Paris museum advice
 

We will be taking our second trip to Paris this April. We were there April of 08. We want to visit some of the museums that we missed the first time. Would appreciate your thoughts on Orangerie, Guimet, Musee Monet Marmottan, Rodin Sculpture Garden and Jacquemart. Thank you for the help.
Would also like to visit Chartres---yes?????

Jacquemart-Andre, Rodin Sculpture Garden and Marmottan are all high on our list of museums we have visited in Paris. We were underwhelmed by Musée de l'Orangerie and The Water Lilies, but my guess is that our opinion is in the minority on that one. Haven't been to Musee Guimet.

((H))

Rodin is fantastic. Also the Cluny - if you haven;t been there and have an interest in the middle ages.

If you have time you should visit the Rodin Museum and not limit yourself to the garden.

<< We were underwhelmed by Musée de l'Orangerie and The Water Lilies >>

If you had seen the pre-renovated Orangerie you would not have been underwhelmed. The former museum resembled someone's home with many cozy small rooms of artwork. The Waterlilies were in the basement in 2 oval rooms with 4 paintings in each room, completely surrounding the room and there were round sectional sofas to sit upon and admire the works. The paintings are now presented in a very sterile environment but are accessible to people with mobility problems.

The Orangerie is definitely worth an hour to visit. The Jacquemart-Andre is one of my favorites in Paris and if you like Impressionism you should see the Marmottan.

I love sculpture so love the Rodin museum. The Jaquemart is quite interesting and I think worth a visit. I really like the Orangerie esp since its been renovated, but I like impressionism. the Museu Marmottan is always on our list to go see, but some how never made it out there, maybe this year. Don't know the Musee Guimet --

When I was in Paris in 2008, several of the museums were free on the first Sunday of the month. It saved us quite a bit of $$$.

Rodin is a must for every visit we make--even though it doesn't really change! Another one we love is the Musee Nissim de Comando. Google it--wonderful home with a heartbreaking story behind it.

Thank you for the advice. Maybe we will skip the Guimet since we want to go to the Louvre again. I think we will go to all of the other listed museums. I will google Musee Nissim de Comando.
The tapestries at the Cluny were well worth the admission price alone.
We also loved Musee D'Orsay since we are into impressionism.

How is the Musee Picasso?

<< How is the Musee Picasso >>

It just closed for a couple of years.

Cluny is a favorite of ours. In addition to the absolutely magnificent Unicorn Tapestries, the Middle Ages section is alone worth the visit. Add in the Roman artefacts unearthed at the museum location and the place is irresistable.

Do they still have concerts of Middle Ages music for Friday and Saturday noontimes in the Roman bath section? If so, don't miss one.

Have you been to Saint Chappelle to see the glass windows ? If not it is a must .

We enjoyed the Tapestries at the Cluny.
We have been to Saint Chapelle and would like to return. It is breathtaking.
What are your thoughts on St. Sulpice, the church next to the Louvre and the church near Pompidou with Tete in the front? (I remember, St. Eustache)

Here's another yes for the Rodin Museum and Orangerie. And a big yes for the cathedral at Chartres.

St-Sulpice is a wonderful church. Check to see if there are concerts while you are in Paris. I heard a great free concert there - the church was packed. I've also attended Mass at St-Sulpice - world class organ and organist. There are 2 Delacroix frescoes to the right as you enter.

http://www.stsulpice.com/

If you like visiting churches I can recommend:

St-Germain-des-Pres - corner of Rue Bonaparte and Blvd St-Germain (2 blocks from St-Sulpice).
St-Gervais/St-Protais, behind the Hotel de Ville.
St-Severin, near the Cluny museum.
St-Etienne-du-Mont, near the Sorbonne.
And Val-de-Grace which has limited opening times and is exquisite. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday 12:00 - 5:00. Sunday Mass at 9:00 and 11:00. The church has an interesting history.

If you enjoy churches you would like the free Notre Dame tour. Wednesday & Thursday at 2:00; Saturday at 2:30. Meet inside the church under the clock near the entrance.

On my last visit I really enjoyed
Carnavalet
Jacquemart-Andre
St-Etienne-du-Mont, near the Sorbonne mentioned above.

Also loved Victor Hugo's house and Musée Cognacq-Jay. I always enjoy the Petit Palais, Rodin and Cluny.

I am a pretty big museum and church fan, though, and not wild about Impressionism.

The Cluny was wonderful. Nice manageable size, uncrowded. There is also a great church wit super gargoyles? (actually they are downspouts) nearby - St Severin I think.

The Musee Guimet is devoted to the arts of Asia so if that is your area of interest it would be worth a visit. You can check their collections here http://www.guimet.fr/-English-

I agree that the Rodin is fantastic. I was just in Paris and spent several hours at L'Orangerie. Now I agree that before the renovation, the room where the garden paintings are hung was much nicer, not as sterile. I was first there right when I got out of college and spent about 4 hours sitting on those comfortable sofas taking in the view. It was better than any hallucogenetic drug you could image. But regardless, it's still a must see. A bit of history. Monet was 80 years old and going blind when he painted these works. He painted them at different times of day, capturing the different light and that is what makes each painting so unique and unifies the entire body of work. I'm no art historian but these paintings to my mind are not to be missed. Maybe, since I can barely draw a stick figure, I'm just in awe of someone who can combine light, nature and paint in such an incredible way. Also there's other work there, including some very wonderful pieces by a Spanish painter named Didier Paquignon. Just my 2 cents.