Musee d'Orsay

Musée d’Orsay in Paris: An Inspiring Must-See for the Artsy Traveler

Artsy Sightseeing, Destinations, Europe, Get Inspired, Netherlands carolcram Leave a Comment on Musée d’Orsay in Paris: An Inspiring Must-See for the Artsy Traveler

Last updated on October 31st, 2023 at 08:33 am

I don’t think I’ve ever not visited the Musée d’Orsay on any of my many trips to Paris. The museum never disappoints, no matter how many times I walk through the grand hall on the main floor and ride the escalators to view the outstanding collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art on the 5th floor.

The Musée d’Orsay is more than a must-see for me. It’s akin to a pilgrimage! It certainly ranks as one of my all-time-favorite European museums. In this post, I share my favorite pieces at the Musée d’Orsay. If you’re visiting during tourist season, make sure you reserve in advance to avoid line-ups (more on that later).

Location of the Musée d’Orsay

The map below shows the location of the Musée d’Orsay (#1) in Paris. Also shown is the location of the Louvre (#2), the Cluny (#3), the Pompidou (#4), and that of the huge apartment we stayed in on rue de Sevres on the Left Bank (#5) during our week in Paris in September 2023. Although pricey, the apartment is excellent value because of its size and central location. Compared to a typical hotel room in Paris, it’s almost a bargain (not that bargain is an appropriate word for any accommodations in the center of Paris).

This map was created with Wanderlog, a trip planner on iOS and Android

Touring the Musée d’Orsay

The Musée d’Orsay is a converted railway station and as such, part of its attraction is the massive atrium that stretches the length of the museum and is filled with light and sculptures. Long galleries run either side of the atrium and contain mostly academic paintings from the 19th century. Some of these rooms are skippable, unless you’re a fan of the overly florid, heroic style popular during the mid-19th century. However, make sure you pop into the galleries to the left that include several masterpieces by Courbet and Millais.

Most visitors head for the far end of the atrium and take a series of escalators to the fifth floor where they find room after room of works by all the late-19th century biggies–Manet, Monet, Renoir, van Gogh, Morisot, and more.

In the following round-up of some of my favorite works in the Musée d’Orsay, I present works according to artist rather than the order in which you’ll encounter them while walking through the museum. All of the works mentioned are in the collection on the fifth floor.

Edouard Manet

The Musée d’Orsay includes several iconic pieces by Edouard Manet in its collection. I zeroed in on two of them as representative of my favorite aspects of his work. I like the way he flattens the planes and uses a fairly neutral palette. Even bright colors such as red and blue have gray undertones. Manet’s work always seems much more understated than the work of some of his contemporaries like Monet and especially Renoir.

Sur la Plage by Manet

Manet’s wife and brother sit on the beach—she is reading and he is staring out at the boats sailing along the English Channel. By making the sky take up a very small percentage of the painting, the focus is on the beach itself and the figures. Manet’s sketchy, fluid brushstrokes makes the scene look like a snapshot in time, as though at any moment the figures will shift position.

Sur la Plage by Manet at the Musèe d’Orsay in Paris

Dejeuner sur l’herbe by Manet

I’m not alone in loving this piece, which has been reproduced countless times and analyzed within an inch of its life. Manet painted it in 1863 and included it in the Salon des Refusés along with other artists who were excluded from the Salon (the exhibition of all the accepted painters of the day). Manet’s large painting shocked critics and the public because it represented such a marked departure from the academic tradition of only depicting mythological figures as nudes. In this painting, there is a naked woman next to two men wearing modern dress. She looks brazenly out at the viewer as if to dare them to be shocked. The work was deemed to be obscene not only because of its subject matter but because of its loose brushstrokes, contempt for the rules of perspective, and violent contrasts. Nowadays, we consider it a masterpiece, and it is certainly arresting.

Dejeuner sur l'herbe by Manet at the Musèe d’Orsay in Paris

Paul Gauguin

Gauguin’s paintings always make me smile. He combines bright colors in sometimes startling ways and depicts his figures and his landscapes with a flattened perspective that gives them a pleasing immediacy, as though they could easily step out of the canvas. Gauguin’s work is exhibited alongside several other painters of the Pont-Aven School. On our 2023 trip to Europe, we headed to Pont-Aven after we left Paris, mostly because Gregg is fascinated by the work that was done there by painters such as Gauguin, Bernard, and Sérusier, and wanted to be inspired by the same landscape that inspired them.

Paysage de Bretagne by Gauguin

This beautiful landscape of a typical scene in Brittany practically glows. The red and orange bushes on the mid-section contrast intensely with the blue sky and bright green foreground.

Paysage de Bretange by Gauguin at the Musèe d’Orsay in Paris

La Belle Angèle by Gauguin

Gauguin completed this portrait of Marie-Angélique Satre in 1889. He depicts the woman in traditional dress in a composition reminiscent of both Japanese prints and medieval stained-glass windows. Perhaps as a nod to his Peruvian heritage (his mother was born in Peru), Gauguin includes a Peruvian-inspired piece of pottery next to his model.

La Belle Angele by Gauguin at the Musèe d’Orsay in Paris

Émile Bernard

Bernard was another painter in the Pont-Aven School. Called Les Bretonnes aux ombrelles, this striking depiction of Breton women wearing traditional dress shows how Bernard, as a post-impressionist, ignored perspective, instead filling both the foreground and the background with his figures, bringing them into prominence. I’m reminded of medieval paintings where the figures take precedence over perspective.

Bretonnes aux ombrelles by Emile Bernard from the Pont-Aven school at the Musèe d’Orsay in Paris

Paul Sérusier

Another member of the Pont-Aven School, Sérusier has become one of my faves from this period. His work almost borders on abstraction and I love how he uses color.

Le champ de blé d’or et de sarrasin by Sérusier

This golden field takes up almost the entire painting, with just a bit at the top for the sky. I feel like I could walk straight into it and be instantly enveloped in a riot of flowers.

Le champ de ble d’or et de sarrasin by Serusier at the Musèe d’Orsay in Paris

Tetrahedra by Sérusier

Painted around 1910, this piece showing floating objects in a formless space is part of a cycle of pictures by Sérusier that pushed the boundaries of Symbolism towards abstraction. Sérusier believed that geometric forms were sacred and in this painting he depicts his thinking on the origins of life and the universe. The chromatic range of colors progresses towards the light, passing from the coldest to the warmest shades. The painting is just a delight!

Tetrahedra by Serusier at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Vincent van Gogh

It’s never difficult to spot a painting by van Gogh in the Musée d’Orsay since there’s always a clutch of people holding cameras aloft in front it. There are several van Goghs—all fabulous—but I include here just two that I particularly love.

La Salle de danse à Arles by van Gogh

I was surprised to discover a painting by van Gogh that I’d never seen before. At first, I thought it was by Gauguin since the way the figures are depicted and the colors used remind me of his work. But nope – it’s van Gogh. What an energetic, lively piece this is! Van Gogh really captured the almost frenzied crush of people, the women wearing Arlesian headdresses, their expressions blank.

La Salle de danse à Arles by van Gogh at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

The Starry Night by van Gogh

Van Gogh painted a few versions of Arles on a starry night. This one is not quite as well known, but it’s still fabulous. Van Gogh worked by candlelight to complete a night view of Arles illuminated by gas lamps and the Great Bear constellation glittering in the sky.

Starry Night by van Gogh at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec

Although Toulouse-Lautrec hailed from a wealthy family in Albi in the southwest of France, he became famous for his gritty depictions of real Parisians, many of whom were down on their luck, lonely, and marginalized. I’m particularly intrigued by two of his pieces depicting prostitutes.

Blonde prostitute, also known as Study for the Medical Inspection by Toulouse-Lautrec

The partially-clothed model is Gabrielle, a prostitute in a Parisian brothel. She’s getting ready to be inspected for venereal disease. Her expression could be interpreted as angry or stoic in the face of what must have been a very demeaning procedure.

Blonde prostitute, also known as Study for the Medical Inspection by Toulouse-Lautrec at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Woman Pulling Up Her Stocking by Toulouse-Lautrec

Toulouse-Lautrec was a frequent visitor to the brothels and was able to sketch the prostitutes in all manner of poses. This drawing shows an everyday act—pulling on stockings—under the watchful eye of the brothel’s Madame.

Woman Pulling Up her Stocking by Toulouse-Lautrec at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Maximilien Luce

This artist may not be as well known as many of the others in the collection, but this piece is a striking depiction of the violence that stalked Paris on and off throughout the 19th century. This particular scene shows the aftermath of Bloody Week (May 21 to 28, 1871) when the Paris Commune was brutally suppressed and hundreds of people were shot down in the streets.

Painting of dead bodies in the streets by Maximilien Luce at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Paul Signac

This gorgeous portrait of Signac’s wife uses very sharp contrasts between complementary colors: yellow with purple, and orange-red with green. It’s a very stylized composition that shares an affinity with Art Nouveau posters.

Portrait by Signac at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Berthe Morisot

I’ve long been a fan of Berthe Morisot and am delighted to discover several paintings that I hadn’t seen before on display at the Musée d’Orsay.

Les Deux Soeurs by Morisot

This painting depicts two dreamy-looking young girls  just emerging from adolescence. The blossoming hydrangea symbolizes their imminent emergence into womanhood. Morisot is considered by many (myself included) to be one of the most impressionist of the Impressionists. She uses very loose brushstrokes and almost abstract backgrounds to convey a real sense of immediacy. Her paintings look so fresh and alive. I like them so much more than works by painters such as Renoir that can look too over-worked and florid.

Les Deux Soeurs by Berthe Morisot at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Le Berceau by Morisot

This portrait of Morisot’s sister gazing at her newborn child is so tender and domestic. And the way Morisot conveys the sheerness of the fabric draped around the baby’s crib is incredible–again proving just how skilled (and under-appreciated) a painter she was.

Montagne Sainte-Victoire by Cezanne at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Paul Cézanne

Cézanne’s works are so redolent of the south of France that I can almost feel the heat coming off the canvases. His palette of warm greens and oranges perfectly captures the landscape around Aix-en-Provence.

Montagne Sainte-Victoire by Cézanne

Here’s one of many versions of Mont Sainte-Victoire near Aix-en-Provence. It’s such a bright, cheerful painting that perfectly captures the heat and space of one of France’s most beautiful landscapes.

Rochers près des grottes au-dessus du Château-Noir by Cézanne

In 2019, Gregg and I spent some time in the area around Aix-en-Provence where CUzanne painted this piece. It perfectly captures the profusion of rocks and dense foliage. No wonder painters who came after Cézanne credit him with being the father of Cubism.

Rochers près des grottes au-dessus du Château-Noir by Cezanne at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Claude Monet

One entire wall is taken up with five views of Rouen Cathedral that Monet painted at different times of day. Here are three of them.

Rouen Cathedral 1 by Monet
Rouen Cathedral 2 by Monet
Rouen Cathedral 3 by Monet

Mary Cassatt

Cassatt joined the Impressionist group after moving to Paris from America in the 1870s. In this painting, she depicts the young girl, using very subtle white tones to stand out against the brightly colored background. While the clothing is almost sketched in, the face and hands are rendered with gorgeous precision.

Painting of a young girl by Mary Cassatt at the Musee d'Orsay in paris

Edgar Degas

Degas is most famous for his paintings of ballet dancers at the Paris Opera, and the Musée d’Orsay has several examples, including this one showing dancers practicing on stage. The figures are in various attitudes–some dancing, some stretching, one even scratching her back. Degas uses subtle tones and ethereal brushwork to convey filmy tutus and barely hinted-at expressions.

Dancers at the opera by Degas at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Auguste Renoir

I’m not a huge fan of most of Renoir’s work. He’s an important painter but I find his figures a little too florid. The exception is, for me, this piece called Dance at the Moulin de la Galette–perhaps his most famous work. It depicts the famous guinguette–an open-air drinking establishment with food and dancing–that was located at the foot of a former windmill on the Butte de Montmartre in Paris. The dance is attended by locals–workers, artists, regular folks. The play of light and shadow bring the painting to life, making the viewer feel like they could step in and take a turn around the dance floor.

Dance at the Moulin de la Galette by August Renoir at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Gustave Caillebotte

I first saw and was entranced by this painting in the Musée d’Orsay several years ago. Its subject matter is so different from the other paintings in the collection. It’s not a portrait or a landscape, but instead a depiction of three working men (The Floor Scrapers) who are busily scraping a floor in a fine Haussmann-style apartment in Paris. Critics at the time condemned the painting’s subject matter as vulgar. Few would agree with that assessment nowadays! There is something so compelling about the concentration of the men and the way in which Caillebotte uses such a limited palette to convey so many tones of browns and grays. And check out how the light spills in from the window!

The Floor Scrapers by Gustave Caillebotte at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

Love Among the Recipes at the Musée d’Orsay

After touring the Musée d’Orsay, I couldn’t resist taking a shot of Love Among the Recipes, my fourth novel (set in Paris), in front of the great clock. The Musée d’Orsay plays a role in the novel, with one of its most important scenes taking place on the 5th floor in front of a painting by Mary Cassatt!

Love Among the Recipes by Carol M. Cram in front of the clock at the Musees d'Orsay in Paris

Practical Information

The Musée d’Orsay can sell out so buy your tickets online at least a day or two before you plan to travel to Paris (possibly more during the busy summer months). Click one of the options below to purchase your ticket.

Conclusion

If you’re an art lover, then I would suggest making the Musée d’Orsay your first choice (even above the Louvre). Its collection is smaller and much more accessible than the vast collection in the Louvre and the crowds are considerably smaller. A visit there is well worth several hours of your time on even the shortest visit to Paris.

Have you visited the Musée D’Orsay? What are some of your favorites? Share in the comments below.

Other Posts About Great Art Museums

Best of France: Ten Day Itinerary for Paris and the South

Destinations, France, Get Inspired carolcram Leave a Comment on Best of France: Ten Day Itinerary for Paris and the South

Last updated on March 8th, 2023 at 05:13 am

This short itinerary works well if you have a limited time and you want to explore, at a reasonably leisurely pace, two of France’s most iconic areas–Paris and the south of France, specifically the Riviera and Provence.

France is a large country and best savored by spending at least two days in each place you plan to visit.

Itinerary Overview

Here’s an overview of an itinerary that provides you with a taste of fabulous Paris (just enough to make you want to return!), four days split between two of the most scenic areas of Provence, and finally two days of sun and fun on the Riviera.

  • Days 1 to 3: Arrive in Paris on Day 1 and spend three nights in Paris, leaving on the morning of Day 4.
  • Days 4 and 5: Take the TGV to Avignon, pick up a rental car at the TGV station and drive east into the Luberon. Spend two nights in Rousillon or Gordes for a super Provence hit.
  • Days 6 and 7: Drive to Aix-en-Provence and spend two nights there; explore nearby Arles, Les Baux-de-Provence, or the Camargue.
  • Days 8 to 10: Drive to the coast and spend two nights in Antibes, Vence, or Cannes. Drop off the car at Nice airport and fly home.

Following are my suggestions for what to see in Paris and the South (particularly artsy sites!) and some recommendations for accommodations.

Itinerary Map

Map thanks to Wanderlog, a road trip planner on iOS and Android

Paris

Three days in Paris is nowhere near long enough to fully enjoy one of the world’s most fabulous cities, but it is long enough to explore most of the big bang sites. I’ll get to sightseeing suggestions in a minute, but first, consider where you wish to put down temporary Parisian roots. To my mind, making sure you stay in an interesting part of Paris is almost as important as seeing the sights.

Find an interesting Parisian neighborhood to settle in, even if only for a few days

Choosing Your Parisian Neighborhood

Before and after you go touring around the city, you want to be able to walk to great restaurants and cafes, enjoy people-watching, and have quick access to the Seine for long, leisurely evening strolls to see the lights.

My preferred neighborhoods to stay in Paris are either the fifth or the sixth arrondisements on the Left Bank. Yes, you can save money by getting a hotel near the péripherique (the multi-lane ring road that circles Paris) and then taking the Métro into Paris for sightseeing, but don’t succumb to the temptation unless your budget is really tight.

A few times over the years, I’ve stayed at soulless chain hotels on the edges of Paris, and each time it was a mistake. I may have saved a few Euros, but I also wasted too many hours getting to and from the cool areas of Paris. Instead of ending each evening watching the illuminated bateau mouches glide along the Seine with the sparkling Eiffel Tower in the distance before tumbling a few minutes later into a warm bed, I endured long, rattling Métro rides followed by quick walks through some pretty sketchy neighborhoods.

Like all major cities, Paris has its fair share of dreary, and sometimes even unsafe areas, I’m sorry to say, and while you can still find some nice places to eat and enjoy Parisian street life out by the péripherique, I’d stick with the arrondisements closest to the river and the Île de la Cité.

If you’re in Paris for longer than a few days, consider renting an apartment. I’ve stayed in some great apartments in Montparnasse, the Marais, and Saint-Germain. But for short stays, I almost always head for the fifth and sixth arrondisements on the Left Bank.

Where to Stay on the Left Bank

For short visits, here are three of my faves.

Hotel de L’Universite

This reasonably-priced (for Paris) hotel is on a quiet side street in the sixth arrondisement, a few blocks from the lively area around rue Bonaparte and Boulevard Saint-Germain. We stayed there for three nights and loved the neighborhood, which is quintessentially Parisian and not too touristy. I spent many happy hours writing and people-watching at a cafe on the corner of the Boulevard Saint-Germain and Rue du Bac (where there’s also a convenient Metro station) about a three-minute walk from the hotel. The staff was great, the beds comfy, and the location quiet but still central.

Sixth Arrondisement

Sometimes referred to as Luxembourg because it contains the Luxembourg Gardens, the sixth arrondisement is probably still the area in Paris I most like to stay in. In recent years, it’s gotten very chi-chi and can be a bit touristy and expensive, but I still love wandering its narrow streets, window shopping and finding great little cafés to while away an afternoon. I like the area so much that I had the heroine of my novel Love Among the Recipes rent an apartment on rue Bonaparte right across the street from Les Deux Magots, one of the most famous cafés in Paris.

Back in the day, French intellectuals such as Simone de Bouvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre discussed philosophy in Les Deux Magots and its equally historic neighbor the Café de Flore. Nowadays the prices for a café crème at either place might make you weep, so walk a few blocks toward the Luxembourg Gardens and you’ll find more reasonable and less crowded alternatives.

Montparnasse

A little farther south past the Luxembourg Gardens is Montparnasse, another cool and less touristy area to stay. Back in the 1920s, Montparnasse was the haunt of artists, including Giorgio de Chirico, Amedeo Modigliani, Vassili Kandinsky, Max Ernst, Joan Miró, and Alberto Giacometti. For that reason alone, we enjoy staying in Montparnasse. It’s a few Métro stops away from the Seine, but within walking distance of the Luxembourg Gardens. The area abounds with cool restaurants such as La Rotunde on Boulevard Montparnasse where many artists and intellectuals congregated back in the day. Hotel prices can also be a little bit more reasonable in this area.

Hôtel A La Villa des Artistes

I also recommend the Hôtel A La Villa des Artistes, which is the first hotel we stayed in on our first trip to Paris as a family when our daughter was eight years old. Located close to the Vavin Metro, the hotel is also a short walk to the Luxembourg Gardens where our daughter spent many happy hours in a smartly designed playground.

Hôtel Le Clos Médicis

I also enjoy staying in the fifth arrondisement near the Boulevard Saint Michel. Like the sixth, the fifth is one of the oldest areas of Paris with plenty of winding side streets and one of my favorite museums, the Cluny (sadly still closed until 2023). We’ve stayed at the Hôtel Le Clos Médicis which has a great location about a block from the Luxembourg Gardens near the Boulevard Saint Michel. The rooms are pricey and quite small but very well-appointed and comfortable.

Comfortable lobby in Hôtel Le Clos Médicis

Search for more hotels in Paris. Also check out my post about finding accommodation in France for general tips about finding good places to stay.

What to See in Paris

Where to start? On a three-day visit to Paris, I recommend the sites described below. I suggest checking out two or at the most three each day and then leaving plenty of time for wandering around your new neighborhood, sipping coffee in cafés and going out for dinner.

Eiffel Tower

Yes, it’s touristy and over-priced and super crowded, but you have to go up the Eiffel Tower at least once. I recommend going at night when the crowds are considerably less and the views are just as breath-taking. Buy tickets in advance from the official website.

The Louvre

The Louvre is massive, over-crowded, expensive, and magnificent. The key to visiting the Louvre with ease is to focus on one or two areas at most. There’s a great deal of art in the Louvre, and while all of it is amazing, some pieces are more amazing than others.

A visit to the Louvre is a must-do in Paris for art lovers

When you enter the pyramid and descend the escalator to the center of the Louvre, you’re faced with three wings: Sully, Richelieu, and Denon. Most visitors make a beeline for the Denon wing because that’s where some of the most famous artworks in the world are displayed, including the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. Unless you have a burning desire to stand in a massive crowd bristling with pickpockets so you can peer over the tops of heads to see a tiny, glass-enclosed painting on a single wall, I’d give Mona a miss. If you do want to see her, arrive early, or drop by just before the museum closes.

Suggested Way to Enjoy the Louvre

A better and less headache-inducing option is to head for the far end of the Denon wing and work your way back. You’ll pass several remarkable pieces, including The Raft of the Medusa by Géricault, Autumn by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix, Saint John the Baptist by Leonardo da Vinci, and La Grande Odalisque by Ingres (one of my faves).

Depending on your interests, you may also want to take a quick walk through the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian Antiquities in the Sully wing. The key to enjoying the Louvre is to pace yourself. You absolutely cannot see all of it in one visit.

Visiting the Louvre

You must book a time-slot to visit the Louvre. Check the website for details. The museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm daily except Tuesdays.

Sainte-Chapelle

The exquisite Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité is still one of my all-time favorite Parisian sites. I make time for a visit every time I go to Paris. Its other-worldly beauty will literarlly stop you in your tracks. Guaranteed.

The best way to see and really enjoy Sainte-Chapelle is to get tickets for a concert. You’ll experience its awesomeness without crowds while soaring to the heavens on the wings of sublime music. For me, a perfect Parisian evening starts with a 7 pm concert at Sainte Chapelle followed by a walk across Île de la Cité to enjoy dinner on medieval Île Saint Louis. Check out this website to buy concert tickets.

And for more about Sainte-Chapelle, check out my post about the top cathedrals in Europe.

I’d usually include Note Dame Cathedral in my list of must-sees in Paris, but unfortunately it is undergoing repairs after the devastating fire in 2019.

The soaring stained glass windows on the second level of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, France
The upper chapel in Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle is open from 11 am to 7 pm and reservations are required. Get tickets for priority access.

The Musée d’Orsay

I love visiting the Musée d’Orsay maybe even more than the Louvre. It’s a little less crowded and not nearly so large. It also displays some of the most-loved works of art by Manet, Morisot, van Gogh, Monet, and a lot more. To avoid the crowds, buy your tickets in advance and go early in the day. Head first for the fifth floor so you can enjoy the most popular paintings accompanied in relative peace.

Take your time wandering from room to room and then stop by the café behind the large clock–the original from when the Musée d’Orsay was a train station.

The Musée d’Orsay is on the Left Bank in Paris

The Pompidou

If you are a fan of mid twentieth-century modern art, then the fourth floor of the Pompidou Centre is your happy place. Room after room after room displays masterpieces by modern painters including Matisse, Pollock, Miro, and a lot more. The area around the Pompidou Centre is also fun, particularly the Stravinsky Fountain. Linger for awhile to people watch.

Stravinsky Fountain near the Pompidou Centre

Buy tickets in advance to avoid line-ups to the Pomipdou Centre, which is open every day except Tuesdays from 11 am to 8 pm.

Quai Branly Museum

Also know as the Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac, the Musée Quai Branly deserves a place on your Paris itinerary if you are interested in art and objects created by indigenous cultures from around the world. The collection is displayed in four distinct areas representing Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. Read more about the Musée du Quai Branly in my post Paris for Art Lovers: Cool Art Museums You May Not Know.

Plan to visit the Branly on the day you visit the Eiffel Tower. It’s within walking distance and is one of the few other noteworthy sites in the Eiffel Tower area. If you’re in Paris on a Thursday, visit the museum around 6 or 7 pm (it’s open until 10:00 on Thursdays), go up the Eiffel Tower to see the sunset and the lights (depending on the time of year), and end with dinner at a restaurant in the area. There are not a huge number of restaurants in that area, so check before you go and make reservations to avoid long, hungry walks up and down the relatively restaurant-free streets.

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm (Thursdays until 10:00 pm). Get tickets in advance to book your time slot and avoid lines.

The Orangerie

Monet’s waterlily paintings take center stage at The Orangerie and are well worth a visit (go early or late to avoid crowds). The Orangerie makes a nice stop after spending a few hours in the Tuileries Gardens watching the world go by. Get tickets in advance.

Tuileries near the Orangerie in Spring

Paris has many more amazing museums in addition to the Big Three (Louvre, d’Orsay and Pompidou). If you have time, you’ll be spoiled for choice. My post on Paris Art Museums provides you with some ideas.

And for even more details about my suggested sites and their tie-ins with Love Among the Recipes, along with descriptions of dozens of other things to see in Paris, check out my post on Paris Sightseeing.

To the South

After three full days of touring Paris, you’ll be ready for a relaxing morning riding the TGV, France’s high speed train, to the south of France. You catch the TGV to Avignon from Gare Montparnasse. Check the SCNF website to buy tickets.

I love riding the TGV. It’s so smooth and fast! Within about four hours, you’ll arrive at the sleek, modern train station in Avignon and step into the warm southern air.

I suggest renting a car for pick-up at Avignon station. The traffic around the station isn’t too frenetic, and very quickly you’ll be on your way east to the Luberon. For information and tips about driving in Europe, see my post Top Tips for Driving in Europe.

The Luberon

Made famous by Peter Mayle’s book A Year in Provence, the Luberon region of Provence has been thoroughly discovered. But it’s still a magical area and one which I visit as often as possible. I never tire of driving around the little villages, taking walks through the glorious countryside, eating fabulous al fresco meals and poking around the little shops. I always come away with a bag full of lavender and honey soaps.

The villages I like best are Gordes, Rousillon (an absolute must-see) and Bonnieux. I suggest settling into a country hotel in the area and taking day trips to explore the villages and just soak up the Provençal vibe. Other attractive villages are Menerbes, Lacoste, and Saignon where we stayed for two weeks back in the nineties.

Rousillon deserves a special mention. Not only is the village itself delightful with plenty of good restaurants and shopping, it is close to Le Sentier des Ocres, which is reopening on April 9. This area of stunning ocher cliffs and pathways is an easy walk from the village. For more information, check out this post.

Ocher cliffs in the Sentier des Ocres near Rousillon

Here are two highly recommended hotels in the Luberon, one in Roussillon and one in Gordes.

Les Sables d’Ocre

A 15-minute walk from the village of Roussillon, this place sets the bar for what a country-style, family-run, low-key, easy-on-the-budget place should be. Book one of the rooms that includes a terrace. You’ll have your own private outdoor space and be steps from the pool.

Domain de l’Enclos 

This place close to Gordes–one of the most beautiful hill towns in the area–is wonderful. We snagged a room with a terrace which Gregg made use of to do some drawing. The views from the garden over the Luberon are spectacular.

Gregg drawing outside at our hotel near Gordes in the Luberon

Avignon

On your way to Aix-en-Provence from the Luberon, consider stopping for an afternoon to see Avignon. I loved touring the Pope’s Palace (the Palais des Papes) where back in the 14th century, several popes lived when the papacy was moved from Rome to Avignon. The palace is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe.

Palace of the Popes in Avignon

The town of Avignon is pleasant and compact, and it’s always fun to see the famous pont d’Avignon that stretches only halfway across the Rhone River.

The Pont d’Avignon made famous in the song

Aix-en-Provence and Arles

You could choose to home base either in Aix-en-Provence or Arles. Both have their charms and both are within easy driving distance of plenty of fabulous Provence landscapes.

Consider spending a day in the Camargue, where you’ll see flamingos, bulls, and the Mediterranean; wander Arles in the footsteps of van Gogh; and enjoy a meal on the picturesque and car free Le Cours Mirabeau, the main drag in Aix-en-Provence. The key to enjoying this area is just to relax and soak up the atmosphere.

The main drag in Aix-en-Provence

For an off-the-beaten track adventure, check out Château La Coste in the hills north of Aix-en-Provence. It’s a vineyard and sculpture park with a great restaurant. I write about our visit here.

The Riviera

Drive east from Aix-en-Provence and within two hours, you’ll see signs to Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Menton and Monte Carlo. You’re on the fabled Riviera! Ts:

Enjoying the high life in Monaco on the French Riviera

There is a lot to do on the French Riviera so I suggest finding a home base and then taking day trips. Here are just a few of the highlights.

Antibes

Visit the Picasso Museum and wander the picturesque back streets. Enjoy great views of the Mediterranean and watch the boats.

A view of the Picasso Museum (the tower) in Antibes

Cannes

Promenade along the famous seaside and mingle with the beautiful people, enjoy a cocktail on the terrace of the famed Carlton Cannes Hotel, then check out the high class shops.

Along the waterfront in swishy Cannes

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild 

Located on Cap Ferrat just to the east of Nice, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is worth a visit for the gardens alone (and the house is no slouch either). The nearby Greek Villa Kerylos is also fun to visit, particularly for the spectacular views of the Mediterranean.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat

Nice

Nice is a large and bustling city and although a bit iffy in some areas, is a great place to home base. Avoid the areas near the train station. Spend an afternoon and evening exploring the narrow streets of Old Nice to sample great food and just get all your senses stimulated.

Menton

Menton is a great choice for a town that is less crowded than some of its more famous cousins. I’ve spent several afternoons in Menton and can’t wait to go back. Its old town is charming and its beach long and sandy.

Harbor in Menton

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Located in the hills above Cannes, the enchanting (achingly so!) village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence is truly delightful, even it is has in recent years become very upscale. We’ve enjoyed some good meals there overlooking spectacular views. Saint-Paul-de-Vence is also very close to the Fondation Maeght, a modern art museum set in gorgeous gardens with very cool sculptures.

The lovely village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Vence

A few kilometers past Saint-Paul-de-Vence and closer to the mountains that buttress the French Riviera is Vence, one of our favorite places to relax away from the hubbub on the coast. The pedestrian-only medieval streets of this walled town are peaceful and shady with plenty of restaurants are available. Vence feels like a place where people actually live.

If you’re a fan of Matisse, a visit to the Matisse Chapel (the Chapelle du Rosaire) a fifteen-minute walk from Vence is a must. Matisse designed every detail of the chapel. The interior is very spare and modern with stunning stained glass windows.

Tour Options on the French Riviera

Here are some options for touring the French Riviera. A boat trip would be fun!

Accommodation Options on the Riviera

Nice or Cannes both make good home bases on the Mediterranean. You’ll find lots of hotels here, some on the waterfront.

Another option is to home base in a village like Saint-Paul-de-Vence or Vence and then drive to the towns on the Mediterrenean. One drawback of this plan is that the traffic can be horrendous the closer to the waterfront you get. On the other hand, the villages above the Riviera are so spectacular that it would be shame not to spend some time there.

Here are some options:

La Petite Maison: This two-story apartment has a spectacular view over Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the Mediterranean beyond. You are also within easy walking distance of the village.

Village of Saint Paul-de-Vence from the terrace of Le Petite Maison in the south of France
Gregg surveying Saint Paul-de-Vence from the terrace of Le Petite Maison

Hôtel Marc Hély: We enjoyed a room with a view over Saint Paul-de-Vence and a tasty breakfast in the courtyard. This is a great choice in La Colle-sur-Loup, which is about a ten-minute drive from the Fondation Maeght.

Miramar: This hotel is in Vence, which is just up the hill from Saint-Paul-de-Vence and a larger town with more services. FYI, we had the best pizza in an outdoor café in the Old Town of Vence! The Miramar is a reasonably-priced and well-located property that is great for drivers.

Search other hotels in Vence.

Search other hotels in Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

Eating in France

Enjoying French cuisine in the thousands of small restaurants all over France is a huge highlight. You can get a bad meal in France (and we’ve endured some doozies), but that’s usually the exception. Check online reviews of the restaurants in the area you’re traveling to and make dinner reservations.

Check out my general tips on dining well on a budget in Europe.

Conclusion

One of the best things about traveling in France is just being in France. People are friendly and helpful, particularly if you attempt to speak French, the food is almost always wonderful, and a great deal of the French countryside is drop-dead gorgeous.

Most of our fondest memories of our travels in France are of great meals we’ve shared and the scenic drives and walks we’ve taken through the countryside. Slow down, make time to smell the lavender, and enjoy!

Here are some more posts about traveling in France: