Sights and attractions, experience Musée d'Orsay in Paris

Address
62 rue de Lille, 7e
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Phone
40 49 48 14
Website
www.musee-orsay.fr

Tue, Wed, Fri-Sun 09:30 - 18:00 , Thu 09:30 - 21:45

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Lonely Planet review

This former railway station houses a superb collection of French Impressionist and post-Impressionist works, making it a must-see for any art lover. The museum displays France's national collection of paintings, sculptures, objets d'art produced between 1848 and 1914, including the fruits of the Impressionist, Post Impressionist and Art Nouveau movements.

The Museum fills the chronological gap between the Louvre and the Musée National d'Art Moderne at the Centre Pompidou. Austerely housed along the Seine in a former railway station built in 1900, it was reinaugurated in its present form in 1986.

Many visitors head straight to the upper level (lit by a skylight) to see the famous Impressionist paintings by Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas and Manet and the Post Impressionist works by Van Gogh, Cézanne, Seurat and Matisse, but there's also a great deal to see on the ground floor, including some early works by Manet, Monet, Renoir and Pissarro. The middle level has some magnificent Art Nouveau rooms.

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I have been there last july, and it was one of the best days of my life ! The staff was very nice and professionnal, particulary this young man with blue eyes who was so handsome ! I had good advice from this paris guide www.parislikeaparisian.net

The Musee D'Orsay holds a spectacular collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, from Monet to Van Gogh to Rodin. The museum itself is set in a stunning old railway station, which provides a wonderful atmosphere. While busy, it is not overly crowded, and patrons will probably be able to get up close to the paintings they want to see, unlike some at the bustling Louvre. Tours, both personal with headphones or with a human guide, are available. The pieces housed in the museum ranged from paintings to sculptures, and there are exhibits of photographs and furniture which may change. It's a must-see for any art lover traveling to Paris.

I have to say, I enjoyed the Museé de Orsay more than the Louvre. The train station is beautiful, and the overall layout is not nearly as stressful and crowded as the Louvre. The small galleries displaying the works are very well done. I highly recommend it!

So much more than a bunch of Monet's (not that there's anything wrong with that), the building is sublime, the paintings are amazing - but the big surprise for me was the furniture collection: rooms full of magnificent Art Nouveau swirlery and chairs to die for.

the old railway station is genius - the light in this museum is fantastic, and the towering ceilings give it a sense of space that few museums are able to achieve. the art's pretty good, too. if you like impressionism, you'll like this.