Ken

Hello all, <BR> <BR>So my girlfriend and i are going to be in London, Florence, and Paris (as well as Berlin, Munich, Venice, and Nice, but I'm assuming the aforementiond cities are more museum heavy) and am wondering what are the can't-miss museums? <BR> <BR>To make it easier, pick the top two from each city. <BR> <BR>We are not serious art lovers, although i have been to and enjoyed the major US art museums. <BR> <BR>btw, these forums have been invaluable to my planning for this trip! thanks to all of you for your advice....

sylvia

Well for London the British Museum is not to be missed, but for the second I'd suhhest the V and A.

Callalily

In London I like the British Museum and the National Gallery. In Paris my favorite is the Orsay. Florence the Uffizi has the best collection of Italian art and the Accademia has the David (make reservations for both in advance, the lines can be sooo long). <BR> <BR>Although I haven't been there, I really want to visit the Deutsche Museum in Munich, it's like a science and technology museum, also at the top of my list is the BMW museum in Munich. I also highly recommend a visit to Dachau. <BR> <BR>Have fun <BR> <BR>Lily

colleen

Hi Ken, <BR> <BR>If you're into modern art the Centre George Pompidou is not to be missed--most of the major 20th century artists are there--not to mention the architecture of the place is amazing. I'll be there next week (woohoo!)

Jody

Since yousay you are not serous art lovers, I would suggest <BR>London, - V&A, City of London museum(nr StPauls) or Somerset house for the Courtland, gilbert and if you are going soon the Catherine the Great exhibition. Also somerset house itself is very impressive <BR>Paris- Carnavalet museum and d'Orsay <BR> <BR>Florence - Uffizzi and Pitti <BR> <BR>Venice - the whole darn place is a museum! <BR> <BR>Have fun

Linda

For Florence, you much see "The David" by Michelangelo. I don't know if the home of Robert & Elizabeth Browning has been redone but it was interesting. Berlin has a number of excellent museums as well, including Checkpoint Charlie and the Pergamon (has entire ancient ruin) and various art & cultural ones.

Christina

London: Victoria and Albert and City of London <BR>Paris: 1) d'Orsay 2) Marmottan or Rodin or Cluny (I would have said l'Orangerie in here but I think it's still closed) depending on your art interests

dan woodlief

I would suggest the Orsay and the Louvre for Paris. I think the Rodin museum is more pleasant to visit than the Louvre (and it would be my third choice), but I consider the Louvre more of a "must" than the Rodin (unless you are a major fan, in which case I would say all three). The Orsay and Louvre together give you a good look at ancient, early modern, and through the 19th century. There are a few Rodins at the Orsay museum too. You can spend two hours in the Louvre or all day, depending on your time and interests.

Lexma90

In Florence, my top 2 would be the Uffizi and the Bargello (can I sneak in the Accademia by saying it's different, as people really only go there to see one piece, the David?). The Bargello has statues only, and is a small, manageable size for a museum.

elvira

London: British Museum and Victoria & Albert for some of everything (CHIHULY is coming to the museum!) <BR> <BR>Paris: Louvre (if you get really sick of paintings, you can go look at Napoleon's apartments or Egyptian pottery) and the Musee d'Orsay (paintings galore, but also furniture and glassware). <BR> <BR>Check out the museums before you go to see what's there and plot out an itinerary: <BR> <BR>http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/visit/index.html <BR> <BR>http://www.vam.ac.uk/?view=compliant <BR> <BR>http://www.louvre.fr/louvrea.htm <BR> <BR>http://www.smartweb.fr/orsay/

Betsy

If you're not into art, but are interested in history 2 museums that would take just a couple of hours each are the Museum of the City of London, a great history of London from Roman times to present. I also preferred the British Library, (seperate from the museum at Kings Cross). The library is small with incredible artifacts in one room; the Guttenburg Bible, original letters from Elizabeth I to Churchill, origianl music from Mozart to the Beatles, and original recordings of interviews and music. It takes about 2 hours max. the Orsay is my favorite in Paris and as you probably know a museum of impressionism. If you want a good self guided tour of the museums mentioned, shck out Mona Winks by Rick Steves. Its got great walking tours of all the museums mentioned on this thread in one book. I just rip out the ones I need and take those on the trip.

dianeg

The British Museum has a not-to-be-missed exhibit (until the end of the summer) called Treasures of the Moguls. I was seriously impressed!! It is a collection, belonging to an Omani sheik, of amazingly crafted bejewelled ornaments, daggers, etc., owned by former rajahs in India. It's an astounding collection that offers a rare opportunity to see some amazing works crafted with emeralds, rubies and diamonds.

Robin

Hi Ken-- <BR> <BR>You've gotten good advice on the "important" museums in each city, but here are a couple of other ideas. <BR> <BR>In London, the National Portrait Gallery is interesting. The quality of the paintings ranges wildly (some not so hot!), but I find it very interesting to see what major historical figures looked like. It's not very large and not very serious, so you might thnk of it as a museum break. <BR> <BR>Also in London, Sir John Soane's Museum is fascinating and unique. It's his personal collection of oddball items, presented in his home, which is itself rather unique. <BR> <BR>In Paris I recently went for the first time to the Picasso museum. I have never sought it out before, as I'm not a huge fan, but I was very impressed with the way the museum is put together. You truly learn a lot about Picasso's life and art. <BR> <BR>You probably won't be able to get to all of these, so you'll just have to come back!

clairobscur

<BR> <BR> If you aren't serious art-lover, I guess it would be useful to know in what kind of things you could be interested to answer properly....

Anna

My favourite museums in London: <BR> <BR>Science Museum and Natural History Museum (both have entrance fee). Both of these are more interesting than they may sound - masses of interactive exhibits. <BR> <BR>British Museum - excellent museum, see many posts above, and it's free. It's also got the new Great Court area in the middle, with a fantastic roof (looks great in photos). <BR> <BR>Museum of the Moving Image - great if you are interested in film and tv. <BR> <BR>Museum of London - everything you could possibly want to know about the history of London. <BR> <BR>Sorry, I know that's more than 2, but there's no way I can choose between these. <BR> <BR>Also of interest: Maritime Museum at Greenwich, Victoria and Albert, and art galleries - National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern. I'm sure I've forgotten some, but that's enough to be going on with.

Patti

Hi, <BR>In Florence my personal favorite is the museum at the Church of San Marco. The museum is housed in the former cloiser--you can see monks' cells, the old dining room and other areas frescoed by Fra Angelico and his helpers, along with a small and lovely collection of religious paintings and a few architectural artifacts. The overall feeling of the place is peace and serenity. You don't need to know anything about art to enjoy the emotional experience. <BR>And my number two choice is the Uffizi. The entire building is such a feast for the eyes and the heart. If you could only visit one museum in Florence, this is the one! <BR>Have a great time! <BR>Patti

vickie

This might be a bit different, but I found the London Dungeon Museum interesting.

Rosetta

I just returned from a trip to Paris and London. In Paris I would not miss the Orsay and in London do not miss the British Museum and the National Gallery. If you are going to be in Paris for a few days and plan on visiting quite a few sites, I would buy a Museum Pass. We bought it at our hotel and it paid for itself after a few sites. It also allows you to enter directly without waiting on lines, it literally saved us an hour wait on the line to the Orsay.

Erin

In London, I like the Courtauld Institute at Somerset House which is a small art musuem. I read somewhere that Somerset House has been renovated recently (last time I was there was in 1995). If you are into touring houses, there is a great gem in Holland Park called Leighton House. Lord Leighton was a 1800 eccentric who was a world traveller and painter. He designed the house which has several of his paintings on display and is an architectural masterpiece. Enjoy.

Bob

Another interesting place to visit in london are the cabinet war rooms, a bombproof bunker not far from Big Ben where Churchill and his government ran World War II operations.