Giverny: The Artist's Garden

Let’s continue talking about France? Last time I took you to Brittany and today I want to invite you to a village in Normandy called Giverny. I already spoke about my passion for art here. So of course, when I was in France, I couldn’t miss Giverny, a pilgrimage site for everyone who loves art and Impressionism. It is in this village that Claude Monet, the founder of Impressionism, had his house and garden. Nowadays all these locations are turned into a lovely museum.

Due to the worldwide popularity of Monet, the museum is very crowded with tourists at any season and time so it’s hard to find a quiet place in the garden to contemplate there in silence. But it doesn’t make the place less magical. I think the best time to visit the museum is in June when the garden is in full bloom, and you can also see the famous waterlilies. The garden is the true pearl of the museum as most of Monet’s paintings are exhibited in Paris and not in his house in Giverny. I think it’s a good idea to first visit Monet’s house and garden to soak in the atmosphere and then return to Paris and see his paintings. Well, at least that’s how I did and I’m happy with my choice.

House and Garden

Neither words nor photos can translate the real magic of this place but I feel that photos will still cope with the task better:

When you plan a trip to Giverny, leave some time to have a walk in the village. It is a small cozy village that deserves your attention, and I would also recommend visiting the Museum of Impressionism that is located nearby. They always have interesting exhibitions there. At the time of my visit, several years ago, there was an amazing exhibition about the influence of Orient on Impressionism ‘Japonisms / Impressionisms’.

Paintings

I know the photos of the paintings don’t do them justice and don’t give same vibes but how can you not share them if you are talking about Claude Monet?

Here are some of Monet's paintings of Giverny that can be found in Musée Marmottan Monet: