Recently, my family and I went on vacation to Paris in France! Over the week we spent there, we went to many attractions, some of the main ones being the museums. There were so many museums available, and because I am under 18 I got in for free for all!
What I think is the most interesting in Paris is the support of the arts by the government. For all citizens of France, the museums were free until you turned 26, and for outside visitors 18! I thought that this was an amazing way to get youth interested in art and the value of it.
Although there were so many museums to visit (and we obviously couldn’t see all of them), here are some of my favorite museums we visited and my reviews (as well as tips):
The Louvre
One museum that I really enjoyed was the Louvre. We got there early in the morning when it first opened and it was still so busy! It was such a large museum with way too much to look at! Some notable things to look at were the Mona Lisa and so many other famous works of art! Personally, my favorite piece was the Winged Victory sculpture, but there were so many other pieces of art that were amazing! I would recommend taking it slow because there is so much to take in and it will be a long walking day because it is so big.
Musee d’Orsay
One of the notable museums in France was the Musee d’Orsay. With its beautiful architecture and its location along the river, it was definitely one notable building! (Fun fact: It was originally built as a train station for the World’s Fair before it was turned into a museum). I thought that this was a good museum especially because it did not require the same amount of walking as the other ones while still showcasing lots of art. While I was there, there was an exhibition of Vincent Van Gogh, which I enjoyed!
Palace of Versaillies
The Palace of Versailles was my favorite museum in Paris. Because it was in the countryside, I had to take a train there since it was farther away than the other attractions. However it was very fun with so much to do! My favorite part was walking around the gardens in the afternoon because all the plants were blooming and there was so much to see. Inside the palace was also huge, with so many rooms to walk through. My favorite room was probably the hall of mirrors because it was filled with gold and had great views of the gardens. One thing to prepare for is to bring a lot of water and wear comfortable shoes because this will be one of the biggest walking grounds because it is so big!
Overall, I think that all the museums in Paris I went to were amazing and what was especially cool about them was that I was able to get into all of them for free. I would recommend everyone to go to these museums whether you like art or not, because I think with the robust art and architecture there is something for everyone to enjoy!