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Whether you are a fan of the French Impressionists and Claude Monet or you just love beautiful gardens, you will enjoy this short day trip to Giverny. It is best to visit in the Spring when the gardens are at their most beautiful.
One important note…you will not find much of Monet’s actual art in Giverny, however you will see the inspiration for much of his work. To see extraordinary examples of Monet’s work in Paris, do not miss the Musee D’Orsay, Musee Marmottan Monet, and of course, The Orangerie with his stunning Waterlilies.
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| Le Gare Saint Lazare by Claude Monet, Musee d’Orsay |
Your journey to Giverny will begin at the Gare Saint Lazare which hasn’t changed all that much since Claude Monet painted it. Take the train to Vernon…an express train will take about 45 minutes. Upon arrival in Vernon, you can either take a bus, a taxi or rent a bike for the 5 km trip to Giverny and the Monet Foundation – Monet’s home and gardens,where he lived and painted for 43 years.
This video is one of twelve from the Monet Foundation available here on Vimeo…you can even see what the gardens look like at different times of the year.
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The pretty pink and green home is a lovely family home decorated in cheerful blue and yellow colors and displayed as it would have been when Monet lived there with his family. Monet’s outstanding collection of Japanese woodblock prints that inspired him greatly are displayed in the house. His studio is lined with reproduction canvasses much as they may have been displayed while he was painting there.
Of course, the real highlight of any trip to Giverny is Monet’s gardens…Monet himself said, “”My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece”…these pictures pretty much say it all…
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Here you can see how the garden acted as his “muse” in much of his art:
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| Irises in Monet’s Garden by Claude Monet, Musee D’Orsay via |
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| Le Bassin aux Nymphéas, Harmonie Verte by Claude Monet, Musee d’Orsay |
After your visit to Monet’s home and gardens, you may enjoy the town of Giverny where you can visit the various local artists’ ateliers. Enjoy lunch or tea and the lovely gardens at the historic Ancien Hôtel Baudy which was frequented by artists such as Cezanne, Renoir, Rodin and Cassatt.
Check out the current exhibitions at the Museum of Impressionism which is dedicated
to the history of Impressionism and its continuation in the Giverny art colony
and along the Valley of the River Seine, before heading back to Vernon to return to Paris.
Check out the current exhibitions at the Museum of Impressionism which is dedicated
to the history of Impressionism and its continuation in the Giverny art colony
and along the Valley of the River Seine, before heading back to Vernon to return to Paris.
Things To Remember
Plan your visit for either early in the morning or later in the afternoon, as the gardens can get very crowded.
The Monet Foundation is open every day from April 1st to November 1st, from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm – last admission 5:30 pm…for more information go here.
For more information on getting to and from Giverny, including transportation from Vernon, go here. If you choose to take a taxi back to Vernon, the gift shop at the Monet Foundation can call it for you.
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Thank you for stopping by for another petit voyage during the “France: Simply Irresistible Link Party”!
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We visited Monet's home in Giverny on our first visit to Paris in 2007, and it is still one of the highlights of any trip before or since. It's so lovely especially this time of year. Thanks for these beautiful pictures. I'd also second your recommendation for the Marmottan.
This is a feast for the eyes! These luscious gardens make my heart beat faster…
Such a stunning post…beautiful gardens and colour…I've popped across from Anita…I'm glad I have found you 🙂
Catherine
It must be so wonderful to visit Monet's Giverny. Monet is one of my favourite Impressionist artists. His garden is truly a masterpiece with the mixture of different colours so beautiful!
I am bookmarking this post, have never been to Giverny, but will absolutely make that my first stop next time I am in France. So beautiful…..talk about being inspired in a big way!
I've never been to Giverny, but would love to. It looks absolutely divine!
Sandy,
This is such a great post on Giverny! Although we did see Monet's work at The Orangerie and Musee de Orsay, we did not make it to Giverny. That, I will have to do on another trip! Bookmarked for future trips!!
xoxo Elizabeth
Hello Sandy,
The gardens on this little video were just beautiful. Your post was really touching to me, as one of my favorite things to do is gardening. It is so relaxing and peaceful. The pink and green house is very charming. What a lovely place to live. And I love the picture of the bridge. I just did a post recently about a charming bride that I came across. What a lovely delightful post this is today.
It's so nice to meet new friends.
~Sheri at Red Rose Alley
You are so right…you can see why he kind of use the gardens as a muse.The vidieo was fantastic.And the front of the house…to gorgeous.I loved this post.Wonderful.
Till next time,
Marie Antionette
Wow..,such pretty photos and fun learning more about Monet. You really have gone all out for Anita's party. Thanks for sharing!
Heidi @ hi-d's place
Giverny est véritablement une merveille …
Merci pour ces sublimes images.
Amicalement
Marie-Ange
GLORY GLORY GLORY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anita
We visited Giverny a few years ago and the gardens are breathtakingly beautiful and we are Monet fans too. It was amazing to see the actual bridge which is so familiar. I love the Musee d'Orsay and the Orangerie and we are planning to visit the Marmottan in a couple of weeks.
So much beauty. I have enjoyed browsing through all of your French posts today, Sandy. They truly take my breath away. I must visit some day.
Thank you for stopping by the table. It was a pleasure stopping by this evening.
xoxo's
Dear Sandy…one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen..
Thank you so much for this joy..
On to read more! 🙂
xoxo
Oh if you love Monet this visit is. Must! The house is beautiful and filled with Monets favorite art and collections. The gardens are surreal. When you are standing at each of the many spits in the garden you can actually see the paintings in your minds eye. One of my favorite p,aces to visit.
I am crazy about the colors!!! You did a marvelous job of capturing the garden art of Monet — he had every right to be proud of it.