Must Visit Art Museums in Europe

Funny enough, it’s often the weather that has guided us to museums. In Tucson, the heat drove us inside to cool, shadowed halls, while in Washington D.C., sheets of rain made the thought of another soggy walk unbearable. Stepping through museum doors felt less like planning and more like surrender. When we set our sights on moving to the Netherlands – museums in Europe became a bucket list travel item.

I have adored museums for as long as I can remember but I’m not the type that sits and reads every plaque. I take it in and reflect on what I find often gravitating to impressionist painters and the sense of calm their work brings over me.

As we planned our 2025 summer vacation I bookmarked museums I wanted to visit in each city. Here are the museums we have visited so far with many more visits to come.

Here’s a bit of what I look for when I visit museums.

Impressionist:

• Claude Monet
• Pierre-Auguste Renoir
• Edgar Degas
• Camille Pissarro
• Berthe Morisot
• Mary Cassatt
• Alfred Sisley
• Gustave Caillebotte
• Frédéric Bazille
• Honorable mention: Édouard Manet (often thought of as an Impressionist)

Post Impressionist:

• Vincent van Gogh
• Paul Cézanne
• Paul Gauguin
• Georges Seurat (pointillism)
• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Realism:

• Gustave Courbet
• Jean-François Millet
• Honoré Daumier
• Rosa Bonheur
• Jules Breton

Museums we have visited so far:

• Pinoteca Ambroisana
• Musée d’Orsay
• Wallraf–Richartz Museum

Wallraf–Richartz Museum in Cologne, Germany

As luck would have it both of the museums we wanted to visit in Cologne during our stay were closed. One for renovations and one for a security issue forcing its temporary day long closure.

The museum staff were so kind they told us we had to visit the Wallraf–Richartz Museum so off we went to get our tickets.

We started on the bottom and made our way to the top floor which was the best collection in the entire museum. While there were some impressionist pieces spread throughout the museum the majority of the best pieces were at the top.

I really loved this piece by Armand Guillaumin, The Sea at Saint-Palais. It gave me a sense of calm, as if I could feel the salt air on my face and the warm water washing over my feet. More than anything, I wished I could step into that scene and be there in real life.

The next piece of art that both Nate & I really felt pulled towards was this one by Jacob Philipp Hackert titled Italian Harbour in Moonlight, the way the artist used the light was sensational. I have no idea how artists are able to make a painting look like a photograph.

This piece of the View of the Grand Canal in Venice by Bernardo Belloto. The long boat in the foreground with the man on the front looked again like a photo. The way the light on the water brings so much life to the entire piece. I was reading on the plaque next to it that this painting was so accurate that years later someone was able to date a building that is shown on the right side of the canal.

This artwork is unforgettable in person. The waves crash with such force you can almost feel the boats lurching as people flee a violent siege. Above them, water and sky swirl together while fire devours the city. And yet, in the foreground, one man stands on a boat, almost unnervingly calm amid the chaos.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir has always been one of my favorite artists, and at the Wallraf–Richartz Museum he had an entire room dedicated to his work. Walking in, I honestly felt like a child in a toy store. I had never seen so many of his paintings gathered in one place. Renoir’s range is remarkable: from luminous portraits of women, to still-life fruit, landscapes, and delicate florals. One floral piece caught our daughter’s attention so completely that she asked me to take a photo of it. We stood there together, admiring these blooms, and she whispered that she could almost smell them. It was summer when we were visiting this museum after all.

The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan

My dear friend Chiara arranged our visit to the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan. With so many museums to choose from in the city, it would be easy to overlook this one depending on your taste in art, but I urge you not to — especially if you’re drawn to Leonardo da Vinci. Chiara loves him because they share a hometown, and Italians take great pride in their heritage. I’ve always admired his work as well, and my very first encounter with one of his pieces happened by accident at the tail end of a visit to Washington D.C. She was so kind to gift us a guided tour in this museum.

We had a guided tour here, which included access to the crypt — don’t skip it. The museum itself has fascinating roots: it began as a library, one of the first open to anyone who could read and write. I’ve always loved libraries, and this one quickly became a favorite. Later, the cardinal who founded it donated his entire art collection, transforming the space into a museum and a place of study.

As we wandered through with our tour guide, I was struck by several pieces that lingered with me long after we left.

I can hardly describe how impactful this piece was — and it isn’t even a finished work of art. The paper still bears tiny pinpricks made by Raphael’s assistants as they traced the outlines onto sheets that would later be transferred to the fresco. This is what’s known as a ‘cartoon,’ though not in the way you and I usually think of the word. It is, in fact, the largest surviving Renaissance cartoon of its kind. You may recognize the final masterpiece: The School of Athens by Raphael.

The cartoon itself is made up of more than 200 sheets of paper, carefully glued together to form a monumental design. Our guide explained that Raphael drew this cartoon by hand, but the fresco was completed by him and his assistants, piece by piece. The pinpricks I mentioned earlier were created by his assistants as they outlined Raphael’s design, transferring it section by section onto the plaster wall, and in doing so, brought his vision to life.

Despite many wars and being pillaged by Napoleon and sent to the Louvre it made it’s way back to Milan to begin another set of restorations which would happen a number of times over 500 years.

Read more about this piece and its restoration.

I have rarely seen anything as astonishing as this famous still life by Caravaggio. At first glance, it hardly seems like a painting at all. The fruit looks tangible, as if you could reach out and take it from the basket, while the leaves appear freshly plucked from a tree and pressed onto the canvas. If this basket were sitting on our own table, we’d instinctively sort through it — plucking out the worm-eaten fruit and tossing it aside. That imperfection, the way the decaying fruit sits among the fresh, makes the work feel even more real. Caravaggio reminds us, perhaps, that not everything in life is perfect, nor should it be.

Not quite a piece of artwork on canvas but this mosaic on the stairwell. It looks like a page out of a storybook.

An original Leonardo Da Vinci – This is the only original to remain in Milan. Its title is, “Portrait of a Musician” and our guide mentioned it may be one of the few pieces Da Vinci painted of a man.

Not necessarily a piece of art but the lit up glass panels you see are original journal pages from Da Vinci. They’re part of his codex and were gathered by his assistant upon his death. Some of them are even written backwards so anyone who may read them won’t understand what they say. Not only are these pages enlightening but the entire library has over 1 million titles in it. Who doesn’t love a library? Especially one with journal pages from Da Vinci. Did you know he helped plan Milan to include its once famous canals?

This frescos in the Crypt of San Sepulcro have faded but it only adds to the character of art in a space that is so dated. I think what I appreciate the most about this church built completely underground in 1030 was the fact that this place was once the center of Milan. This ancient Roman space has floors that have fossils embedded into the stone and were once where Romans gathered for civil and religious activities. Image the people who have stood here chatting amongst themselves.If only the walls could talk.

Our tour guide took his time with us throughout the museum and allowed us to really take it all in. If you visit museums like this you should consider a guided tour because this particular museum is so much more than that. There’s a lot to see and understand. Take a guided tour and your guide can be your expert eyes and show you the most impactful pieces and history.

Musée d’Orsay in Paris

On of my favorite artists has an entire room dedicated to him at d’Orsay. You may have heard of him – Vincent Van Gogh. It’s silly to travel outside of the Netherlands to see a Dutch artist. Yet here we are with so many of his works featured. One of the biggest issues at d’Orsay were the crowds that day. It was so busy it was difficult to just stand and admire the artwork without getting bumped.

If you ever visit this museum you really need a couple of days otherwise you should figure out what you want to focus on and just spend time there because this place is massive. I would probably go early too and get there before the crowds really take over.

I wish I would have spent more time with the impressionists but there was moving pieces of art all over the museum. Not to mention the architecture of the museum itself seeing that it was once a train station.

Let’s start with this absolutely insane piece. The size of this piece of artwork and many others in this museum are so large my brain couldn’t quite comprehend them all at once. I had to walk away and come back and look at it a few times. Once a spot on the bench opened up I sat down and just stared taking each part in. This piece was a view from a hot air balloon.

This next one was a piece of art that was so stunning in color and detail. I really enjoyed the impressionist flair mixed with the symbolism. 

Of course I got a few snaps of Van Gogh, but this room was so packed and I was so tired I couldn’t handle the crowds. I ended up taking a couple of laps and getting rammed by an Instagram influencer with her husband taking staged photos of her in front of every single piece of artwork.

I don’t want to be the gatekeeper here but if you’re not going to at least stop and enjoy the artwork can you take your influencer photos elsewhere? I snap photos of the art I love so I can look at it later. Pop it into Google and do additional research on the artist, the piece and how it came to be in that museum.

I think Van Gogh would have been irritated with the bad influencer behavior too. Right Vincent? I mean look at the judgement in his face.

This self-portrait was one of many self-portraits he painted.

This version of Starry Night is more serene than the one you’re probably thinking of. This one wasn’t painted in a mental hospital like the other one was. He was full of torment when he painted that one. This version was something he had written to his family and friends about capturing. I love the night sky personally. I’m really drawn to the planets and stars and what’s beyond us. I often wonder if people like Van Gogh saw planetary bodies and wondered what they were.

This piece drew me right in. I couldn’t quite tell what was there at first that I walked right on past it. Then I couldn’t let go of the colors in the piece and circled back around. When something pulls me back a second or even third time I have to know more. I think because this piece has an impressionist feel is why I was so drawn to it. Maurice de Vlaminck painted Paris used thicker brushstrokes like Van Gogh was accustomed to in his work. 

You probably know this one and I had no idea it was here or that I’d get to see it in person. The Thinker is a famous work of art that I think we’ve probably all seen online or in a book in art class. The sculptures are something I didn’t think I’d enjoy so much. The detail in the makes you wonder how these artists didn’t crack the material they were working with.

Look at this sculpture. How did the artist achieve this? How long did it take? Where did they make it? Had they seen an alligator snapping its jaws at food prior to creating this work? So many questions.

The color, the blanket, the post and of course the carving itself — extraordinary.

Ah yes, the impressionists. What I went to see and I was delighted. This painting created by Pierre Auguste Renior featuring Claude Monet. My friend Alex and I also shared a laugh. If that is what Monet looked like with his talent for art you know was definitely picking up plenty of dates. There were a few portraits of artists that were painted by others like this. I wish now I could remember them all.

This piece wasn’t originally painted in 2 pieces like this. The artist started on it, ran out of money and when he got his artwork back later it was in such disrepair the only thing to do was to cut away the damage. He gave it to his landlord as a security deposit and it was stored in a damp cellar. It was a large piece at over four meters by six meters. That artist was Claude Monet. He had originally cut it into 3 pieces but the third piece is missing.

Okay I have a confession now that we have gotten this far. I had never seen a painting featuring a painting in the painting until this one and I was instantly intrigued. So much so that I noticed several others while we were there. This one was a piece of art created to pay respects to the man featured in the painting these people are all standing around. This painting was done the same year as the one above that Claude Monet cut into pieces.

And here we are with another fantastic painting of paintings. I wish the glare wasn’t so horrendous in this photo but if you want to see it without the glare you can here. I think what fascinated me the most about this painting was the fact that each piece of art inside this one was painted by their original artists. This piece of art was featuring art that was also hanging in the same gallery at the same time. It was very unique and caused quite a stir. This is the sort of thing I adore when I go to art galleries and museums. The stories behind the work. The artist then finished the artwork by adding the frames and the people in the foreground. This artist was so meticulous in his little plan that he waited until the Salon released its catalog and assigned numbers to the paintings featured so he could correctly label them in his own artwork. The amount of forethought and planning to make this happen is astounding not to mention the fact that 6 other artists were willing to recreate their own art on his canvas.

This one was taken by Nate – I don’t actually remember seeing this one. It’s another one of those pieces that could probably be used to match landmarks at a given point in time. When I saw the photo of it I was kicking myself for not paying closer attention. It’s why you need more than 6 hours!

One of my big takeaways was when our tour guide in Milan was talking to us about the cartoon of the philosophers. He mentioned to us that a lot of these famous artists were apprenticing for skills and money or a place to live with meals provided when they were very young. They weren’t painting these works of art for fun, they needed work. They weren’t prodigies. They weren’t following a dream. They were brought in under artists who would teach them skills and allow them to help them with their artwork until they were eventually painting on their own. The places that could afford this kind of extravagant artwork were usually churches.

It’s all so interesting.

I have so many more photos from this museum. If you want to see them leave me a comment and I will add them to an album Flickr to share. There’s just too much on my drive to upload that it was overwhelming just choosing these pieces out of everything there.

Bonus From d’Orsay

Upstairs on the 5th floor is a giant clock in a window. You can see the Louvre and the Olympic ceremony balloon from there. Here are a couple photos I took because the view was phenomenal.

If You Go Quick Tips:

• Check your coats and bags (some places it’s mandatory like in Cologne)
• Make sure your phone batteries are charged
• Go early before the crowds
• Pre-game the museum you want to visit by going to their website and finding out what is there before you go
• Take water
• Wear good walking shoes
• Plan breaks and find a seat for breaks

Mauritshuis in The Hague

Mauritshuis is one of those museums that everyone seems to know about and it’s probably because it has Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer. When we were traveling this summer we saw marketing images of her everywhere we went.

I’m going to have to return to this museum since we got a couple museum cards for the year and spend more time in the rooms that I felt were too crowded.

A Girl with a Pearl Earring is a lot smaller than I imagined. I didn’t spend much time here as you can imagine – huge crowds of people.

This is by far one of my favorite pieces in the entire museum. This is a piece by Willem van Haecht titled Apelles Painting Campaspe. One of my favorite things about these types of art the fact that it’s featuring works of art that exist by other artists. I’m going to put some close ups so you can see some of the detail.

I’m pretty sure the flower painting featured here is hanging in this same museum. Look at the detail of the paintings… Incredible.

Look at her and the other women standing around her as the men are painting her, and the little dog.

I didn’t realize this piece was featuring artwork hanging in the museum until later when I was looking at my photos after we got home.

We had no idea this piece would be hanging here. I hadn’t ever seen it until we arrived but Nate knew it from reading and seeing things online.

These pieces were part of the NK collection which was looted, seized or purchased during the war by the Nazis. These four pieces showcase the seasons.

Come to find out after reading more about this museum when I got home I found out it was a place where people hid during the war to keep from being forced into work camps.

The museums isn’t just a place filled with pretty art. It’s also filled with beautiful design and architecture.

Here are a few more of the pieces I really enjoyed.

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