How to Visit a Few Museums in Europe and Come Home Smart
American women travelers are bound to visit the most famous museums, despite jet lag and brain fog. We are unused to minimum air conditioning in historic buildings and hungry at the wrong times. But we are determined to tick off the top ten museums and the biggies: Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Da Vinci, Vermeer etc. Here is your guide to visiting museums. Travel Tips from The Women’s Travel Group.
Amsterdam: If you stay in center city, you will likely walk to museum square for 3 of the top 10: Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House and Stedelijk Museum. In the Rijksmuseum, go directly to Rembrandt. Stop at The Night Watch and self portraits. To appreciate a painting download the museum’s app or a relevant video on your phone, then inch to the front of the crowd. Listen while you work your eyes around the painting. You can ‘steal’ information from a tour guide but going at your own pace is more fulfilling. A few others to enjoy in this museum are: Vermeer, Goya, Hals, Steen etc. You will get lost looking for them. Monitor your energy.
Anne Frank House, book 6 weeks ahead. The museum is multi floored with audio visual displays. Be prepared for a modern building not the hidden attic or house. Around the corner is a canal cruise dock; there is an odd feeling matching the sadness and horror of the Anne Frank house with the hip modern Amsterdam. Consider taking a Jewish tour to enhance your visit. We visited the 17th c UNESCO Heritage synagogue with Naomi Koopman, (info@jewishamsterdamtour.com). You visit the synagogue, history museum and Holocaust Memorial. My 16 year old grand daughter commented: I thought 3 hours was long but am so glad we stayed until the end. Wow. We did a quick look at Rembrandt House; enjoy the ambiance, if not the many stairs.
Paris: the biggie is of course is The Louvre, overwhelming for the tired tourist. We opted for several others instead. (PS: while you are in front of the I M Pei pyramid, squint into the distance to see two other arches, the last one on the horizon is in La Defense).
We opted for The Orsay and L’Orangerie. When you plan, immediately check special exhibits. Our special visit was the the Orsay 1874 Show. The Impressionists had their first group show in 1874; the Orsay re-assembled 200 of the actual paintings. We waded back to 1874. In the Orangerie we saw Monet’s Waterlilies plus the privately owned collection. It is fascinating to see what individuals collect. The Fondation Louis Vuitton visit was for the building. Note: take the Metro, not the shuttle bus or taxi. The walk from the Metro is through a lovely neighborhood, leafy and well sign posted- about 15 blocks. There is a taxi line outside the museum for a ride back. Some drivers demand no credit cards, get out and find the honest ones. In 4 days 3 museums are enough art for most amateurs.
London was our last stop and crowded lines prevented the National Gallery. We chose the Portrait Gallery around the corner, specifically the recent portrait floors. You will know many people: Dame Judy Dench, Princess Catherine, William and Harry, Nelson Mandela, Anna Wintour, Amy Winehouse etc. Tourists don’t know the Wallace Collection, a private mansion, with the best art, armory, furniture. Here in a quiet and no line setting you see some of the best in Europe. Its restaurant courtyard has average food. PS Major London museums are free.
We hope you learned a bit from a recent European jaunt; do ask us for tips and advice if planning a trip this year. We include expert guides and top museums on our trips. Space still available on Scotland and Ireland and a few others. We are an award winning tour company for women and we know the areas we visit.
