleek Creekside area looks much different with its modern condos, cafés, and shops. In 1973, I remember a gas station, a pub, the hostel where I stayed, and that’s about it.
Staying in Whistler
A fleet of buses whisks us to our accommodations. We’re staying at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Whistler Villages Suites, centrally located in the village. (Luggage is delivered directly to your room—a helpful touch.)
We drop our day packs and head out to explore. The sun bursts forth to burnish the fall colors of the beautifully landscaped Whistler village.
Whistler VillageFirst Nations SculptureUpper Village
Exploring Whistler
I’d hoped to visit the Audain Art Gallery but alas, it’s closed on Wednesdays. Instead, we explore the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in the Upper Village. The informative film and guided tour introduce us to cedar canoe traditions, animal pelts (the ferret one is unbelievably soft!), and the rich culture of the First Nations people who have lived here for millennia.
Squamish-Lil’wat CentreJulia & a Mounain GoatTwo Bears
We stroll back through the village to shop to pick up souvenirs for my great-niece and brand new great-nephew before checking in to the hotel. Our spacious suite includes a separate bedroom, along with a full kitchen and cozy living area.
Guided Activities in Whistler
If you have time while in Whistler, consider one of these activities. I did the zip lining adventure on another trip to Whistler with my daughter and can highly recommend it for those craving a bit of excitement. It was definitely a good mother-daughter bonding experience!
We enjoy dinner at Brickworks, conveniently located in our hotel. Since it’s off season, a dinner deal is offered—three generous courses for $45.
I start with mussels from Prince Edward Island swimming in a cream broth so good I want to lick the bowl. Next is perfectly cooked duck breast with potatoes and salad. It’s a lot of food and I struggle valiantly to at least finish the duck. Julia orders the chicken and is defeated halfway through her dinner.
Brickworks is known for its gin, though I opt for rum-based cocktails since gin is my least favorite spirit.
The server helpfully suggests we get our desserts to go since we are both full to bursting. I order the carrot cake; Julia orders the chocolate cake. They arrive conveniently boxed up and we return to our room.
With a six a.m. wake-up call pending, we get to bed early, although the excitement of the day keeps me awake until the wee hours.
Day 2: Whistler to Quesnel
We’re in the lobby at 6:30 am, and then out into the teeming rain to catch the bus. A 35-minute drive in the dark takes us to Pemberton where the train awaits.
As the sky begins to lighten, we see a group of schoolchildren waving us off, as they apparently do every week during the season. It’s a small, heartwarming ritual that feels very Canadian.
The train sets off and we prepare for a 12-hour day of gliding through some of BC’s most spectacular scenery. I’ve never traveled through the region north of Whistler so I’m excited to explore a new-to-me part of my province.
Lakes, Lakes, and More Lakes
We skirt the edge of Anderson Lake for several kilometers. To our left are craggy slabs of granite so close they threaten to scrape the dome as we pass. Trees sprout at unlikely angles, their silhouettes stark against the sky .
To our right the gleaming waters of Anderson Lake stretch to phalanxes of forested peaks disappearing into the mist. Occasionally, the sun breaks through to kiss the craggy summits.
Slowly, the dense rainforest gives way to dry, tawny hills.
Into the Desert
From green glacier lakes and dark green trees, the landscape transforms. Grey-green sagebrush tumbles down hillsides painted in twenty shades of brown—from light beige to rust red.
We are entering the great interior desert—an ecosystem that stretches from British Columbia to Mexico.
Every so often, I descend to the outdoor viewing platform on the first level of the two-level train. We are fortunate to be seated in the last car and so have a clear view of the rails speeding off into the distance.
Over the three days, I snap a lot of photos of receding tracks.
The Cariboo Plateau
By early afternoon, we reach the Cariboo Plateau. For the rest of the day, we’ll traverse this stunning region of rolling hills and big skies. We are taking the journey in early October, so the predominant colors are sizzling yellows and oranges, punctuated occasionally by pops of flame red.
One of the hosts tells us he never tires of this view because it changes constantly—from snow-capped spring to flower-bright summer to blazing fall.
Lunch today is a highlight: salmon with a glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc for me, pork tenderloin for Julia, followed by lavender lemon posset and blueberry cheesecake.
Somewhere near Williams Lake, I doze off, rocked by the rhythm of the rails.
North to Quesnel
Golden aspens flash by as the sun dips low. Near Soda Creek, we pass through an area that in 2017 was the epicenter of a massive forest fire, one of the biggest in BC history at the time.
There is something immensely soothing about riding at a sedate pace along tracks so high they skim the tops of the trees. The views in the golden evening light are breathtaking.
Although I’ve been on the train now since 8 am and it’s now almost 6 pm, I don’t feel bored or particularly hankering to get off. What with getting up frequently to snap photos from the outdoor viewing platform and just relaxing and enjoying the view, the time passes pleasantly.
We’re told that our arrival in Quesnel will be slightly delayed so a dinner service is offered to those who wish it. We say yes, of course.
Sunset descends over the Caribou Plateau; the shimmering light providing plenty of opportunities for spectacular photos.
Overnight in Quesnel
We pull into Quesnel and see people waving. Our host tells us how generous and welcoming the people of Quesnel have consistently been during the twenty-five years that the Rainforest to Goldrush route has been running.
After disembarking, we hop on the bus for the fifteen minute drive to the Sandman Hotel. It’s located out on the highway so there’s not much around except chain restaurants, a 7-11, and a Walmart. We head out for a much-needed walk.
It’s to bed early again in preparation for a 6:45 am departure on day 3.
Day 3: Quesnel to Jasper
Morning brings mist, marshes, and forests glowing with golden fall colors.
The landscape inspires me to wax nostalgic (more mother-daughter bonding) about the year I spent in Mackenzie, a pulp mill town located about a hundred miles north of Prince George, which is on our route.
This forest is similar to the landscape I remember from that year. It was my first year of teaching high school back in 1979. I wasn’t cut out for life in the North and relocated to Vancouver to teach for two more years before quitting to seek my fortune in Toronto.
The rain blurs the windows, but the beauty outside still shines through.
Marshes, Beavers, and Quiet Contemplation
We spot beaver dams, shimmering lakes, and evergreens punctuated by bright aspens. Our hosts—Naomi from Ireland and Avi from Vancouver—share stories about the region’s history and wildlife.
Commentary is light, informative, amusing, and never intrusive. There’s ample time just to be and watch the world go by.
Drinks & Snacks
Between meals, the hosts circulate with drinks and snacks. I stick mostly to mocktails and soda water, although I try one Caesar (verdict: not for me).
Meals on Day 3
Breakfast is chia pudding again and lunch is melt-in-your-mouth beef short rib. Every dish is prepared fresh onboard by the carriage’s own chef—an impressive feat considering the train’s gentle sway.
Mount Robson and Arrival in Jasper
Late afternoon brings us to Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. As usual, a portion of its summit hides behind clouds, but the mountain is majestic nonetheless.
As we near Jasper and the end of our journey, the chef comes upstairs and serves us a freshly-baked cookie still warm from the oven.
For most of the journey, Julia has been crocheting a blue and gold train. She finishes it just in time for one of the hosts to show it off to the rest of the guests.
Time in Jasper
We bid farewell to the wonderful Rocky Mountaineer crew and head to our hotel, the Lobstick Lodge. The lodge is a good choice if you’re on a budget (like we are), but if you really want to splash out, check into the luxurious Jasper Park Lodge.
If you take the Rocky Mountaineer to Jasper, I recommend spending at least one full day exploring the town and surroundings.
On our last trip in 2023, Julia and I took a tour to Maligne Lake and Maligne Canyon. Unfortunately, Maligne Canyon is currently closed while Parks Canada assesses the fire damage resulting from the devastating fire of 2024 that destroyed half the town of Jasper.
Fortunately, Maligne Lake and the boat tours are still operating. Here is an option from GetYourGuide:
On this trip, we opted to take a morning photography tour with Jasper Photo Tours and then in the late afternoon took the Jasper SkyTram to the top of the mountain. We were blown away by stupendous views of the surrounding peaks glowing in the setting sun.
🌲 Top Five Reasons to Take the Rainforest to Gold Rush
Ever-Changing Landscapes – From misty rainforests to desert canyons to alpine peaks, this route is a moving art gallery of British Columbia’s wild beauty.
Unparalleled Comfort – GoldLeaf Service offers panoramic dome windows, gourmet meals, and hosts who remember your name and your favorite drink.
Slow Travel at Its Finest – No rush, no stress—just the rhythmic lull of rails and the joy of watching the world go by at a sedate pace.
Deep Connection – Whether you’re traveling with a parent, partner, or friend, uninterrupted time together fosters real conversation and memory-making.
Photography Heaven – The outdoor viewing platform and shifting light offer endless opportunities for iconic shots.
Practical Information
Route: Vancouver → Whistler → Quesnel → Jasper
Duration: 3 days / 2 nights
Season: Runs from late April through early October
Included: Meals, drinks, snacks, hotels in Whistler and Quesnel, luggage transfer
Dress Code: Casual layers; bring a light rain jacket for West Coast weather
Booking: Reserve at least 6 months ahead, especially for GoldLeaf class in peak season
Final Thoughts
If you’re on the fence about taking this journey with your daughter, your son, your spouse, or a friend—jump off the fence and book. You won’t regret it.
The Rocky Mountaineer isn’t just a train; it’s a slow, luxurious ribbon tying together nature, nostalgia, and meaningful connection.
Here are some more posts about my home country of Canada:
Rome, with its sumptuous churches, lively street scenes, and evocative Roman ruins, is a photographer’s dream destination. If you’re looking for a unique thing to do in Rome, consider booking a photography tour with Rome Photo Fun Tours.
With professional photographer Giulio d’Ercole of Rome Photo Fun Tours, you’ll learn how to take images that are well-framed, beautifully lit, and truly memorable.
Giulio offers some of the best photo tours in Rome, from half-day and full-day city walks to multi-day photography adventures across Italy. His group tours are kept intentionally small (no more than four people), or you can opt for a private tour, which I did. Giulio’s stunning photo of Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome is at the top of this post.
Giulio’s tours are open to everyone—from amateurs with a smartphone to serious photographers with professional gear. His tours are energetic, comprehensive, and packed full of valuable tips.
I recently joined Giulio on his Rome Churches, Angels, and Art Photo Tour, a 4-hour exploration that took me through seven of the city’s most photogenic churches and hidden corners. Armed only with my iPhone, I came away with sharper skills, a camera roll full of artistic shots, and a fresh perspective on Rome.
Full disclosure: While I paid for my tour with Giulio (money well spent!), I do receive a small commission if you click on any link to Giulio’s tour site and purchase a tour. Thank you!
📸 Photography Tour Itinerary: Rome Churches, Angels & Art Tour
Santa Maria Maggiore – Golden ceilings, pilgrims, and basilica grandeur
Santa Prassede – Byzantine mosaics
San Pietro in Vincoli – Michelangelo’s Moses
Santi Apostoli – Underground frescoes and hidden Christian history
Street Scenes & Ruins – Cobblestone alleys, ivy-draped balconies, and a taste of ancient Rome
Sant’Ignazio – Trompe l’oeil ceiling illusions and a year-round nativity scene
San Luigi dei Francesi – Caravaggio’s masterpieces
Sant’Agnese in Agone – Baroque ceilings on Piazza Navona
Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers – Sculptural storytelling
Why Take a Photography Tour in Rome?
A Rome photography tour is the perfect way to see the Eternal City through a new lens—literally. Instead of rushing from one monument to the next, you slow down, observe details, and learn techniques from a professional.
Here’s how my morning with Giulio played out, starting at 8:30 am in front of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Santa Maria Maggiore
The crowds are already starting to swell at the security checkpoint when I arrive and meet up with Giulio d’Ercole, owner of Rome Photo Fun Tours.
It’s Jubilee year and a Saturday, so busloads of pilgrims have arrived from all around Italy. Many wear matching scarves printed with the name of their diocese.
Giulio leads me into the massive basilica and quickly gets down to business. He starts by showing me how to take a good picture of the stunning ceilings.
Giulio shares that he likes taking pictures of people and points out some church-related subject ideas such as pictures of people in the confessionals.
I’ve generally avoided taking pictures of people, so Giulio’s perspective is new to me. He tells me not to be shy, and over the course of the morning, I get bolder and snap a few candid shots of my own.
👉 Tip I Learned:Don’t be afraid to include people in your photos. Candid moments often bring a story to life.
Santa Prassede
We go next to Santa Prassade, a church that features several amazing Byzantine mosaics (my favorite kind!).
This church is less crowded, giving us more opportunities to compose pictures without jostling for position.
I learn “not to be lazy” and walk closer to a subject to take a picture of it rather than depending on the camera’s zoom feature to get a shot that lacks resolution.
Here are a few of my shots of the mosaics at Santa Prassade.
👉 Tip I Learned:Zoom with your feet. Walk closer to the subject for sharper, more detailed images.
San Pietro in Vincoli
We hop into Giulio’s car and drive over to San Pietro in Vincoli to see Michelangelo’s statue of Moses. Giulio explains how it was sculpted from one piece of marble and positioned to catch the light.
He talks about telling a story of a subject that takes the viewer from the whole subject to a series of closeups.
👉 Tip I Learned:Tell a visual story by moving from wide shots to close-ups. Create a narrative, not just a snapshot.
Outside the church, Giulio stops at one of Rome’s many water fountains called nasoni. I’ve heard of these, but never used them. He demonstrates how to get a drink and tells me how the city began installing them in the 1870s to provide a free and public water supply.
Here’s Giulio demonstrating how to get a drink from a nasoni.
Santimissimi Apostoli
This church is my favorite of the seven churches we visit. It is built over an early Christian church that includes many remarkable Roman-style frescoes. We descend below the altar and have the shadowy hallways and chapels of the early church to ourselves.
While I take pictures of the Roman-era paintings, I enjoy listening to the orchestra that is rehearsing in the main church above us.
Thanks to Giulio’s example, I am learning how to look for new and different perspectives, and so snap this photo of the cello cases lined up alongside the pews.
👉 Tip I Learned:Look for unusual perspectives and contrasts—details often tell the most powerful stories.
Street Scenes and Roman Ruins
On our way between churches, we veer down some lovely cobbled streets that hint at what Rome used to be like before so many of the buildings were turned into tourist apartments.
Giulio shares how Rome now is very different from the Rome he knew growing up in the 1970s.
Meanwhile, I’m learning to ‘not be shy’ and snap a candid photo of a priest walking down the street.
Millions of visitors are taking a toll on Rome’s communities. Many businesses have closed over the years and families moved out to make way for short term rental apartments, souvenir stores, and restaurants. Even so, Rome’s side streets are still magical. One minute you can be part of a throng of tourists streaming across the cobblestones, and the next you’re completely alone on a narrow street that looks like it hasn’t changed in centuries.
We pause to take pictures of buildings draped in greenery.
👉 Tip I Learned:Don’t just shoot monuments. Capture the everyday street details that give a city its soul.
We emerge on to the Via dei Fori Imperiali and while we walk past Roman ruins, Giulio shares his extensive knowledge of Roman history, particularly the rise (and fall) of fascism in the 20th century and Mussolini’s attempts to bring Rome’s glorious past into the present.
Sant’Ignazio
Giulio sets a brisk pace and soon we’re off again to the next church—Sant Ignazio. This is one of Rome’s more popular churches and is therefore quite crowded.
One of the attractions is the remarkable Baroque ceiling. Giulio points out the trompe l’oeil effects and explains how the black dome that looks like a dome at the beginning of the nave is shown to be flat-painted when we move to the center of the church.
We retreat to the quieter side chapels where Giulio encourages me to explore how light hits statues and to focus on only one or two elements.
San Luigi dei Francesi
I am looking forward to checking out the famous trio of Caravaggio paintings in San Luigi dei Francesi. With the morning well advanced, the crowds have increased considerably and I need to wait my turn to get a shot.
The light is too glaring on the central figure, but I manage to take a few photos, including this one. which is my favorite of the three paintings.
I’ve seen quite a few Caravaggios during my visits to Rome (most notably at the Museo Borghese) and have grown to appreciate Caravaggio’s use of light, the movement he imbues his figures with, and his depiction of everyday people instead of idealized figures.
Sant’Agnese in Agone & Piazza Navona
Our final stop is Sant’Agnese in Agone, where Giulio once again has me look up to capture the magnificent ceiling details.
We end a wonderful (and packed) morning by circumnavigating Bernini’s famous Four Rivers fountain in Piazza Navona. Giulio stops at each of the four statues and unravels the many clues that Bernini sculpted into the statues to indicate which river each statue represents. I learn that only the statue representing Europe has its face turned to the viewer.
I snap pictures of the blinding white marble against a very blue Roman sky.
Practical Details for Your Rome Photography Tour
Here’s what to expect when you take a photography tour with Rome Photo Fun Tours.
Length: 4 hours
Pace: Brisk—expect thousands of steps
Group size: Max 4 people
Skill level: Beginners to advanced
Equipment: DSLR, mirrorless, or smartphone all welcome
Insider tip: Don’t zoom—step closer to your subject for clarity
Final Thoughts
My Rome photography tour with Giulio was intense, inspiring, and absolutely worth it. I walked thousands of steps, took dozens of photos, and most importantly, learned how to see Rome differently.
Whether you’re a serious photographer with advanced gear or an iPhone shooter like me, this is one of the best photography experiences in Rome and a refreshingly unique thing to do in one of Europe’s most heavily touristed cities, Giulio adapts his instructions to every skill level and makes sure you leave with sharper skills and memorable images.
✨ If you’re planning a trip to Rome, don’t just take photos—learn how to make them unforgettable. Book a photography tour in Rome and capture the Eternal City through an artist’s lens.
The small city of Piacenza in the Emilia-Romana region of northern Italy is the perfect place for travelers looking for a bit of peace and quiet. Think of a stay here as a vacation from your vacation.
If you love hordes of tourists, tacky souvenir shops, exhausted locals, and cardboard food, don’t come to Piacenza. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for empty cobbled streets, zero tourists, friendly locals, and excellent food, then Piacenza is a great place to spend two or three nights.
That’s enough time to settle in, soak up the atmosphere, visit museums, and stroll without purpose. The centre (“centro storico”) is compact and largely traffic-free (especially inside the ZTL). Staying there means you can walk almost everywhere.
My Experience in Piacenza
I’ve never visited a European city that required so little effort to enjoy as Piacenza. The museums I visited were interesting, but not world-class block busters; the public buildings are attractive but not iconic; and there are no must-see sites which means, as mentioned earlier, there are very few tourists.
I stayed in Piacenza for four full days and five nights and I never once ran into another English-speaking visitor. I noticed a few Europeans tourists wandering around, guidebooks in hand, and a few with walking sticks doing the via Francigena Camino, but that was about it.
While most of the shopkeepers and restaurants workers I encountered spoke little English, all were friendly and helpful and made me feel welcome.
Where to Stay in Piacenza
I recommend staying right in the centro so you can feel like a temporary local. I stayed in an apartment in the Palazzina Scotti, and it was perfect. The price was reasonable, the place was beautifully renovated, and the location, about eight minutes walk from the Piazza Cavalli, was ideal.
Here are some other options:
The Heart of Piacenza: Piazza Cavalli & More
The central piazza in Piacenza is Piazza Cavalli, dominated by two impressive bronze horse statues (by Francesco Mochi and Pietro Tacca) that mark the power and legacy of the Farnese family.
Around the square are stately palazzi, shops, and cafés with outdoor tables that are great places for hanging out and people-watching, reading, or simply absorbing the rhythm of daily life in the city.
Early morning or late afternoon light brings out warm tones in the façades; midday, shade under awnings and the sound of church bells. This piazza is the living room of Piacenza: elegant, relaxed, and welcoming.
Museums in Piacenza
From Piazza Cavalli you can stroll to the duomo, narrow lanes, hidden courtyards, and eventually reach the two major museums: the Musei Civici di Palazzo Farnese and the Galleria d’arte moderna Ricci Oddi. Both are easy to walk to from the centre.
Musei Civici di Palazzo Farnese
A grand palace turned multi-museums under one roof, Palazzo Farnese houses several thematic collections including archaeology, medieval & Renaissance art, carriages, Risorgimento history, and decorative arts.
You’ll pretty much have the place to yourself. Wander from room to room, enjoying the well-presented exhibits with explanations in both Italian and English. Here are some of my favorite areas of the museum.
Archeological Museum
This was my favorite part of the Musei Civica di Palazzo Farnes. There is an extensive collection of Roman and Etruscan artifacts in several dimly lit rooms.
The Liver of Piacenza
In a special room is displayed an incredibly well-preserved model of an Etruscan divinatory liver AKA the Liver of Piacenza. Discovered in 1877 near Piacenza, this bronze model of a sheep’s liver dates from the 1st-2nd century BC.
The liver of Piacenza was used to teach a person who wished to become a harupsex (a diviner) how to inspect the entrails of sacrificed animals to divine the will of the gods. The model shows how specific sections of the liver corresponded to different gods and celestial regions.
It’s incredibly detailed and in amazing shape considering its age.
Ancient Glassware
I also loved the selection of glass objects dating from Roman times. I still can’t believe that something so delicate as glass has lasted for over 2000 years, but I’ve seen examples of glass from Roman times in the glass museum in Murano and the Archeological Museum in Naples, to name just two museums of many.
Medieval Frescoes
The museum includes a striking collection of medieval frescoes that have been detached from churches in and around Piacenza. I have a soft spot for medieval frescoes, and the collection at this museum is quite extensive with many well-preserved frescoes.
Carriage Museum
Don’t miss the wonderful collection of old carriages that fills several vaulted rooms below ground. Encouraged by the enthusiastic guard, we strolled past carriages from the 18th and19th centuries.
My great-grandfather was a coachman in Devon, England, so I was particularly interested in the coaches from the late 1880s.
Also included in the museum is the Risorgimento collections consisting of uniforms, documents, and publications from mid-19th century Italy when the country was moving toward unification.
You’ll also find displays of weapons from earlier centuries, decorative arts (glass and ceramics), and paintings that show off the Farnese wealth.
Practical Information
Hours: Tuesday through Friday 10:00-13:00 and 15:00-18:00; Saturday & Sunday 10:00-18:00; closed Monday.
Admission: Full ticket €10. Reduced €7
Galleria d’arte moderna Ricci Oddi
The Ricci Oddi gallery is an airy and peaceful art oasis near the centro that’s worth an hour or two of your time.
Founded by Giuseppe Ricci Oddi in the early 20th century, the gallery’s collection spans mostly Italian painters of the 19th and early 20th centuries, with some international works.
You won’t find any blockbuster paintings here apart from a painting by Klimt, but you will find a comprehensive and beautifully displayed collection spread across several large and uncrowded rooms.
I enjoyed the opportunity to discover many new-to-me artists.
Highlights of Galleria d’arte modern Ricci Oddi
The most famous painting in the gallery is “Portrait of a Lady” by Gustav Klimt, which was stolen in 1997 and recovered in 2019. It’s a stunner, to be sure. Check out the way in which Klimt captures the gauziness of the figure’s shawl.
This gorgeous, light-drenched painting by Amedeo Bocchi is called La Colazione Del Mattino (Breakfast in the Morning) and was painted in 1919.
The collection includes quite a few interesting portraits, with this one by Giacomo Grosso particularly arresting. Check out the loose brush strokes and the compelling eyes of the model. The painting is called Occhi Neri (“Black Eyes”) and was painted in 1895.
The collection also includes several excellent seascapes and landscapes. I was attracted to the sunny waves depicted in this painting by Giorgio Belloni called Mareggiata. A date was not specified, but since the artist died in 1944, I’m guessing the painting was done around 1900.
Practical Information
Hours: Closed Monday. Tuesday-Thursday: 9:30-13:00. Friday-Sunday: 9:30-18:00. Note: some mornings only; Friday onward includes afternoon hours.
Admission: Full price €9.00; reduced €5.00; schools €3.00.
How to Schedule Your Museum Visits
You could visit the Farnese in a morning (say 10:00-13:00) and then have lunch. In the afternoon, go to Ricci Oddi. You can book guided tours or check when free guided tours are offered (often weekends).
Here’s a guide to Piacenza you can download through GetYourGuide
The Iron Gates of Piacenza
For me, one of the highlights of my four full days in Piacenza was strolling around and snapping photos of the many gorgeous iron gates that guarded almost every every building in the centro, including the building I stayed in.
Every gate was different and many fronted beautiful courtyards with gardens that were tantalizingly glimpsed from the street.
Here’s a selection of some of the many gates I photographed.
Three Good Restaurants in the Centro
Here are three highly recommended places in the centro storico of Piacenza, where you’ll get good food, atmosphere, good service.
Name
What to Expect & Why It’s Good
Tre Ganasce
An Italian restaurant with strong local flavor: antipasti, meats, specialties of the Piacenza region. Friendly service, generous portions. A favorite with locals and visitors alike.
Antica Trattoria dell’Angelo
Family-run, authentic. Traditional Piacentine dishes like agnolotti in brodo, perhaps horse meat (depending on season/menu), local pastas and mains. Good value.
Trattoria La Forchetta
More casual, great for lunch or dinner without fuss. The pasta is good, service friendly, portions satisfying. If you want unpretentious but excellent food in the centre, this is a safe choice.
Conclusion
Have you visited Piacenza? Share your suggestions for other artsy travelers in the Comments below.
Here are some more posts about some of the lesser visited (but still awesome) Italian cities:
