Europe Archives

Recommended Places to Stay in France That Will Make You Want to Return

February 25, 2020October 31, 2022Destinations, France, Hotel Reviews, Travel Smart Artsy Traveler 3 Comments

Last updated on October 31st, 2022 at 04:29 am

You’re in luck when it comes to finding great places to stay in France. In fact, some of our most memorable stays in Europe have been in family-run, country-style hotels in France.

In this post, I provide general tips about accommodations in France and then list hotels I recommend.

Choosing a Room

To Book or Not to Book?

I favor a combination approach to booking hotels in France. Generally, I book most of the hotels on my itinerary before I leave home, and then while traveling, I make adjustments as needed. I like the security of knowing that I have a place to stay, but I also take advantage of cancellation options to ensure I can always change my mind.

To stay flexible, choose a hotel booking site that allows you to book, change, or cancel hotel reservations if your itinerary changes. Most sites offer a no-cancellation option at a lower price.

TIP: Stay flexible when you travel. You never know when you might meet someone who recommends a festival or event or exhibition. More than once, I’ve altered an itinerary to attend a special exhibition or visit a new attraction.

I never choose the no-cancellation price unless I’m 100% sure I’ll be staying at the hotel. For example, I will select the no-cancellation price for hotels I’m staying at in the cities I fly into and depart from because I know those locations won’t change.

Breakfasts in French Hotels

Breakfasts in France are generally of the continental variety and include croissants (both regular and chocolate-filled), fresh baguettes with wonderful butter and lots of jams and marmalades, and coffee. You may also find fresh fruit, dry cereal, cold meats, and cheeses. In large hotels, cooked options may be available.

In our experience, most breakfasts in small country hotels in France are continental breakfasts that are either included in the room price or are generally not too expensive.

If hotel breakfasts cost too much extra, I buy yogurt and fruit at a local grocery store and then go to a bar or café for my morning café au lait.

Recommended Locations

In France, I favor hotels on the outskirts of cities or in the countryside if we’re driving. I check the map showing the location of hotels and choose one that is outside town walls but within walking distance of the center of town.

I don’t recommend driving into Paris. We’ve done so several times, and it’s challenging, to say the least!

View of a traffic jam in Paris with the Arc de Triomphe in the center — Traffic in Paris–not for the faint of heart!

Star Rating

I favor three- or four-star properties in France that offer amenities such as elevators, air conditioning, parking, bathtubs, pools, and WIFI.

I also like larger rooms. Check the square meterage of the room. Anything under 15 square meters is too small for two people with luggage. I do my best to book rooms that are at least 20 square meters.

Reviews – Should You Care?

I recommend that you pay attention to reviews. If a property’s aggregate review is under 8.0 out of a possible 10, consider taking a pass. Sometimes, the difference between a property with a 9.6 review and one with an 8.2 review is only a few euros, and yet the quality of the higher-rated property makes the extra money worth spending.

You have to take reviews with a grain of salt, however. Just because a property has a score of 9.8 doesn’t meant it’s five-star luxury. A 9.8 score for a two-star hotel is not the same as a 9.8 for a four-star.

TIP: Read reviews on a few sites, such as booking.com and TripAdvisor. I take my time when booking accommodations in France and elsewhere to make sure I’m getting the best value for my travel dollar.

For more tips on finding accommodations, read Six Steps to Making Awesome Accommodation Choices in Europe.

Accommodation Options by Region in France

For each destination, I describe properties I’ve stayed in. Click the link to the hotel to make a reservation with booking.com.

Places to Stay in Paris

When you’re in Paris, you won’t want to stay outside the périphérique in what are pretty dull suburban areas. The périphérique is the multi-lane ring road that circles Paris. Mammoth traffic jams are not uncommon on the périphérique –we’ve experienced a few!

To avoid driving into Paris, we’ve occasionally stayed at a hotel near one of the portes on the périphérique. However, I don’t recommend doing so. The surrounding area can be quite dreary, and you’ll need to take a long Metro ride into the center.

If you’re driving, consider organizing your trip so that you either start or end in Paris. That way, you can be car-free in the city and stay at a place in an interesting and central area, such as the Marais or my favorite, Montparnasse, on the Left Bank.

Recommended Neighborhoods in Paris

We visit Paris frequently and usually stay either in apartments or hotels on the Left Bank. The Montparnasse area is far enough from the tourist crowds and the throat-tightening prices of Saint Germain but still within walking distance, or a short Metro ride, of the Seine.

Montparnasse these days isn’t the bohemian, majorly hip place it was between the World Wars when everyone who was anyone—from Hemingway to Picasso to the newly formed surrealist group— hung out there. However, it still has plenty of good restaurants (La Coupole, Le Dôme) with appropriately snooty waiters (I adore watching Parisian waiters work!) and amazing seafood.

Here are my accommodation picks for Paris, all of which we’ve stayed in.

H ô tel de L’Université on the Left Bank near Saint-Germain-des-Prés is lovely with spacious rooms and an awesome location just blocks from the Seine and the hip part of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. We will definitely stay there again.

Hôtel Le Chaplain in Montparnasse is a reasonably-priced budget option located near the Vavin Metro stop.

Hôtel A La Villa des Artistes is the first hotel we stayed in as a family. Located in Montparnasse on the same street as the Hôtel Le Chaplain and close to the Vavin Metro, the hotel is also a short walk to the Luxembourg Gardens where our daughter spent many happy hours in a smartly designed playground.

Hôtel Le Clos Médicis has a great location about a block from the Luxembourg Gardens near the Boulevard Saint Michel. The rooms are pricey and tiny but very well-appointed and comfortable.

Medici Fountain in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris — Medici fountain in the Luxembourg Garden near the Hôtel Le Clos Médici

We’ve stayed in a few more hotels that don’t warrant a recommendation. Paris has its share of overpriced and underwhelming places. Take your time finding a place and be aware that you may need to adjust your budget upwards to get a comfortable room in a good location.

As mentioned, we usually stay in apartments. Good options are available on HomeAway and booking.com.

Search for more hotels in Paris.

Places to Stay in Normandy

I recommend basing yourself in Honfleur and from there exploring the World War II beaches at Normandy, the charming town of Bayeux with its historic tapestry, and the soaring cliffs of Étretat.

Honfleur has several good choices, including the Hotel L’Ecrin where we stayed. The hotel includes free parking and is within easy walking distance of the Vieux Bassin.

For information about what to see in Normandy, see Top Normandy Sites for Art & History Lovers.

Places to Stay in Brittany

We love traveling in Brittany! Over the years, we’ve visited a few times and have always found excellent, country-style accommodations.

Here are three hotels that I’m happy to recommend:

Trébeurden and Trégastel on the Côte de Granit Rose

Both Trébeurden and Trégastel are great choices if you want to spend time exploring the gorgeous Côte de granit rose (Pink Granite Coast). Both of these hotels are excellent options:

Trébeurden: Hôtel Le Toeno offers simple and comfortable accommodation with terraces that overlook the ocean.

Trégastel: Le Beauséjour also features sea views in addition to an excellent restaurant. Our room had a very fancy spa bath with more jet settings than I’ve ever seen.

View of the Côte de Granit Rose near Trégastel in Brittany

Pont Aven

Spend some time in lovely little Pont Aven where Gauguin was inspired to paint some of his most memorable works.

We stayed at Le Domain de Pont Aven Art Gallery Resort–quite a posh place that was worth the cost. Set in beautiful grounds and within walking distance of Pont Aven, the resort is a good choice for a splurge.

Places to Stay in Provence and the Côte d’Azur

Provence and the stunning Côte d’Azur are, hands down, my favorite areas of France. Well, why not? Provence has it all–fields of lavender and sunflowers under brittle blue skies, swims in the warm Mediterranean, excellent meals enjoyed al fresco, and that special light that has inspired artists for centuries.

Pretty much every time we’ve traveled to Europe in the past several years, we’ve squeezed in at least a few days in the south of France. In 2021, we plan to settle into a place near the Mediterranean for three months.

Here, I’ll describe some of the places we’ve stayed in Provence. Areas include van Gogh country around Les Baux-des-Provence on the western edge of Provence, the charming towns of Roussillon and Gordes in the Luberon area, the relatively undiscovered Var region, and finally, the fabled Côte d’Azur.

Les Baux-des-Provence in Van Gogh Country

By van Gogh country, I mean Arles and the surrounding areas where Vincent van Gogh painted during the few years he lived in the region. Because we always have a car in Provence, we book places in the countryside in this area rather than within the Arles city limits or in difficult-to-navigate Les Baux-des-Provence.

Panorama of Les Baux-de-Provence in southern France — Les Baux-des-Provence is close to both recommended properties

But if you’re not driving, find a hotel in Arles so you can enjoy wandering this delightful city in the warm, Provençal evening.

Here are two places I highly recommend, both in the countryside near Les Baux-des-Provence:

Du Côté Des Olivades is outside the small town of Paradou, but it’s in the vicinity of Les Baux-des-Provence. This place is Provence with a capital P, with plenty of 4-star luxury and a gorgeous country setting. We walked from here to nearby Paradou where we enjoyed one of our favorite meals in Provence (which is saying something!).

On our most recent trip to the area, we stayed in Domaine du Mas Foucray in a rural setting near the small town of Maussane-les-Alpilles and within sight of Les-Baux-de-Provence. Billed as an aparthotel, the one-bedroom suites include a kitchen and sitting area and a private terrace. In early July when we were there, we picked fresh apricots off the trees.

I took this video on the grounds of the property. If you’re looking for a relaxing, Provençal experience without the hefty price tag of some of the properties in the area, then you can’t go wrong with the Domaine du Mas Foucray.

Domaine du Mas Foucray near Les Baux-de-Provence

Luberon Area (Vaucluse)

On one of our first family trips to Europe when our daughter was nine years old, we rented a house for two weeks in the hill town of Saignon, located near Apt in the Vaucluse region of the Luberon.

With lavender season in full swing and beautiful vistas everywhere we looked, not to mention warm summer days and lots to see, we fell in love with the area.

Village of Saignon in Provence with lavender field in the foreground — Saignon in the Luberon in Provence where we stayed for two weeks

Pick one of the gorgeous little towns and settle in for as many days as you can manage. We’ve home-based in Bonnieux, Roussillon, and Gordes. Other good options are Menerbes (where A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle is set), Lacoste, and tiny Saignon with its ruined fortress and sweeping views.

One of our favorite family-run, country-style hotels is Les Sables d’Ocre in Roussillon. The place is also one of the two French properties I include in 10 Family-Run Hotels in Europe I Recommend.

Here are two highly recommended hotels in the Luberon, one in Roussillon and one in Gordes.

Les Sables d’Ocre – A 15-minute walk from the village of Roussillon, this place sets the bar for what a country-style, family-run, low-key, easy-on-the-budget place should be. Book one of the rooms that includes a terrace. You’ll have your own private outdoor space and be steps from the pool.

Domain de l’Enclos – This place close to Gordes–one of the most beautiful hill towns in the area–is wonderful. We snagged a room with a terrace which Gregg made use of to do some drawing. The views from the garden over the Luberon are spectacular.

Gregg Simpson drawing on the terrace of a hotel in Provence, France — Gregg drawing on the terrace at the Domaine de l’Enclos near Gordes, Provence

The Var

If you’re driving from Aix-en-Provence to the Côte d’Azur, you pass through the spectacular–and relatively undiscovered–region of the Var. We’ve stayed in the Var a few times while Gregg had exhibitions at the gorgeous little village of Seillans, a hill town not far from Fayence, one of the principal towns in the area.

Here are two recommended properties in the area around Seillans.

Hôtel Restaurant des Deux Rocs – Situated at the edge of Seillans and including a lovely restaurant with a terrace overlooking the view, this place is a great choice if you want to stay in the village of Seillans.

La Bastide de Negrin – This place is a good example of a typical small bed and breakfast in the area, with comfortable rooms and of course, a pool. Each of the four rooms is named after a different artist: Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, and Cezanne.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Vence

This area of the Côte d’Azur is one of our favorites, particularly the town of Vence. You’ll find plenty of gorgeous properties in the area. Here are three that we’ve stayed in.

La Petite Maison: This two-story apartment has a spectacular view over Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the Mediterranean beyond. You are also within easy walking distance of the village.

Village of Saint Paul-de-Vence from the terrace of Le Petite Maison in the south of France — Gregg surveying Saint Paul-de-Vence from the terrace of Le Petite Maison

Hôtel Marc Hély: We enjoyed a room with a view over Saint Paul-de-Vence and a tasty breakfast in the courtyard. This is a great choice in La Colle-sur-Loup, which is about a ten-minute drive from the Fondation Maeght.

View of Saint Paul de Vence and a valley in the south of France — Wine on the balcony at the Hôtel Marc-Hély

Miramar: This hotel is in Vence, which is just up the hill from Saint-Paul-de-Vence and a larger town with more services. FYI, we had the best pizza in an outdoor café in the Old Town of Vence! The Miramar is a reasonably-priced and well-located property that is great for drivers.

Search other hotels in Vence.

Search other hotels in Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

Monte Carlo and the Côte d’Azur

Port Palace Hotel in Monte Carlo – On a recent trip to the Riviera, we arrived at the house we’d rented through HomeAway for three days high above Monte Carlo to find no one there. A quick call to the HomeAway folks confirmed that our reservation had never been confirmed, despite emails to the contrary. What to do? Fortunately, HomeAway responded to our predicament by booking us into the Port Palace right on the harbor in Monte Carlo. The first night was comped, but we loved the place so much that we stayed for another two nights. Although a bit on the pricey side, the massive room and the harbor view along with fabulous breakfasts and really friendly staff made our stay at the Port Palace once of our most memorable in France.

Hôtel de l’Esterel in Agay overlooking the Mediterranean and not far from Saint Raphael is located right smack in the middle of a Pierre-en-Vacances, otherwise known as a holiday village. From our room we overlooked one of the largest hotel pools I’ve ever seen. The holiday village was hopping with French families and included several restaurants, a row of shops, and numerous activities.

Swimming pools at a holiday village in the south of France overlooking the Mediterranean — Massive pools at the Holiday Village where the Hôtel de l’Esterel is located

Places to Stay in Dordogne and Languedoc

Like Provence, both Languedoc and the Dordogne have many gorgeous properties set in idyllic countryside. Here are two in the Dordogne and one in Albi in Languedoc that we’ve stayed in and recommend.

Château le Tour is a fabulous choice in the middle of the countryside east of Bergerac and near the tiny village of Faux. We stayed for several days and enjoyed evening meals served outside to all the guests, swims in the infinity pool, and lots of lounging around the grounds. If you want a country experience in the Dordogne and you’re touring France by car, you can’t go wrong at this place.

Chateau de Tour in the Dordogne region of France — Château de Tour in the Dordogne region of France

The Hôtel Archambeau in the tiny village of Thonac not far from Montignac is another great country-style choice. Take a walk around the village and out into the bucolic countryside.

We recently visited Albi in Languedoc for the first time and were very much taken with it. La Cabane Albigeoise is a self-contained, two-floor minihouse located in a large garden above the river and right across from the iconic Albi Cathedral. Here’s the view from the terrace.

View of Albi Cathedral for La Cabane Albigeoise — View of Albi Cathedral from La Cabane Albigeoise

Conclusion

Do you have recommendations for great places to stay in France? Please share your experience with other Artsy Travelers in the Comments section below.

Once you’ve secured your accommodations, check out what there is to see in the places your visiting. Here are some posts to help you choose:

Discover Lyon–Friendly, Vibrant & Very French

February 18, 2020December 17, 2024Destinations, France, Guest Post Artsy Traveler 3 Comments

Last updated on December 17th, 2024 at 07:56 pm

Discover the hidden gems of Lyon, France’s third-largest city and the center of gastronomy in France.

A few years ago, guest poster Liz Reding moved with her husband Michael to France and settled in the charming city of Lyon.

Liz shares tips for exploring and enjoying her adopted city.

By Liz Reding

When you travel, do you enjoy seeing and doing things that are a little off the beaten path? I know I do! Mind you, I think going to a grocery store in a foreign country is fun.

In this post, I’ll introduce you to my new hometown–the beautiful and vibrant city of Lyon.

Map of Lyon

The map below shows the location of the sights covered in this post. Because Lyon is relatively small, you can walk everywhere. And when you tire of walking, the public transportation system will get you where you want to go in a flash. It’s cheap, easy to use, clean, modern, and fast!

This map was made with Wanderlog, a road trip planner app on iOS and Android

Lyon Overview

In Lyon, you won’t experience the manic hustle and tourist hordes of larger European cities, such as Paris, Berlin, and London. You will find friendly people, a truly French environment, and a lively cultural scene.

You’ll also find many opportunities for artsy travel in Lyon–from opera performances and fine arts museums to boulangeries and foodie experiences.

View of the Saone River and city of Lyon at sunrise — Lyon just before sunrise Photo: Liz Reding

With a population of 1.7 million, Lyon is a manageable city about the same size as Copenhagen, Munich, and Vienna. It’s one third the size of Barcelona and one quarter that of Madrid.

A UNESCO World Heritage City, Lyon has a rich and varied history and cultural heritage. It was the capital of the Gauls in Roman times, an integral part of the 17th-century silk trade, a pivotal center of French Resistance during World War II, and is now a leader in the development and production of pharmaceuticals.

I’ve divided my guide to discovering Lyon into three sections: Touring Lyon, Visiting Museums and Churches, and Exploring Lyon’s Food Culture.

Touring Lyon

Lyon City Card

Like most European cities, Lyon offers a tourist card that gives you access to most of its museums and all of its transit system. To purchase your Lyon City Card, visit the Lyon Visitor Center at one of its many locations (including Place Bellecour) or purchase it online at Tiqets.com. Durations from one to four days are available.

The Lyon City Card offers free access to the public transportation system and free/discounted admission to 23 museums. You can enter an included attraction once per purchased card.

When using your Lyon City Card, be mindful of what days you’ll be using it. Many museums are closed on Monday. It would be a shame to lose one whole museum use day if your card includes a Monday.

For more information and a complete list of attractions, check the Lyon City Card website.

View of the old town of Lyon from the river — View of Lyon from the Saône River

Lyon Sightseeing Cruise

The Lyon Sightseeing Cruise along the the Saône (rhymes with cone) River is a perfect afternoon/evening activity when you’ve walked your feet off and need some rest and relaxation. Enjoy watching the city of Lyon drift by while listening to the interesting narrative provided by the guide.

Every time I take one of these cruises, I learn something new. If you’re lucky and the weather is fine, you’ll be able to sit on the open top deck and take in some rays along with the sights.

The river cruise is free with the Lyon City Card or €13 per person without the card.

Lyon Sightseeing River Cruise – included with the Lyon City Card Photo: Tiqets.com

For more information and schedules, check out Sightseeing Cruises with Les Bateaux Lyonnais (#1 on the map above).

City Tram Tour

This motorized tour takes you to the Croix-Rousse area (#2) and shows you many fascinating features of this city-within-a-city in Lyon.

The open-sided tram trundles through the village-like streets of an area that was once the silk workers’ district and is now famous for its boho atmosphere, markets, and wall murals (more on the murals later!).

Unlike the rest of the city, Croix-Rousse is located on top of a hill. You can access Croix-Rousse by foot, Metro, or bus. However, taking the funicular is the most fun. If you haven’t ridden one, you really must!

The tram tour is free with the Lyon City Card or €9 per person without the card. Find out more and book your tour at the Lyon City Tram website.

Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon)

The old town of Lyon (#3) is quaint, charming, and full of mysteries and calories. Vieux Lyon is the one of the most extensive Renaissance neighborhoods in Europe, with three distinct sections: Saint Jean, Saint Paul and Saint Georges.

Stroll along charming, narrow cobblestone streets and through the traboules–covered passageways–that are a fascinating historical feature of this area. Have a look at the Gothic-style Saint Jean Cathedral.

Better yet, take a guided walking tour of Vieux Lyon. This two-hour tour in English includes lively narration about the history and culture of Lyon, the history of silk production, the French Resistance during World War II, and Lyon food culture.

Check the Free Tour Lyon website for tour times and more details. The tour starts at 10 am at Place Saint-Jean and runs on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Book ahead or just show up.

Visiting Churches and Museums

La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière

How can you not be awed by this building and the view of Lyon from the overlook? La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière (#4) is one of Lyon’s principal landmarks, visible from almost everywhere in the city.

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière dominates the skyline of Lyon.

Built between 1872 and 1884 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière is a relatively modern structure. The annual Fête de Lumières (Festival of Lights), held in early December, is Lyon’s way of thanking the Virgin for saving the city from the bubonic plague that swept through Europe in 1643.

Highlights of your visit to Fourvière include:

Discovery Visit: Every day from April to November, take a free, 30-minute guided tour of the Basilica; it’s offered in several languages. Check the website for tour times.
Theme Visit: Every Saturday at 2:30 pm, choose one of ten free theme visits to learn about various aspects of the Basilica including its Byzantine and Art Nouveau-inspired mosaics, stained glass, and the altarpieces.
Rooftop Visit: Go behind the scenes of the basilica and take a walk on the roof. The guided Rooftop Tour is free with the Lyon City Card or €10 without the card. Pre-booking is recommended. Check the website for dates and times.
Garden Walk: The beautifully landscaped Rosary Gardens include 1,400 meters of pathways.
View over Lyon: Enjoy the stunning view over Lyon.

Interior of La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière in Lyon showing the frescoed ceiling — Interior of La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière in Lyon

To visit the Basilica, take the Fourvière funicular to Vieux Lyon Saint Jean station. Find information about opening times on the website.

Museum of Confluences

This giant of a building is worth seeing, even if you don’t go in: it’s that dynamic and eye-catching.

The Musée des Confluences (#5) includes a world-class collection of over two million objects from the fields of paleontology, mineralogy, entomology, ethnology, Egyptology, and technology and is divided into three areas: natural sciences, human sciences, and science and technology.

Musée des Confluences in Lyon is a must-see. Photo: Liz Reding

The museum is named both for its location at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers and for its explorations of the confluences between cultures, animals, and technology.

This monument to modern architecture is a must-see in Lyon. Its detailed and fascinating exhibits are creatively curated. Set aside several hours to explore the many galleries.

The museum is free with the Lyon City Card or €9 per person without the card. Another option is to buy Skip-the-Line tickets in advance.

If you’d prefer to simply enjoy a magnificent view of the rivers and Lyon, you can access the observation deck free of charge.

My husband and I sometimes go into the building just to marvel at the structure. The museum looks completely different depending on your vantage point.

Take Tram T1 to Musée des Confluences. The museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 am to 7 pm, Thursday from 11 am to 10 pm, and Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 10 am to 7 pm. For more information about special exhibitions, visit the museum’s website.

Center for the History of the Resistance and Deportation

This sobering, reflective, and reverent collection is one example of how Lyon commemorates its role in the deportation of enemies of the state during World War II.

The Centre d’histoire de la résistance et de la déportation (#6) is my favorite museum in Lyon. I love its artifacts and how they are presented.

Nearly every time I visit this museum, I encounter a group of students learning about this important time in their city’s history. I’m always struck by the attention they pay and the respect they show while listening to the guide explain the exhibits.

Admission is free with the Lyon City Card or €6 per person without the card.

Display at the Center for the History of the Resistance and Deportation Photo: Liz Reding

The Centre is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Take Tram T2 to Centre Berthelot stop or Metro Line B to Station Jean Macé. Find more information about special exhibitions on the museum’s website.

Musée Gadagne: Lyon History Museum

Another favorite, the Musée Gadagne (#7) traces the history of the city from the Capital of the Gauls to the present. If you love urban planning and want to learn how Lyon got to where it is today, this museum is for you!

I was surprised to learn that Lyon had the same mayor (Edouard Herriot) for over 50 years–from 1905 to 1940 and from 1945 to 1957.

As you leave this exhibit, you’ll see a beautiful re-creation of a residential parlor during World War II and a film on the history of Lyon during the early 1900s.

Re-creation of a parlor during World War II Photo: Liz Reding

The Lyon History Museum is located at 1 place du petit Collège and is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm. Admission is free with the Lyon City Card or €8 per person without the card. For more information about special exhibitions, check the museum’s website.

Lumière Museum

The Institut Lumière (#8) museum celebrates the achievements of the Lumière brothers (Auguste and Louis) and is located in the house in which their family lived.

Louis Lumière invented the Cinématograph in 1895 as well as various cameras and color and relief photographs. The first film was made in the garden of the house which, at the time, was the largest factory in Europe for the production of photographic plates.

The Institut Lumière produces the annual Festival Lumière every October. If you’re interested in film, you’ll be dazzled by the silent films in this exhibit. The technology on display has been lovingly preserved.

This Lumière Museum is free with the Lyon City Card or €7 per person without the card.

Sign for the Institut Lumière Photo Credit: Liz Reding

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6:30 pm. For information about location and special exhibitions, check the website.

Tony Garnier Urban Museum

The Tony Garnier Urban Museum (#9) outdoor museum is in the 8th arrondissement (district) of Lyon known as États-Unis (United States). The buildings within the district were designed by the architect Tony Garnier, who worked with long-time friend and Lyon mayor, Edouard Herriot.

Garnier was responsible for much of the infrastructure in the City of Lyon. He designed the social housing development in the États-Unis. Somewhat of a rebel, Garnier wanted to explore new ways of thinking about how to solve modern housing problems.

Huge murals on the ends of housing blocks have turned the area into an open-air art gallery. Many of these paintings incorporate optical illusions that draw you into the action – you can hardly determine what’s real and what’s not. Check in at the museum office to get a map and an audio guide to take with you as you tour the murals.

Here are some of the murals you’ll see in the neighborhood. All photos by Liz Reding.

Mural of a town seen from the air in Lyon

Large mural on the side of a buliding of a jumble of houses in a village in Lyon

Large mural of a buidling with a clock tower on the side of a building in Lyon

Mural showing the interior of a large dairy barn on the side of a building in Lyon

While most of this exhibit is outdoors, a highlight is the excellent indoor re-creation of a model apartment. You’ll find many tributes to Tony Garnier throughout Lyon.

The Tony Garnier Urban Museum is free with the Lyon City Card or €6 per person without the card.

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 2 pm to 6 pm and closes for three weeks in August. Take Tram T4 to Musée Tony Garnier on 4, rue des Serpollières.

Exploring Lyon’s Food Culture

Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse

Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse (#10) is foodie heaven! And, even better, visiting Les Halle de Lyon is free.

Fortunately, as we all know, food consumed on vacation doesn’t have any calories!

What kind of food will you find here? Buy bread, cheese, meat, fish, poultry, fresh produce, oils and vinegars, wine, and, of course, chocolates and pastries that will clog your arteries and make you happy.

You’ll also find a dizzying array of restaurants tucked in and around the shops. Exploring this amazing place and sampling what’s being served in the restaurants is part of the fun!

Les Halle de Lyon – Paul Bocuse is located at 102 Cours Lafayette and open daily from 7 am to 10:30 pm. Access via Tram T1, stop Mairie du 3.

Huge pot of paella at a food stall in Les Halle de Lyon — A stall at Les Halle de Lyon – Paul Bocuse Photo: Liz Reding

Croix-Rousse Marché

Open every day except Monday, the Marché alimentaire de la Croix-Rousse (#11) is like no other. It’s huge and carries regular and bio (organic) produce.

In addition to the Croix-Rousse Marche, you’ll find a market in every arrondissement in Lyon. Most markets start early in the morning and end around 1 pm.

One of the few markets that opens later in the day is located just above the Metro stop at Place Jean Jaures. This market is smaller than most but offers a wide selection of produce, cheese, and meat and is open Thursdays from 2 pm-7 pm.

What To Eat in Lyon

Hey, you’re in France! Eat lots of bread and pastry … and drink lots of wine! You’ll find boulangeries (bakeries) on nearly every street.

Do I have a favorite boulangerie? Well, some people say that the best boulangerie is the one that’s open and closest to you. I prefer the establishments with signs that say either boulanger or boulangerie, because the products are usually hand-made rather than frozen or pre-made and baked on-site.

Shelf of fresh baked bread at a boulangerie in Lyon, France — A local boulangerie in Lyon Photo Credit: Liz Reding

You’ll have to do your own research to decide which boulangerie is the best.

Purchase wine in any grocery store, even on Sundays. You’ll be astounded by the number of wine choices and how much fun they can be to sample! Of course, you can always find pricey wines, but don’t overlook the cheap stuff.

Our price point is €4 to €8 per bottle, and we’re never disappointed. Also, practice makes perfect!

Although full of attractions and interesting things to do, Lyon remains relatively undiscovered by tourists. You won’t find the museums crowded, and you shouldn’t have trouble finding great restaurants in which to enjoy Lyon’s famous cuisine.

Lyon is considered the capital of gastronomy in France.

No wonder my husband and I moved here.

Tours & Tickets in Lyon

Here are some tours and ticket options to consider when visiting Lyon.

Lyon Walking Tours

GuruWalk lists pay-what-you-please walking tours that connect tourists with tour guides all around the world. Check out their tours of Lyon!

Conclusion

Check out Liz Reding’s post about cooking classes in Paris and Lyon. And have you visited Lyon? Share your recommendations in the Comments below.

For more information about France, check out the France page and these posts:

Paris for Art Lovers: Nine of the Best Small Museums in Paris

February 11, 2020October 15, 2024Arts & Culture, Destinations, France Artsy Traveler 7 Comments

Last updated on October 15th, 2024 at 01:22 am

Choosing the nine best small museums in Paris to feature in a post about my fave art museums is like choosing a favorite child. It’s impossible and shouldn’t be attempted! But I’m going to do it anyway in the hope of introducing you to some museums that you’ve not yet visited.

You’ll notice I’ve left the three biggies off my list: the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Centre Pompidou. All three are über must-sees, and you’ll find information about them in this post that matches Parisian sights with bistro dishes from my novel Love Among the Recipes.

But the operative word in this post is small, some may even say obscure! You will find some fairly well-known museums on my list, but you may also find several that you have not heard of, let alone visited.

I’ve organized the museums by arrondissement, starting with the Orangerie in the 1st arrondissement and ending with the Marmottan Museum in the 16th arrondissement. The map belows shows the location of each museum.

Map thanks to Wanderlog, a vacation planner app on iOS and Android

#1: The Orangerie

The Musée de l’Orangerie is not far from the Louvre and overlooks the Jardin des Tuileries. I always enjoy popping into the Orangerie to revisit one of the most compelling exhibitions in Paris.

Here, in two consecutive oval salons, you’ll view the eight large paintings that make up Les Nymphéas by Monet. Lit by natural light from the ceiling and oriented from west to east, the light follows the course of the sun.

Detail from a painting of waterlilies by Claude Monet

Monet helped to design these rooms in which his paintings are displayed. He wanted visitors to immerse themselves in the paintings and find solace in their beauty following the horrors of World War I. Monet certainly knew what he was about. Walking through the two salons of the Orangerie feels like being submersed in a cool, blue, calm oasis. As you can tell, I love this space!

Take a virtual tour of the Orangerie.

Visiting the Orangerie

Go to the Orangerie as early in the day as possible to avoid the crowds. Contemplating these incredible paintings is best done in quiet and solitude.

In the first salon, the four compositions depict the reflections of the sky and vegetation in the water from morning to evening. The colors vary from yellows and pinks to greens. I find the paintings the first salon both cheerful and soothing.

But my favorite is the second salon, where the dominant blues inspire a mood of intense calm. Relax on one of the benches and let the beauty of the pieces wash over you. You’ll almost feel as if you’re actually in nature, rather than simply looking at depictions of nature.

After viewing the water lily paintings, check out the rest of the Orangerie. The permanent collection includes works by most of the greats, including Renoir, Gauguin, Cézanne, and Sisley.

Special Exhibitions at the Orangerie

We’ve seen some beautifully curated special exhibitions at the Orangerie, most recently an exhibition of Spanish impressionists. Consult the website to see what’s on.

The Orangerie is located at the Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde. The closest Métro is Tuileries. Make sure to buy your ticket in advance so you can skip the line-up. The museum is open from 9 am to 6 pm daily except Tuesdays.

#2: Picasso Museum

Situated in the heart of Le Marais, the Musée National Picasso-Paris is home to over 5,000 works in a comprehensive collection that includes paintings, sculptures, and engravings.

Housed in the historic Hôtel Salé, a private mansion at 5 rue de Thorigny, the building has been described as “the grandest, most extraordinary, if not the most extravagant, of the grand Parisian houses of the 17th century”.

You’ll also see sketches, studies, drafts, notebooks, etchings, photographs, films, illustrated books, and other documents that demonstrate Picasso’s creative process.

If you’re a fan of modern art, and Picasso in particular, this beautiful museum will keep you well entertained and informed.

The Picasso Museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 10.30 am to 6 pm and weekends from 9.30 am to 6 pm. The museum is popular, so buy your ticket in advance.

#3: Cluny Museum

If I had to choose my favorite art museum in Paris, I would have to say the Musée de Cluny – Le monde médiéval, known colloquially as the Cluny. I enjoy it more than the three biggies for several reasons.

First, it’s manageable, unlike its larger cousins. You can tour the Cluny in an afternoon and still have energy to enjoy the lively 5th arrondissement. Spend an afternoon pacing the massive galleries at the Louvre and you’ll need an hour relaxing by a fountain in the Tuileries to recover.

Second, the Cluny features room after room of outlandishly awesome objets d’art from the Middle Ages–the historical period I most prefer.

Third, you’ll see the gorgeous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries woven from silk and wool in Paris around 1500. Admiring these six tapestries is worth the price of admission alone.

What to See at the Cluny

Take a seat in the special circular room that houses the tapestries and enjoy decoding how each of the first five tapestries depicts a different sense: taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight. And what is the meaning of the sixth tapestry titled À mon seul désir? The jury’s still out, but some say the tapestry represents love.

The sixth tapestry: À mon seul désir Photo: Wikipedia

In addition to the tapestries, the Cluny offers amazing displays of wooden statues, stained glass, objects made from ivory, stone sculptures, and numerous household objects, furniture, paintings… the list goes on.

On one visit to the Cluny, I happened upon a concert of medieval choral music in the sculpture courtyard. Hearing that music while surrounded by the objects made during the same period was transporting. I love coming upon unexpected performances when I’m traveling in Europe. Keep your eyes peeled (as my Dad used to say). You’re bound to discover all sorts of opportunities to enjoy performances in some of your favorite museums and galleries.

Row of sculptures in the Cluny Museum in Paris, one of the best small museums in Paris — Sculptures in the marvelous Cluny Museum

Check the website to find out if concerts are scheduled when you’re in Paris. In the meantime, you can explore the collections at the Cluny on the museum’s comprehensive website.

The Cluny is located at 28 Rue du Sommerard. The closest Métros are Cluny-La Sorbonne, Saint-Michel, and Odéon.

#4: Zadkine Museum

The Musée Zadkine has been called a “folly” in the middle of Paris. On rue d’Assas in the 6th arrondissement and close to the Luxembourg Gardens and hip Montparnasse, the Zadkine Museum was once the studio of Ossip Zadkine (1890-1967), a sculptor of Russian origin.

The small exterior door leads you into a calm, green space that feels miles away from the bustle of Paris. You’ll find sculptures in a variety of media, including wood, stone, clay, and even bronze, along with graphic works and illustrations, photographs, tapestries, and archival material.

Sculpture by Zadkine at the Zadkine Museum. Photo: Wikipedia

Shortly before he died, Zadkine wrote, “But it is in any case very beautiful to end your life with a chisel and mallet in your hands.”

The Musée Zadkine is located at 100 bis Rue d’Assass and is open from 10 am to 6 pm Tuesday to Sunday. The closest Métros are Notre-Dame des Champs and Vavin.

#5: Quai Branly Museum

Not far from the Eiffel Tower but still in the 7th arrondissement and close to the river, the spectacular Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac is a must-see. I never tire of visiting this museum because there is such an incredible number of things (370,000 apparently) to ponder and enjoy.

The Quai Branly houses a remarkable collection of art and objects from around the globe organized into four geographical areas—Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

I love this museum’s attention to detail. Interactive screens set up in alcoves around the museum provide in-depth information about specific exhibits. You could spend weeks here and only scratch the surface.

Exterior of the Quai Branly Museum in Paris

The range and complexity of the objects displayed is a testament to human creativity through the ages. Set aside half a day to explore this incroyable museum.

Special exhibitions are also featured. On one visit, we saw an exhibition of Picasso’s collection of art from around the world, including Africa.

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm (Thursdays until 10:00 pm).

#6: Rodin Museum

The Musée Rodin in the 7th arrondissement is simply gorgeous. Housed in the magnificent Hôtel Biron and surrounded by three hectares of sculpture-studded gardens, the Musée Rodin celebrates the work of one of France’s premier sculptors.

Check out The Thinker perpetually contemplating life in the garden then go inside and marvel at the statue called The Kiss. Ooh la la! Wander through room after chandeliered room of sculptures—some marble, some plaster, some bronze. The sheer volume and range of work is overwhelming.

Rodin Museum in Paris, one of the best small museums in Paris. — Rodin Museum in Paris

The Musée Rodin is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6:30 pm.

#7: Musée Maillol

In a quiet area of the 7th arrondissement, the Musée Maillol is well known by Parisian art lovers for its special exhibitions but is not as well known by visitors. We’ve seen excellent exhibitions at the Maillol, including an collection of paintings by van Gogh and a spectacular display of paintings by Artemisia Gentileschi.

The exhibitions we’ve seen have featured several walls’ worth of information about the paintings—all in French. If you don’t read French, ask if a handout with an English translation is available.

The Musée Maillol was established by Dina Vierny, an artists’ model who became a famous singer, art dealer, collector, museum director, and Aristide Maillol’s muse for the final ten years of his life. The top floors of the Musée Maillol feature many works by Maillol, including monumental sculptures of female nudes. Maillol’s work is amazing and beautifully displayed. You’ll also find works by several 20th-century artists.

The Musée Maillol is open daily from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm when exhibitions are on (Fridays until 8:30 pm).

#8: Gustave Moreau Museum

The Musée National Gustave Moreau in the 9th arrondissement at the foot of Montmartre is quite the revelation. If you’re familiar with the work of the symbolist painter Moreau, you’ll know that you’re in for a treat. The museum occupies the painter’s family home and includes hundreds of paintings and watercolors showcasing the work of a painter many consider the master of French Symbolism.

Some of the paintings are massive and contain so much intricate detail that your eyes get sore just looking at them!

Salome by Gustave Moreau / Photo: Wikipedia

Jupiter and Semele by Gustave Moreau / Photo: Wikipedia

The museum is open daily, except Tuesdays, from 10 am to 6 pm.

#9: Marmottan Museum

Located in the stylish 16th arrondissement, the Musée Marmottan Monet is one of the loveliest art museums in Paris. Highlights of the collection are the works by the impressionists Claude Monet and Berthe Morisot. In addition, you’ll see a collection from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Second Empire, along with paintings by other impressionists, such as Caillebotte, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley, and Rodin.

Berthe Morisot, who painted *The Sisters* shown above, is one of the artists frequently exhibited at The Marmottan

The Marmottan is a bit of a trek from the Metro (La Muette or Ranelagh) but worth the effort required to get there. It features a great museum shop (I’m a sucker for a good museum shop).

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm (last admission: 5.30 pm), with extended hours to 9 pm on Thursdays (last admission: 8.30 pm).

Conclusion

Have you been to any of these art museums in Paris? Do you have other suggestions for artsy travelers? Share your recommendations in the Comments section below.

Here are some more posts about art in Paris:

Top Normandy Sights to Excite Art & History Lovers

February 11, 2020October 17, 2024Destinations, France Artsy Traveler 3 Comments

Last updated on October 17th, 2024 at 01:33 am

Normandy has many wonderful sights to offer the artsy traveler. Here you’ll find charming villages, beaches steeped in history, quirky museums, and a tapestry for the ages.

Spend at least a week in Normandy to explore its long coastline and rolling fields dotted with grey church spires.

View Post

Map of France: Normandy

The map below shows the locations of the artsy sightseeing favorites mentioned in this post. Click a number to read more about the location.

Places mapped by Wanderlog, the best trip planner app on iOS and Android

Artist-In-Residence in Normandy

A few years ago, Gregg and I spent two months at an artist-in-residence place called Les Rouges en Vert in the tiny village of Soligny-la-Trappe in the Perche region of France. When we weren’t painting (Gregg) and writing (me), we spent many hours exploring a region of France that’s both stunningly beautiful and that has played an outsized role in the history of western Europe.

Here are a few shots of our time at Les Rouges en Vert where Gregg had a painting studio and an exhibition and where I worked on my novel, The Towers of Tuscany.

Normandy is home to more than thirty World Heritage Sites, including Honfleur, Mont St. Michel, the cliffs of Étretat, Caen, and Bayeux, all of which are covered in this post.

List of Must-see Sights in Normandy

Must-sees include, from east to west:

Stunning chalk cliffs at Étretat
Charming Honfleur for the Satie Museum
World War II beaches
Historic Bayeux for the Bayeux Tapestry
Perche Region
Mont St. Michel

Cliffs at Étretat

These iconic chalk cliffs captivated Monet, and they’ll likely captivate you. On a clear day, the white cliffs, needles, and arches shimmer in the famous Normandy light. No wonder Monet painted so many views.

Climb to the top of the cliffs from either end of the beautiful sandy beach to enjoy better views than you’ll get from the beach below. The paths and steps are steep with few hand railings. Vertigo sufferers are advised to admire the cliffs from the beach.

Panoramic landscape of the famous cliff of Etretat, Normandy, France — Panoramic landscape of the famous cliffs of Étretat, Normandy, France

The resort town of Étretat (#1), with its half-timbered houses and outdoor cafés, is a wonderful place to enjoy lunch before or after climbing to the top of the cliffs. You’ll find resort-style shops and even a casino on the beach.

Honfleur

Visit Honfleur (#2) to see where many of the impressionist painters were inspired, including Monet, Renoir, Courbet, Pissarro, and native son Eugène Boudin who has a whole museum dedicated to his work.

Honfleur is fabulous! As an artist, Gregg was captivated by the same luminous light that attracted the impressionists. The town’s dedication to the arts continues, with many art galleries lining the streets of the old town.

The other big attraction, since we love music, is the quirky Satie Museum.

Satie Museum

Known as the Maisons Satie (#3), the Erik Satie Museum ranks high on our list of favorite music museums. The museum occupies the entire house in which Satie was born in 1866. Satie was a composer from the early 20th century, a compatriot of Debussy, and active in the Dada movement.

When you enter the museum, you’re given an audio guide that takes you on a sonic and sensory journey unlike any I’ve experienced. Put on the headphones, then walk into any room to trigger a range of music, light, image, and sound effects. The museum even includes a leg-powered merry-go-round to pedal to the accompaniment of Satie’s music.

Gregg rides the music and leg-powered merry-go-round in the Satie Museum — Gregg rides the music- and leg-powered merry-go-round in the Satie Museum

Musée Eugène Boudin

Close to the Satie Museum is the Musée Eugène Boudin (#4). This large museum is worth an hour or two of your time to admire paintings by not only Boudin but also many of his impressionist compatriots, including Claude Monet and Berthe Morisot (one of my favorites).

The museum also exhibits clothes and furniture, photographs from 1880 to 1920, a cool collection of more than 100 tourist posters from 1880 to 1950 advertising the delights of Normandy, and even antique toys.

Staying in Honfleur

Stay two nights so you’ll have lots of time to wander the old town and enjoy the Vieux Bassin (#5), where tall, skinny houses rise above a sea of fishing boats and masts.

Honfleur Harbour, Normandy, France. — Honfleur Harbour – Vieux Bassin in Normandy, France

Pull up a chair at one of the many outdoor cafés lining the Vieux Bassin, order moules–frites (mussels and fries), and watch the world go by.

Honfleur is a popular tourist spot with several good accommodation options for staying a night or two. We stayed at the very comfortable Hotel L’Ecrin.

Another option is to make Honfleur your home base for a longer stay in the area. The location is convenient for driving to Caen, the D-Day beaches and Bayeux to the west, and the cliffs at Étretat to the east.

World War II Beaches

Today, the windswept Normandy beaches invite long walks on golden sands, face upturned to a blue sky arched over white-capped waves. I hadn’t expected the area to be so beautiful, considering the devastation it witnessed just a handful of decades ago.

Caen Memorial Museum

Make your first stop the Caen Memorial Museum (#6) near Caen to learn about the D-Day invasion from the point of view of both the Allied and the German soldiers.

Reserve a few hours to browse the comprehensive exhibition of artifacts and films. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of the Battle of Normandy.

Proceed to at least one of the beaches. We chose Juno Beach, where the Canadians landed on June 6, 1944. If you’re from the United States, you’ll want to see Omaha and Utah beaches farther west.

Visiting Juno Beach

At Juno Beach (#7), a thoughtfully curated museum provides a Canadian perspective on the war and on the invasion.

Most poignant was a film showing a continuous stream of names in alphabetical order of the men who landed on Juno. We knew one of the men and waited for his name to come up, but there were so many that we realized we’d have to wait a long time to see his.

It’s sobering to realize that each name belongs to a young man who, even if he’d survived, would be forever plagued by trauma.

The 54-mile stretch of coastline from Utah Beach in the west to Sword Beach in the east is awash in WWII museums, memorials, cemeteries, and battle remains from the largest military operation in history. You could easily spend several days in the area.

Sign pointing to Omaha Beach in Normandy — Direction sign of Omaha Beach in Normandy

Sign pointing to Juno Beach in Normandy — Direction sign of Juno Beach in Normandy

Bayeux

I was thrilled to finally visit the museum housing the famous Bayeux (#8) Tapestry–La Tapisserie de Bayeux (#9). If you’re fascinated by the story of the invasion of England by the Normans in 1066, then you’ll enjoy this fine museum.

The 70-meter-long tapestry is displayed on a special round spool that you walk around to the accompaniment of an excellent audio guide. In the darkened room, only the tapestry is lit. Follow the progress of the invasion—the boats and horses and helmeted men wielding swords.

The story told by the tapestry begins in 1064, when Edward the Confessor, King of England, tells his brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson, to go to Normandy and offer his cousin, William, the succession to the English throne. The story ends with the Anglo-Saxons fleeing at the end of the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, although the last bit of the tapestry is missing.

Description of the Bayeux Tapestry Museum

The tapestry contains 58 scenes, 626 characters, and 202 horses.

What intrigued me about the Bayeux Tapestry was that it was created by women. Some historians maintain that the women embroiderers of Kent did the stitching. How did these women feel about telling the story of their invaders? How did they make the designs?

Some of these questions are answered in the film and museum exhibits you’ll see after viewing the tapestry.

The museum is open daily, 9:00 am to 6:30 pm, from February 1st to December 31st. From May to August, the museum remains open until 7:00 pm.

After touring the museum, wander around Bayeux’s quaint streets and pop into the massive Bayeux Cathedral that dominates the skyline. The Bayeux Tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo, half-brother of William the Conqueror, to adorn the cathedral where, for centuries, the tapestry was displayed once each year.

Water mill and Aure River in the old city of Bayeux — Water mill and Aure River in the attractive town of Bayeux

Perche Region

This pleasant area of rolling green hills, thousands of white cows, and grey-steepled churches is not a tourist mecca. It is, however, a popular place for wealthy Parisians to have second homes—and no wonder. The countryside is achingly gorgeous.

Drive around the quiet country roads past lakes and forests and visit some of the charming towns, including Alençon (#10), Argentan (#11), the cathedral at Sées (#12), and L’Aigle (#13). Get out of the car and go walking, make friends with the cows, and visit the Perche Natural Regional Park.

Carol Cram in the Perche countryside in Normandy — Enjoying a walk in the Perche countryside

For Canadians, particularly those of French descent, a visit to the Museum of French Emigration to Canada in Tourouvre is worthwhile. Many of the people who populated Quebec in the 17th century came from the Perche region. The museum tells their story.

Here are pictures of the countryside surrounding the place where Gregg and I did a two-month artist-in-residence stint a few years ago.

Mont St. Michel

Floating off the Normandy coast on the border of Brittany, Mont St. Michel will make you smile.

Mont Saint Michel in Normandy, France — Approaching Mont St. Michel in Normandy, France

Is it real? Did people from centuries ago actually brave the tortuous tides to build the massive, stone-walled abbey?

Indeed, they did, and since its founding in 966, Mont St. Michel (#14) has attracted pilgrims and now tourists. Its tiny cobbled streets are clogged with souvenir shops and crowds, but visit anyway. The views of the swirling waters from the ramparts of the abbey are breathtaking.

Park in the new car parks located about 1.5 miles from the island and walk to the Place des Navettes to catch a shuttle bus (passeur) across the causeway to the island.

You can also walk across the causeway to the island. Once there, you’ll climb the steep streets to the abbey. Buy tickets in advance to skip the line.

Inside, you’ll find peaceful cloisters, the soaring Gothic church, and one of the grand chambers, known as The Marvel because it clings spectacularly to the rock.

Traveling To and Around Normandy

Normandy is best explored with a car or on a tour from Paris. A good strategy is to pick up a rental car outside of Paris at Charles de Gaulle Airport and then head west into Normandy for at least a week.

On your way to the locations described in this post, stop off in Rouen to view the magnificent cathedral—one of Monet’s favored subjects.

Tours in Normandy

If you choose not to drive in Normandy, consider taking a tour. Here are options through Tiquets.com:

And here are some options for tours in Normandy with GetYourGuide:

Powered by GetYourGuide

Conclusion

Have you visited Normandy? Do you have artsy and historic sites to recommend? Please share your experiences with other artsy travelers in the Comments section below.

Here are some more posts to read next to help you plan and enjoy your time in France:

Best Two Days in Amsterdam

February 8, 2020December 17, 2024Destinations, Netherlands Artsy Traveler Leave a Comment

Last updated on December 17th, 2024 at 08:15 pm

Amsterdam has plenty of sights and activities to keep you busy for two full days and three nights. If you’re pressed for time, you can see most of the high points in a two-night stay.

Following are my suggestions for two full days in Amsterdam. Stay in a hotel on one of the outer canals, such as the Herengracht, Prinsengracht, or Keizersgracht. From there, you’ll be able to walk almost everywhere.

Orientation to Amsterdam

The map below shows the places mentioned in this post. Click a number on the map for more information.

Trip map created with Wanderlog, an itinerary planner on iOS and Android

Day 1 in Amsterdam

First thing in the morning, after fortifying yourself with a breakfast where good bread and Gouda cheese will likely play a role, head to the Museumplein.

Tour either the Van Gogh Museum (#1 on the map) or the Rijksmuseum (#2) as soon as it opens. Don’t try touring both museums on one day or you’ll risk art overload.

Buy your tickets online well ahead of your visit. I suggest visiting one major museum on one morning and the other on the next morning or later that afternoon.

Avoid going to either museum in the middle of the day when both are mobbed (particularly the Van Gogh Museum).

Here’s information about the Van Gogh Museum, with details about the Rijksmuseum provided under Day 2.

Van Gogh Museum

Armed with the ticket you pre-purchased, arrive at the Van Gogh Museum at your appointed time (preferably as early as possible).

The Van Gogh Museum lives up to the hype as one of Europe’s most visit-worthy art museums. You get a wonderful overview of van Gogh’s work from the early years to the very end.

In fact, the museum contains the world’s largest collection of van Gogh’s art, including such signature pieces as Sunflowers, The Potato Eaters, and a personal favorite, Wheatfield with Crows, one of his last paintings. Download the app provided by the museum. It’s a good one.

Buy tickets in advance for the Van Gogh Museum

Check out my detailed overview of the Van Gogh Museum and my suggestions for touring.

In the afternoon (weather depending), take a canal cruise and visit Anne Frank House.

Anne Frank House

I first visited Anne Frank House (#3) when I was fourteen–the same age Anne Frank was when she was murdered.

Walk behind the bookcase that concealed the hiding place to view the unbelievably cramped spaces. It’s impossible to imagine how Anne and seven other people lived there for two years.

You must buy your ticket online for a specific time slot up to two months in advance to visit the Anne Frank House. Tickets sell out fast so check the website two months before you plan to be in Amsterdam. Don’t wait or you may be disappointed.

Canal Cruise

Take a canal cruise (#4) while you’re in Amsterdam. If the skies are clear, go later in the afternoon when the light turns golden. During the summer months, consider an evening cruise. You’ll get a different perspective on Amsterdam as you glide past gabled houses and under bridges crusted with lights.

Here are options for canal cruises in Amsterdam. Some include dinner.

View of illuminated bridges in Amsterdam at night. — Amsterdam at night–it’s magical; this vista is next to where we stayed on the Herengracht.

On your first evening, venture into the lively Centrum. Enjoy a beer at a canalside restaurant, then wander back to the quieter canals to avoid marauding bands of partying Brits.

The people of Amsterdam are working hard to take back their city from the invasion of large groups–often from England. Here’s an interesting article about over-tourism in Amsterdam.

If you steer clear of the streets around the station (the infamous Red Light District) and stick to the canals in the outer rings of the Centrum (the Keizersgracht, Herengracht, and Prinsengracht), you’ll find plenty of peaceful walks, lively and safe squares like the Rembrandtplein (#5), and attractive canal vistas.

Day 2 in Amsterdam

Depending on which of the two art biggies you visited on Day 1, visit the other on Day 2. Again, make sure you purchase your ticket ahead of time and choose a time either early in the day or later in the afternoon to avoid the crowds.

Rijksmuseum

If you enter the Rijksmuseum (#2) when it opens at 9 am, you’ll have it all to yourself. On a recent visit there in April, we barely saw another person for a good hour after entering around 9:15.

By the time we left around noon, the line-up extended out into the rainy Museumplein. Satiated by great art and in cheery spirits after our leisurely stroll through near-empty galleries, we pitied the sad-looking tourists huddled under dripping umbrellas. Don’t be one of those tourists!

Facade of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in the Netherlands--the top site for travelers to Amsterdam — Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam

The Rijksmuseum houses some of the greatest Dutch art in Europe. You’ll find numerous works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Frans Hals in more than thirty galleries that feature art from the Dutch Golden Age.

A special room is devoted to displaying Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, a vast improvement from when I first saw the painting back in 1970. Then, the painting was so dark and ill-lit that my 14-year-old self left unimpressed.

Now, the painting holds pride of place in a special gallery that most of the time teems with camera-snapping tourists. Remember – go early and contemplate Rembrandt’s masterpiece in blessed solitude.

*The Night Watch* by Rembrandt: buy tickets in advance for the Rijksmuseum

Paintings from the Golden Age are just some of the attractions at the Rijksmuseum.

I was taken by the Medieval/Renaissance collection (1100 to 1600) displayed in beautifully lit and organized galleries. Since most visitors make a beeline for The Night Watch, you’ll find the medieval galleries comfortably empty. Enjoy numerous paintings, sculptures, objets d’art, furniture, and even tapestries.

As the premier museum in the Netherlands, the Rijksmuseum has even more to offer, including special exhibitions. These usually require an additional ticket so check ahead.

For more about the Rijksmuseum, check my dedicated post detailing more fabulous things see during your visit.

Lunchtime Concert at the Concertgebouw

If you’re in Amsterdam on a Wednesday, drop in to the Concertgebouw (#5) across the street from the Museumplein for a free lunchtime concert. You’ll be one of the few tourists there enjoying classical music alongside locals.

We saw an amazing concert of two vibraphonists–one Dutch and one Italian. Arrive well ahead of time to make sure you get a seat. The concerts are popular and fill up fast.

Check the Concertgebouw website for details about the free lunchtime concerts.

H’ART Museum

When we’re in Amsterdam, we almost always pay a visit to the H’ART Museum (#6), which was formerly known as the Hermitage Museum. The H’ART Museum is an art museum where famous works of art and stories from around the world are brought together in one-of-a-kind exhibitions. 

In our experience, this large museum overlooking the Amstel River has never been crowded and is a delight to walk around. At the back, enjoy lunch in the courtyard garden, a calm oasis in this bustling city.

Begijnhof

Another calm oasis is the charming Begijnhof (#7) courtyard surrounded by old-style Dutch homes that date to the 14th century, although most of the facades were replaced in the 17th and 18th centuries. The wooden house (Houten Huys) at Begijnhof 34 is the oldest house in Amsterdam.

Step into the Begijnhof chapel to view a series of panels that tell the story of the Miracle of Amsterdam.

Lovely Begijnhof courtyard of characteristic Amsterdam homes

Walk Along the Canals

Apart from viewing art, one of my favorite things to do in Amsterdam is to wander along the main canals. Cross bridges, browse the shops, and snap picture after picture of the fabulous narrow houses, many dating from the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century.

Take your time getting to know the quieter parts of this lovely city. Walk over to Vondelpark (#8) and join other people at play.

If you’re feeling brave, rent a bike. But be warned – locals ride fast! When you’re walking, always check that you’re not in a bike lane or you risk hearing the clang of a bell attached to a sturdy bike ridden upright by an angry Dutch person.

For more to see and do in Amsterdam, check out these tours and suggestions.

Eating in Amsterdam

On at least one evening, enjoy a Rijsttafel meal. This Indonesian import consists of up to forty small dishes, including egg rolls, sambals, satay, fish, fruit, vegetables, pickles, nuts, and more, accompanied by rice. The variations of taste, texture, and heat make rijsttafel (in Dutch, “rice table”) an eating adventure.

Be careful! Some of the food is super spicy!

Staying in Amsterdam

In my experience, Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most expensive cities. Plan on spending at least €300-€400 per night for a decent hotel in a central area of Amsterdam. We’ve found that splurging for a good hotel in an attractive area is well worth it.

Occasionally, we’ve stayed farther out in cheaper hotels in nondescript neighborhoods and have regretted the decision.

The Mokum Suites on Herengracht is a wonderful choice as is the apartment called Here’s Lucy that is right in the heart of Amsterdam. You can walk everywhere.

The map below shows options for hotels in Amsterdam.

Booking.com

Amsterdam Walking Tours

GuruWalk lists pay-what-you-please walking tours that connect tourists with tour guides all around the world. Check out their tours of Amsterdam!

Tours in Amsterdam

Here are some tours offered through GetYourGuide. I’ve booked tours with them several times and have always had a good experience.

Powered by GetYourGuide

Have you been to Amsterdam? Share your recommendations with other artsy travelers in the Comments section below.

Here are some more posts on Artsy Traveler about recommended sightseeing in Europe:

Booming Berlin: Best Bets for the Artsy Traveler

February 7, 2020October 15, 2024Arts & Culture, Destinations, Germany Artsy Traveler 2 Comments

Last updated on October 15th, 2024 at 04:00 am

Berlin is an artsy sightseer’s candy store. If you love museums, you’ll love Berlin. It’s worth at least three full days of your sightseeing time. If you have more time, you’ll find lots more to do and see. It’s a big city with a whole lotta history.

We spent a week in Berlin when my husband Gregg Simpson had an exhibition there and didn’t come close to seeing everything we wanted to. Check out Gregg’s paintings at Gregg Simpson Art.

In this post I feature the highlights I recommend in Berlin. To help you plan your time, I’ve grouped the sites in geographical order, moving from western Berlin through the historic core and Museum Island in eastern Berlin to the Kreuzberg neighborhood in south Berlin (where we stayed) and the fantastic Jewish museum.

Orientation to Berlin

The map below includes the places mentioned in this post. Click a number to find out more information.

Map created with Wanderlog, a travel planner on iOS and Android

Getting Around Berlin

Make use of Berlin’s efficient subway system. The city is spread out, and distances between the places you’ll want to see require a lot of walking. Save your legs for touring the museums! For information about transit in Berlin, see the Official Website of Berlin.

Western Berlin

The two major sites we enjoyed in the former West Berlin are the relaxing Tiergarten and the Kulturforum near Potsdamer Platz.

Tiergarten

Chill out in the fabulous Tiergarten (#1), Berlin’s massive central park that stretches from the Brandenburg Gate to the Berlin Zoological Garden. We spent the better part of a day there strolling the pathways and enjoying brunch overlooking a lake. From the Tiergarten, you can’t miss the Victory Column, built in 1864. Climb it to enjoy a panoramic view over Berlin.

Potsdamer Platz and Kulturforum

Check out the modern skyscrapers and shopping malls in Potsdamer Platz (#2), then walk over to the Kulturforum where you’ll find a complex that includes the Gemäldegalerie and the Philharmonie Berlin.

In the complex, you’ll also find the Musical Instruments Museum (Musikinstrumenten Museum) and the Museum of Decorative Arts (Kunstgewerbemuseum (#3)), touted as Berlin’s version of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Head here if you’re a fan of the applied arts. The collection of women’s fashions over the centuries is especially good.

Gemäldegalerie

An impressive number of European masters grace the walls of this wonderful art museum. The sleek, modern building houses works by Rembrandt, Dürer, Brueghel, Rubens, and Vermeer along with Italian masterpieces by Giotto, Botticelli, and Caravaggio. On the Gemäldegalerie (#4) website, take a virtual tour of several of the main galleries.

Allocate a morning to enjoying the collection at the Gemäldegalerie.

Philharmonie Berlin

The magnificent home of the Berlin Philharmonic (Berlin Philharmoniker)(#5) will take your breath away. With its unusual tent-like shape and bright yellow color, the concert hall has been a landmark in Berlin since 1963, well before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The Berliner Philharmonie concert hall in Berlin, Germany

We scored tickets to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring performed by the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin. The orchestra’s concerts are less expensive than concerts featuring the Berlin Philharmonic, and the quality was fantastic. Hearing Stravinsky played in the iconic hall was a special experience.

Check event listings for the dates you’ll be in Berlin and consider getting tickets to a concert at the Philharmonie Berlin.

If you’re not able to see a performance, try to find time for a guided tour of the Philharmonie Berlin. One-hour tours are offered daily at 1:30 pm except during July and August and several days at Christmas. The tours are conducted in German and English.

Historic Core of Berlin

When you arrive in Berlin, make your first stop the area around the iconic Brandenburg Gate at the entrance to the Tiergarten. An 18^th-century neoclassical monument built by Frederick William II, the gate once stood forlornly in no-man’s land between East and West Berlin.

Reichstag

The big-ticket site in Berlin is the Reichstag (#6)(Bundestag), Germany’s historic parliament buildings. Also located in no-man’s land between East and West Berlin throughout the Cold War, the Reichstag was rebuilt in 1999. With its glass dome dominating the skyline, the Bundestag has become a symbol of a unified Germany.

Entrance is free but you’ll need to make a reservation at www.bundestag.de. Be sure to get tickets well in advance or you may be out of luck. You’ll need to show your passport to pass through security.

Brandenburg Gate

Walk through the Brandenburg Gate (#7)—something you couldn’t do until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The weight of history hangs heavy over the gate. Stand in front of it and realize that armies from Napoleon to Hitler have marched through its massive archway.

Now it’s a selfie stop.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Walk into this labyrinth of 2,711 pillars of different sizes. The sobering—and gigantic—memorial (#8) to the six million Jews executed by the Nazis is a center of calm in the middle of bustling Berlin. In the Information Center, a continuously running soundtrack recites the names of known victims.

Regrettably, the memorial attracts more than its share of selfie sticks with people posing against the pillars and even climbing and jumping on them.

Go directly into the memorial to get away from the photography mayhem at the peripheries and to experience the dislocation and fear that inevitably arises when you try to find your way out again.

Unter Den Linden

The Unter Den Linden (#9) is the Champs-Élysées of Berlin. Stroll down it from the Brandenburg Gate and stop to sample a currywurst at one of the many kiosks in the center strip. A currywurst is Berlin street food consisting of a fried pork sausage (Bratwurst) cut into bite-sized chunks and seasoned with curry ketchup. Eat it with French fries. Fortunately, you’ll walk off the calories pretty quickly.

Plate of currywurst--street food in Berlin — Traditional German currywurst, served with chips

I’ve tried currywurst once, and I’m good now. It’s an acquired taste, but when in Berlin…

Ampelmänn Stores in Berlin

At the corner of Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse—another main drag—you’ll find the flagship Ampelmänn shop (#10).

This place ranks high on my list of favorite souvenir stores. The entire store is devoted to selling products inspired by the iconic Ampelmännchen pedestrian crossing symbols.

You’ll always know when you’re in a neighborhood that was once part of East Berlin because you’ll see Ampelmänn on the illuminated pedestrian signals. The green striding one tells you to Go, and the red standing one tells you to Stop. Both Ampelmännchen wear jaunty, flat-topped hats.

I don’t know why, but I fell in love with Ampelmänn and even bought a plastic one for my keychain. Berlin has several Ampelmänn shops. Search for Ampelmänn on Google maps and you might find one near your hotel. At the very least, treat yourself to a tea towel!

Museum Island

Keep walking down the Unter den Linden and you’ll eventually arrive at Museum Island, home to five world-class museums.

You could spend days, weeks even, exploring the museums here. Each historic museum building was built under a different Prussian king, with the whole site declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

I recommend visiting Museum Island over two days. You can’t see all five museums in a day without completely wearing yourself out, so don’t even try!

Neues Museum

Of the five, my favorite is the Neues Museum (#11), where you’ll find the bust of Nefertiti along with several floors of treasures from the prehistoric, Egyptian, and classical antiquities eras. The displays on Floor 3 are awesome. Here you’ll find the artifacts from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and other cultures of the pre-Roman Iron Age.

All the displays are well described in English. You could spend days in this one museum alone.

Pergamon Museum

The Pergamon Museum (#12) draws the crowds because of its jaw-dropping buildings from ancient Babylonia, Assyria, and the Islamic world. Unfortunately, you won’t see the enormous Pergamon Altar until 2025, but exhibits such as the Ishtar Gate (46 feet tall and 100 feet wide), the grandest of Babylon’s gates built during the time of Nebuchadnezzar, are worth the price of admission.

Alte Nationalgalerie

The Old National Gallery (#13) is the place to see German art, including the work of David Caspar Friedrich which pretty much sums up Romanticism. Check out his craggy mountains, bare-limbed trees, and swirling clouds that celebrate nature in the raw.

The gallery also includes works by French and German Impressionists.

Bode & Alte Museums

These two museums will appeal to connoisseurs of Byzantine art, historic coins, ecclesiastical art (Bode), and other classical antiquities from Etruscan, Greek, and Roman times.

If your time is limited, go to the Neues Museum and the Pergamon Museum on separate days, with one day split with the German History Museum (#14).

The museums on Museum Island are pricey. Consider purchasing the 3-day Museum Pass Berlin for €29 to gain entrance to just about every museum you’ll want to see in Berlin. See below.

Other Museums in the Historic Core

Deutsches Historisches Museum

Not far from Museum Island is this massive museum which presents 2,000+ years of German history. Over 7,000 exhibits take you from the early Middle Ages to the present day.

It’s another exhausting experience so pace yourself!

DDR Museum

I enjoyed this museum which shows what life was like in communist East Germany—the DDR (#15)(Deutsche Demokratische Republik).

Many kitschy items are on display, including the reconstruction of a typical home from the period, complete with drawers and cupboards that you’re encouraged to open and rifle through.

Buy your tickets for this popular museum in advance to avoid long lines.

Spree River Cruise

On the river not far from the DDR Museum and behind Berlin Cathedral, hop onto a Spree River Cruise. For a relaxing hour, you’ll listen to an English audio guide and enjoy a riverside view of amazingly nifty modern architecture in the former West Berlin.

You can get off at the Tiergarten, like we did, for some quality nature time – or stay on the boat until it turns around and returns to the dock.

Buy tickets at the dock or online before you go.

South Berlin

Two museums we enjoyed in this area of Berlin, near where we stayed in Kreuzberg in south Berlin, are the Asisi Panorama of the Wall at Checkpoint Charlie and the Jewish Museum.

Checkpoint Charlie

You can’t miss Checkpoint Charlie (#16), with its costumed guards and legions of tourists snapping pictures. In the souvenir shops on both sides of the street, you’ll find Soviet army hats and other kitschy memorabilia of the Cold War. The area is kind of a DDR Disneyland.

Between 1961 and 1989, Checkpoint Charlie, located in the middle of Friedrichstrasse, was one of the few places where people could legally pass between East Berlin and West Berlin. The giant back-to-back photographs of two young soldiers dominate the area.

Facing east, the photograph shows a young Soviet soldier (see below). Facing west, the photograph shows a young American soldier. The disconnect represented by the photograph remains a salutary warning that the Cold War wasn’t that long ago.

Photograph of a young Soviet soldier at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin — Photo of a young Soviet soldier faces east at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin.

Asisi Panorama–Die Mauer (The Wall)

While in Berlin, I became fascinated by its recent Cold War past. You’ll find museums and memorials commemorating the Cold War throughout Berlin, including the DDR Museum mentioned earlier.

I enjoyed the Asisi Panorama: Die Mauer (The Wall), located across the street from Checkpoint Charlie. The Panorama is a multi-storey immersive experience created by artist Yadegar Asisi in which you step back in time to 1980s Berlin and peer over the Wall from West Berlin into East Berlin.

Climb a set of stairs in front of a massive curved screen. You are five meters back and four meters up on the western side of the Berlin Wall, watching a day unfold over the course of 24 hours.

Sophisticated lighting effects cycle through changes from day to night every half hour or so in the shadow of the guard towers. You experience the contrast between the lively streets and graffiti-daubed wall on the West Berlin side and the drabness and aura of danger of East Berlin.

I was riveted–and fascinated that the scenes depicted on-screen in East Berlin happened a relatively short time ago.

The Berlin Wall existed for almost thirty years of my lifetime, and yet now when you walk around Berlin, you often have no idea when you’re in the former East Berlin. Your only clues are the pedestrian crossing signals (Ampelmänn!) and the stark utilitarian facades of some of the government buildings. Thirty years of unification have blurred the divisions, and pretty much everyone under the age of 35 has little or no memory of the Cold-War past.

Buy tickets in advance to avoid line-ups.

The Jewish Museum Berlin

Housed in a spectacular modern building, the Jewish Museum Berlin (#17) is a must-see. The museum chronicles Jewish history and culture in Germany from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The building itself adds to the compelling visitor experience, with its bold zigzag design and occasional empty spaces (called voids) that stretch the full height of the building and symbolize the cultural loss caused by the Holocaust.

In one space, metal discs representing upturned faces make weirdly disturbing sounds as you walk across them. The effect underscores the dehumanization of the Holocaust.

Room of metal discs representing upturned faces in the Jewish Museum — A room in the Jewish Museum

Exterio of the Jewish Museum — Exterior of the Jewish Museum

Stumble Stones (Stolpersteine)

As you walk around Berlin, particularly in the old Jewish quarter north of Museum Island, you’ll come across slightly raised stones set into the sidewalk and polished by the thousands of feet that have walked over them.

Called stumbling stones (#18), each 10-square-centimeter polished brass square is inscribed with the name of an individual or family that once lived in the building you’re passing.

The inscription on each stone begins “Here lived”, followed by the victim’s name, date of birth, and fate: internment, suicide, exile or, most often, deportation and murder.

Dr. Martin Happ and Sophie Happ were deported from their home in 1943 and murdered (*ermordet*) in Auschwitz.

Over 70,000 stumble stones are laid in sidewalks in more than 1,200 cities and towns across Europe and Russia.

I wanted to stop and read each one as we walked along the streets, but there were so many, it was heart wrenching. The stumble stones have been controversial, but I found them to be moving tributes to people who were going about their daily lives until ensnared by the horrors of fascism.

According to the Guardian, despite their international scope, the Stolpersteine are a grassroots initiative. Local groups – often residents of a street, or schoolchildren working on a project – unite to research the biographies of local victims and to raise the €120 it costs to install each stone.

Museum Pass & Other Tour Options

I recommend purchasing the three-day Museum Pass Berlin. At €29, the pass gets you into 30+ museums in Berlin, including the five Museum Island museums, the German History Museum, the Jewish History Museum, the Gemäldegalerie, and other museums in the Kulturforum area.

Considering admission to each museum on Museum Island costs €10, a Museum Pass makes sense.

The €18 Museum Island Pass saves you money if you tour two or more of the Museum Island museums on one day.

Here are some other tour options in Berlin:

Powered by GetYourGuide

Berlin Walking Tours

GuruWalk lists pay-what-you-please walking tours that connect tourists with tour guides all around the world. Check out their tours of Berlin!

More Berlin

Even after spending a week in Berlin, I hadn’t seen everything I wanted to. Depending on your interests, you’ll find many more museums, lively nightlife, and interesting neighborhoods to wander through.

Although we stayed in the Kreuzberg area in south Berlin, I recommend the trendier and more interesting Prenzlauer Berg in north Berlin. We enjoyed dining out in this area that features older buildings, lots of cool restaurants, and a youthful, neighborhood vibe.

The author at an outdoor cafe in Berlin — Enjoying lunch at a sidewalk café in hip and happenin’ Prenzlauer Berg

Where to Stay in Berlin

For accommodation suggestions in Berlin, see Where to Stay in Germany: My Best Picks.

Have you been to Berlin? Please share your experiences and tips with other artsy travelers in the Comments section below.

Here are more posts about Germany on Artsy Traveler:

Where to Stay in Germany: My Best Picks

February 7, 2020October 11, 2024Destinations, Germany, Hotel Reviews, Travel Smart Artsy Traveler 1 Comment

Last updated on October 11th, 2024 at 04:35 am

We’ve found accommodations in Germany to be clean and reasonably priced. But not always comfortable. Get used to single duvets on double beds! For reasons we don’t understand, each person gets their own duvet, and double beds are often two single beds pushed together.

In this post, I provide general tips about accommodations in Germany and then list hotels I recommend.

Choosing a Room

To Book or Not to Book?

I book almost all the hotels on my itinerary before I leave home so I know I have somewhere to stay in every location. Then, while traveling, I sometimes alter bookings to follow a new route or in response to hearing about a cool location I hadn’t known about.

TIP: Stay flexible when you travel. You never know when you might meet someone who recommends a festival or event or exhibition. More than once, I’ve altered an itinerary to attend a special exhibition or visit a new attraction.

Choose a hotel booking site that allows you to book, change, or cancel hotel reservations if your itinerary changes. Most sites offer a no-cancellation option at a lower price. I never choose the no-cancellation price unless I’m 100% sure I’ll be staying at the hotel. For example, I’ll select the no-cancellation price for hotels I’m staying at in the cities I fly into and depart from, because those locations won’t change.

But overall, stay flexible. I’ve learned that sticking to a rigid itinerary with no-cancellation accommodations can end up costing a lot more money than you save.

Breakfasts in Germany

In addition to the usual fruits, cereals, and eggs, hotel breakfasts in Germany always include meat, cheese, and a great selection of breads and pastries.

The abundance and quality of some of the buffet breakfasts I’ve seen in Germany defies belief and stomach capacity. Usually, I opt for the hotel breakfast only if it’s included in the room rate.

Breakfast at a typical hotel in Germany — Breakfast with bread, buns, croissants, coffee, and juice

Star Rating

I favor three- or four-star properties that offer amenities I value, such as elevators, air conditioning, parking, bathtubs, and in-room WIFI.

I also like larger rooms. Check the square meterage of the room. Anything under 15 square meters will be very small, with a child-sized shower stall and barely enough room to wedge your suitcase against the wall.

Reviews – Should You Care?

Yes, I pay attention to reviews. If a property’s aggregate review score is under 8.0 out of a possible 10, I usually pass. Sometimes the difference between a property with a 9.6 review and one with an 8.2 review is only a few euros, and yet the quality of the higher-rated property is worth the extra money.

You have to take reviews with a grain of salt, however. Just because a property has a score of 9.8 doesn’t meant it’s five-star luxury. Check the star rating and realize that a 9.8 score for a two-star hotel is not the same as a 9.8 for a four-star, and proceed accordingly.

TIP: Read reviews on a few sites, such as booking.com and TripAdvisor. I take my time when booking accommodations in Germany and elsewhere to make sure I’m getting the best value for my travel dollar.

For more tips on finding accommodations, read Six Steps to Making Awesome Accommodation Choices in Europe.

Accommodation Options by City in Germany

To help you plan your travels in Germany, here are my recommendations. I describe properties I’ve stayed in and provide a map of some destinations to help you choose additional properties.

Click the link to the hotel to make a reservation with booking.com.

Berlin

During our recent week in Berlin, we rented an apartment in the Kreuzberg area. While relatively central and close to a U-Bahn stop, I didn’t find the area as interesting as the Prenzlauer Berg in northern Berlin.

I suggest looking for a small hotel in Prenzlauer Berg or in the Mitte (the historic core). Apartments can be a good choice if you’re staying for several days.

The map below shows accommodation options in Berlin.

Booking.com

Cologne

We stayed close to the river in the area of Cologne that was rebuilt in the old style. I wholeheartedly recommend the Hotel Drei Kronen, a comfortable three-star property. From our room, we enjoyed a panoramic view over the Rhine.

Have a look at the map below for additional accommodation suggestions in Cologne. I recommend staying by the river.

Booking.com

St. Goar (Sankt Goar)

In St. Goar, I recommend the Hotel Rheinfels, which overlooks the river. The room was large and comfortable, the breakfast excellent, and the proprietor very friendly.

Trier

In Trier, we stayed at the Hotel Estricher Hof on the outskirts of the city and overlooking the Mosel River. We were driving and didn’t want to navigate the narrow streets of the city.

As it turned out, we drove into Trier for the evening with no problems, so consider a hotel in Trier proper so you can walk to the various sights.

The Hotel Estricher Hof was adequate but nothing special.

The map below shows other options in Trier.

Booking.com

Nuremberg

We stayed one night in Nuremberg at the TIPTOP Hotel Burgschmiet Garni , located outside the city walls. The room was tiny and the parking tight, but the breakfast was incredible!

If you’re not driving, consider something more quaint and interesting inside the city walls. Nuremberg is a pretty town with lovely views over the river and its fair share of half-timbered houses.

Booking.com

Leipzig

In Leipzig, we splurged on the Radisson Blu Hotel Leipzig, located across the road from the Gewandhaus concert hall where we attended a Chopin piano concert (sublime!). The hotel was close to the center of Leipzig and easy to drive to.

Our room was enormous, with great views over the city. Usually, we don’t choose chain hotels, but the Radisson was comfortable and stylish.

Here are other options in Leipzig.

Booking.com

Munich

In Munich, we scored an excellent deal at the Hilton Munich Park. Sometimes, you can find surprisingly reasonable rates at Hilton properties. I’m not sure why.

We enjoyed a large room that overlooked the English Garden. The hotel is a 14-minute tram ride from the Marienplatz and includes an indoor pool and possibly the largest breakfast buffet I’ve ever seen in Europe.

Here are other options in Munich.

Booking.com

Tours & Tickets in Germany

Here are some options to explore through GetYourGuide and Tiqets.com, both companies I’ve booked with several times, and had good experiences.

Powered by GetYourGuide

Do you have accommodation recommendations to share? Please let me know in the Comments section. I’m always on the lookout for new places to stay in Germany.

Here are some more posts about Germany:

Exploring Cologne & the Rhine Valley

February 7, 2020December 17, 2024Destinations, Germany Artsy Traveler 2 Comments

Last updated on December 17th, 2024 at 08:47 pm

Visit the Rhine Valley with its castles and charming villages to steep yourself in fairy-tale Germany. Take a cruise along the most scenic part of the Rhine between St. Goar and Bacharach, catch a concert of medieval music at the castle in Bacharach, and dine on spaetzle and local white wine while watching the Rhine boats slide past.

Spend a few days enjoying lively Cologne with its awesome cathedral and world-class Roman museum, hop over to Bonn to visit Beethoven, and meander up the Mosel to cute Cochem and beyond to Trier. You can easily spend a week or longer in this scenic area of Germany.

Getting Around the Rhine Valley

The Rhine Valley is easiest to enjoy with a car. Distances are short, and the driving isn’t too frantic, although the traffic in Cologne and Bonn can be heavy. On a recent trip to Bonn, we had to abandon our plan to revisit the Beethoven Museum because we couldn’t find a parking spot!

Public transit is efficient in this area. Take a train from Cologne upriver to Bonn, then another train to St. Goar. From there, take a short Rhine cruise to Bacharach or as far as Bingen. Catch the train back to where you plan to stay (Bacharach and St. Goar are great choices).

If you’re driving and want to experience a short Rhine cruise, stay the night overlooking the river in St. Goar, then catch the K-D Rhine boat to steam upriver to Bacharach. After checking out this impossibly adorable town, hop on the train for the short trip back to St. Goar.

By boat, the journey from St. Goar to Bacharach along the most scenic stretch of the Rhine Valley takes about an hour. By train, the trip takes about 15 minutes.

Suggested Itinerary

If you’re driving, I suggest spending two nights in Cologne, three nights in Saint Goar or Bacharach to enjoy a Rhine cruise and to explore local castles, then either two nights in Cochem to explore the Mosel Valley or a visit to Trier with its excellent Roman ruins and charming town center.

If you’re traveling by train, explore Cologne, take the train to Bonn, then continue to St. Goar. Take the boat down the Rhine to Bacharach, stay a night or two, then get back on the boat to travel to Koblenz. From there, catch a train to your next stop in Germany.

Map of the Rhine and Mosel Valleys

Refer to the map below as you plan your Rhine and Mosel itinerary.

Places mapped by Wanderlog, the best trip planner app on iOS and Android

Days 1 and 2: Cologne

We really enjoyed Cologne (Köln). Situated on the Rhine River, the city has a walkable old town, an impressive cathedral, a state-of-the-art concert hall and art museum, and our favorite Roman museum.

The city was pretty much bombed flat in the war, with most of the city rebuilt in modern style and one neighborhood—the old town a few blocks south of the cathedral—rebuilt in the old style. We stayed in this area, steps from the walkway bordering the Rhine.

Buildings in Cologne alongside the walkway bordering the Rhine

On our visit to Cologne, we were invited to a family birthday party for an artist friend of Gregg’s. Everyone spoke English, and copious glasses of Kölsch were downed (especially by me).

Kölsch is a local beer brewed only in Cologne and served in a tall and skinny 20-cl “Stange” glass. I’m not a huge beer lover, but I did enjoy my (many) glasses of Kölsch at that birthday party.

When you’re in Cologne, make sure you sample a glass or three of Kölsch.

Cologne Cathedral

If you arrive in Cologne by train, you can’t miss the cathedral. Step out of the station and look up, waaaay up, to see Germany’s largest Gothic cathedral looming above you. During the Second World War, the cathedral was hit by 15 bombs, but, remarkably, the medieval structure more or less held.

Lots of stained glass and a massive 140-foot tall ceiling are gasp-worthy. Entrance is free.

According to Rick Steves, the one-hour English-only tour is “reliably excellent.” It runs Monday to Saturday at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm and on Sundays at 2:30 pm only.

Romano-Germanic Museum

I highly recommend the Romano-Germanic Museum (Römisch-Germanisches Museum). The collections are stunning, in particular the large collection of Roman glass vessels, jewelry, and mosaics.

In addition to Roman artifacts, you’ll see displays chronicling the archaeological heritage of Cologne from the Palaeolithic period to the early Middle Ages.

Museum Ludwig

The sleek, modern building next to the Romano-Germanic Museum is the Museum Ludwig. The museum holds an extensive collection of Pop Art, the third-largest Picasso collection in the world, seminal works from the Russian avant-garde, and an important collection of German Expressionists, including Otto Dix and Oskar Kokoschka.

Kölner Philharmonie

Get tickets for a performance at this modern concert hall located in the same complex as the Romano-Germanic Museum and Museum Ludwig. We visited the box office in the afternoon and purchased tickets for that evening’s performance of symphonic works.

Days 3 to 5: Rhine Valley

Leave Cologne in the morning and head to the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl, about a twenty-minute drive from Cologne on the way to Bonn. I write more about the museum in the Artsy Sightseeing section of the Germany page.

If you’re in the area, stop by to enjoy the excellent collection and lovely grounds.

Gregg Simpson next to a Max Ernst statue on the grounds of the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl — Gregg next to a Max Ernst statue on the grounds of the Max Ernst Museum in Brühl

Pop into Bonn for lunch and a visit to the Beethoven Museum. Here, in the place where the maestro was born, you’ll get a strong Beethoven vibe. This museum is one of the world’s most popular music museums.

The museum features Beethoven’s manuscripts, a music room for regular concerts on historic keyboards, and a special area for temporary exhibits. The museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm.

If you’re traveling by train, you’ll easily be able to tour the Beethoven museum before getting back on the train to travel upriver to St. Goar.

Spend two or three nights in one of the towns along the Rhine. We stayed in St. Goar at a place overlooking the river.

An equally adorable choice is the town of Bacharach. I first stayed there when I was 18 in a tiny B & B with the date 1492 carved into the lintel over the door.

St. Goar

Splurge for a place overlooking the bustling Rhine. We spent a lot of time on the balcony of our riverside hotel, watching the little car ferry go back and forth across the rushing river.

The ferry set off bravely from the St. Goar side to be gripped seconds later in the watery clutches of a ferocious current. With a tremendous burst of power, the ferry turned 360 degrees across the river in a graceful arc and docked on the other side.

Every time the ferry crossed, we held our breath thinking it wouldn’t make it. Hours of fun!

St. Goar ferry crossing the Rhine against a swift current.

The big attraction in St. Goar is the Rheinfels Castle (Burg Rheinfels). Its grey and turreted bulk broods on a hill high above St. Goar.

Some consider it the best of the Rhine Valley castles. On a sunny day, the view is spectacular. If you visit, leave a comment below and let other Artsy Travelers know what you think.

Rhine Boat Trip

Go down to the dock for the Koln-Dusseldorfer (K-D) line and purchase a ticket to take you to Bacharach. You can check schedules and pre-purchase tickets online.

Buy the ticket that includes your train trip back to St. Goar. If the weather’s fine, sit on the open top deck and watch the castles go by.

On the day we took the cruise, the misty, drizzly weather was very Germanic-romantic.

Carol Cram & Gregg Simpson on the deck of the K-D Rhine boat on the Rhine River. — Enjoying our cruise down the Rhine on a damp April day

On the stretch between St. Goar and Bacharach, you’ll pass the famous Lorelei Rock, a sheet of slate towering over the narrowest point of the Rhine. You’ll hear the legend on the boat, so I won’t spoil it!

The boat provides indoor seating if the weather is iffy, and hot drinks and snacks are available.

Bacharach

What a cute town! Wander around the cobbled streets, admire the half-timbered houses, do a spot of shopping, eat a meal, and chill.

The castle on the hill overlooking Bacharach is a youth hostel and hosts a medieval music evening. Check local schedules for performance times.

Costumed performers showcase medieval instruments, and at the end of the performance a large portion of the audience gets up to shuffle through a guided version of an old German folk dance. I had a ball!

The Rhine Valley includes many more castles and the charming towns of Bingen (of Hildegard von Bingen fame) and Koblenz.

Days 6 and 7: The Mosel Valley & Trier

After exploring the Rhine Valley, consider traveling a bit farther southwest to the Mosel Valley. Wine from super-steep vineyards is the thing here. Drive along the twisting Mosel River, visit Burg Eltz, and stay in Cochem.

Burg Eltz is a medieval castle in the hills above the Mosel River.

Burg Eltz is one of the superstars of German castles. Set in the middle of a forest, the castle is every kid’s dream of a foreboding fortress preparing to defend itself against marauding bandits.

The castle is over 850 years old and is largely intact, with the same family owning and caring for it since it was built. Tour sumptuously decorated rooms containing many original furnishings and check out the Treasury and Armory.

Another highlight of the castle is its location in the Eltz Forest, a nature reserve intersected with numerous hiking trails.

The castle gets crowded during the middle of the day, so consider visiting in the early morning or after about 3 pm when the tour busses start to trundle away. The castle will reopen on April 1, 2020.

Cochem

Cochem boasts a gorgeous castle (the Reichsburg Cochem) and lots of narrow streets lined with half-timbered houses. It’s pretty darned cute and a good place to stay while exploring the Mosel Valley and sampling the local wine.

Have you stayed in Cochem? Share your experience with other artsy travelers in the Comments section below.

Trier

If you’re into Roman ruins, drive a little farther to Trier, which is Germany’s oldest city and the birthplace of Karl Marx.

When we were in Trier in 2018, the town was about to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx on May 5, 1818. A hot item in the stores was a yellow rubber duckie decked out like Karl Marx, complete with beard, a copy of Das Kapital clutched under one wing, and a quill pen in the other.

I wonder how the father of socialism would have felt seeing his birth so celebrated. On the other hand, I’m sorry I didn’t buy one.

Where to Stay in the Rhine Valley

For accommodation suggestions in Cologne, St. Goar, and Trier, see Where to Stay in Germany: My Best Picks.

Cologne Walking Tours

GuruWalk lists pay-what-you-please walking tours that connect tourists with tour guides all around the world. Check out their tours of Cologne!

Take a Cooking Class in Paris

January 29, 2020December 7, 2024Activities, Arts & Culture, Destinations, France Artsy Traveler 3 Comments

Last updated on December 7th, 2024 at 02:30 am

Have you considered taking a cooking class while traveling in France? Paris is the place for cooking classes, but you’ll also find classes in other French cities such as Lyon.

Several years ago, guest poster Liz Reding moved with her husband Michael to France and settled in the charming city of Lyon. Every few months, she and Michael take trips to explore different areas in Europe.

Picture of Liz Reding, the guest poster with a meal in Spain — Guest poster Liz Reding enjoying paella in Spain; Photo credit: Liz Reding

One of the things Liz likes to do when she travels around Europe from her new French home is to take cooking classes.

Here’s what Liz has to say about taking cooking classes in Paris and Lyon.

Cooking in France by Liz Reding

Is cooking art? If you’ve ever seen a great chef at work or eaten a beautifully plated meal, I think you’ll agree that cooking is an art form.

Maybe you love to cook, maybe you don’t … but you have to eat, right? So, doesn’t it make sense to spend time perfecting your cooking skills?

Some might say, YES… but not while I’m on vacation. I say, YES, especially while I’m on vacation!

The quality of the local produce, cheese, seafood, and meat in French markets is outstanding. When you take a class taught by a local chef at a cooking school, you learn how to use local ingredients to prepare regional favorites.

Cooking Classes in Paris

Thanks to the ongoing popularity of French cuisine and French cooking, several culinary schools offer short-duration classes designed for travelers.

Paris is the undisputed center for cooking classes in France. Consider spending a morning or an evening taking a class. You’ll meet interesting people and learn new skills and cooking methods.

Several kinds of cooking classes are available in Paris. In some classes, you focus on how to make specific dishes, such as macarons or baguettes, while in others, you cook several dishes which you then enjoy along with a glass or two of wine.

The Market Class

My favorite type of cooking class is the Market Class.

Choose a market class that starts early in the morning and includes lunch or one that starts later in the afternoon and includes dinner.

You’ll start a market class by meeting up with the chef at a local outdoor market. With the help of the chef, you’ll choose whatever is seasonally available and then return to the kitchen to start cooking.

Several hours later, you’ll sit down to the wonderful three-course lunch or dinner that you and your classmates prepared. A glass or two of wine is often included, along with wine-tasting tips.

In some market classes, the chef decides ahead of time what you’ll make. You pick up the ingredients and then head to the cooking school to start learning and cooking. No surprises!

Seafood in a Paris market; photo credit: Liz Reding

Other classes take more of a let’s see what we can find approach. You go to the market with the chef and see what’s fresh.

Will it be crayfish or lamb? New asparagus or an oozing camembert? Fresh tomatoes from Provence or foie gras from the Dordogne?

The chef accompanies you around the stalls and helps you make the selections.

Either type of class is a wonderful experience, but the laissez-faire version is more exciting and a test of the chef’s ability to create a yummy menu on the fly.

If you have a food allergy or other dietary restrictions, let the chef know. He or she will either tell you how to modify the recipe or will provide an alternative.

Recommendations in Paris & Lyon

I’ve taken four cooking classes in Paris (a baguette-making class and three market classes) as well as in Lyon, France, where I live. All the classes were conducted in English.

In the French baguette class, I learned an important lesson—read the reviews of the cooking class before you sign up! Two of the three ovens weren’t working which made the experience less enjoyable than it could have been.

Fresh baguettes made in the baguette class; Photo credit: Liz Reding

Nevertheless, I did learn how to make baguettes the old-fashioned way by smacking the dough against a granite surface. In my kitchen at home, I was able to adapt the baguette recipe and make it in my mixer with a dough hook. The results were fabulous!

Some of the cooking techniques I learned in cooking classes were fun but not useful. For example, I learned how to strain potatoes through a screen, but why would I want to?

No matter what type of class you take or where you take it, you’ll always learn new techniques and new recipes. And at the end of the class, you can relax and enjoy the meal you helped make, often with people from around the world.

Paris Cooking Classes

Here are the three cooking schools I attended in Paris. Typically, a cooking class that includes a meal costs between €150 and €200 per person. Some cooking schools offer group rates. If you’re traveling with a group, you may be able to save money by booking a private class.

Cook’n with Class – Market class

La Cuisine – Baguette class

Le Foodist – Market class

Lyon Cooking Class

Plum Lyon – Market class

I highly recommend adding a cooking class to your itinerary.

If you’re really into cooking classes, consider going on a cooking retreat. Plenty of options are available in places such as Tuscany and Provence.

About Liz Reding

Liz Reding is a retired computer textbook author who lives in Lyon, France. Born in Manhattan and having lived in Boston and New Mexico (Santa Fe and Albuquerque), she and her husband are discovering the joys of traveling and exploring the world. She enjoys learning French, cycling, and cooking nutritious meals.

Conclusion

Have you taken a cooking class while traveling? You can find them all over the world! I took a cooking class in Rome that I write about in Cooking in Roma with InRome Cooking.

Share your experiences in the comments below.

And here’s some more inspiration for cooking classes in Japan, Morocco, and Madrid.

Where to Stay in Portugal: My Best Picks

January 28, 2020October 11, 2024Destinations, Portugal, Travel Smart Artsy Traveler 3 Comments

Last updated on October 11th, 2024 at 04:59 am

I don’t think we’ve ever stayed in a bad place in Portugal. Hotels and apartments have been comfortable, reasonably priced, and well located.

In Portugal, you can choose to stay in a palace such as the Palace Hotel do Bussaco located north of Coimbra and pictured above. I haven’t stayed there, but if you have, please share your experience in the Comments section. The Palace Hotel do Bussaco is a 5-star hotel housed in the hunting palace of the last Portuguese kings. It looks amazing!

In this post, I provide general tips about accommodations in Portugal and then list hotels I recommend.

Choosing a Room

To Book or Not to Book?

I book almost my hotels before I leave home so I know I have somewhere to stay in every location on my itinerary. Then, while traveling, I sometimes change bookings to follow a new route or in response to hearing about a cool location I hadn’t known about.

TIP: Stay flexible when you travel. You never know when you might meet someone who recommends a festival or event or exhibition. More than once, I’ve altered an itinerary to attend a special exhibition or visit a new attraction.

Choose a hotel booking site that allows you to book, change, or cancel hotel reservations if your itinerary changes. Most sites offer a no-cancellation option at a lower price. I never choose the no-cancellation price unless I’m 100% sure I’ll be staying at the hotel. For example, I will select the no-cancellation price for hotels I’m staying at in the cities I fly into and depart from, because I know those locations won’t change.

But overall, stay flexible. I’ve learned that sticking to a rigid itinerary with no-cancellation accommodations can end up costing more money than you save.

Breakfasts

In addition to the usual fruits, cereals, and eggs, hotel breakfasts in Portugal pretty much always include the wonderfully creamy Portuguese egg tarts called Pastéis de Nata. Save money by picking up some tarts at the local bakery or going out to a café to enjoy a few with your morning coffee.

Plate of Portuguese egg tarts — *Pastéis de nata* (custard tarts), traditional Portuguese pastry

Pousadas

Consider spending a few nights at one of Portugal’s historical pousadas. Similar to the paradors in Spain, the Portuguese pousadas are government-run properties selected for their historical and artistic merit or their location in a beautiful landscape.

Some pousadas are converted castles or palaces. The pousada experience can be pricey but worthwhile and interesting. You can book pousadas on booking.com.

Below is a picture of the Pousada Castelo de Alvito in Portugal, a 15th- century castle in the village of Alvito east of Lisbon. It looks awesome. I haven’t stayed there. Have you? Let me know in the Comments section!

Star Rating

I favor three- or four-star properties because I appreciate amenities such as elevators, air conditioning, parking, bathtubs, and in-room WIFI.

I also like larger rooms. Check the square meterage of the room. Anything under 15 square meters will be small, with a child-sized shower stall and barely enough room to wedge your suitcase against the wall.

Reviews – Should You Care?

Yes, I pay attention to reviews. If a property’s aggregate score is under 8.0 out of a possible 10, I usually pass. Sometimes the difference between a property with a 9.6 review and one with an 8.2 review is only a few euros, and yet the quality of the higher-rated property makes the extra money worth spending.

You have to take reviews with a grain of salt, however. Just because a property has a score of 9.8 doesn’t meant it’s five-star luxury. Check the star rating, keep in mind that a 9.8 score for a two-star hotel is not the same as a 9.8 for a four-star, and proceed accordingly.

TIP: Read reviews on a few sites, such as booking.com and TripAdvisor. I take my time when booking accommodations in Portugal and elsewhere to make sure I’m getting the best value for my travel dollar.

For more tips on finding accommodations, read Six Steps to Making Awesome Accommodation Choices in Europe.

Accommodation Options by Region

To help you plan your travels in Portugal, here are my recommendations. For each destination, I describe properties I’ve stayed in and provide a map to help you choose additional properties.

Click the link to the hotel to make a reservation with booking.com.

Lisbon

Downtown Lisbon is expensive. On our most recent trip in 2019, we stayed in the Vincci Baixa, close to the Praça do Comércio. The location was perfect. We could walk everywhere in downtown Portugal and were only about two blocks from the plaza and its many outdoor cafés. The room was small but with four-star appointments befitting the price. The Vincci chain offers reliable premium accommodation. I’d stay there again.

On our extended stay in Lisbon when Gregg had an exhibition there, we rented an apartment in the Alfama district. The interior of the apartment had been beautifully renovated and included a tiny terrace with a view over Lisbon. On another trip, we rented an apartment in the Bairro Alto area. The apartment was huge and well-appointed, but the neighborhood was rough.

In Lisbon, splurge on a place in the super-central Baixa-Chiado area. You want to be able to walk as much as possible in this very walkable city.

Check the map below for other accommodation options in Lisbon.

Booking.com

Central and North Portugal

Porto

In Porto, we chose the Douro Apartments Rivertop and were thoroughly satisfied. The gorgeously renovated studio apartment on the fourth floor of an old, narrow building overlooked a panoramic view of the Douro River. A carafe of port was left for us on the table, and every morning, a basket filled with breakfast items, including my favorite pastéis de nata (custard tarts), was delivered to our door.

If you’re driving into Porto, do not try to drive to the office where you pick up the keys for the Douro Apartments Rivertop.

Park the car in the large car park on Rua do Infante d. Henrique (the main drag as you drive into lower Porto). The car park is called Parque estacionamento SABA – Infante.

view over Porto rooftops to the Douro River. — View from the window of the Douro Apartments Rivertop

Have a look at the map below for additional accommodation suggestions in Porto. I recommend staying by the river. You’ll have to walk uphill to reach some of the sites in Porto, but you’ll be close to the restaurants lining the riverside and just across the river from Gaia where you can go for a spot of port-tasting.

Booking.com

Coimbra

We stayed at the Vila Gale Coimbra, a modern property overlooking the Mondego River in Coimbra. The location was convenient for drivers and the rooms comfortable.

Here are other options in Coimbra.

Booking.com

Figueira da Foz

We splashed out for the Eurostars Oasis Plaza Hotel, a brand new modern hotel dubbed “The Titanic” by the locals. At least, that’s what the friends we visited in Figueira da Foz told us. The rooms are spacious and the view over the Atlantic stunning. The location right across the street from one of the main beaches is excellent.

Algarve

Tavira

In Tavira, we stayed in the hills at a gorgeous country house called Herdade da Corte Lodging. The place is perfect for drivers because it’s 15 kilometers from Tavira. The large room had rustic décor and a sloped, wooden ceiling. When we stayed, dinner was served, which was great, because there weren’t any restaurants nearby, and we didn’t have a car.

Luz

The Aparthotel Vila Luz was a great find just outside the village of Luz. The large suite included a terrace overlooking the ocean. We did our share of lazing by the pool and enjoying the buffet breakfast. The village of Luz was a scenic ten-minute walk along the top of the cliff.

Alentejo

Évora

The 4-star Albergaria Do Calvario, just inside the city walls in Évora, was a worthwhile splurge. Housed in a 16th-century olive oil mill, the hotel featured bright, airy guest rooms and suites, decorated with local art. We loved this place!

Here are other options in Évora.

Booking.com

Estremoz

In all our travels, one of our favorite country hotels is the Monte da Fornalha, located a few kilometers outside Estremoz. Surrounded by cork trees and cows, the rural property has simple rooms, fabulous breakfasts, and a tiled pool that, even on the hottest days in July, was refreshing enough to raise goosebumps. If you’re in the Estremoz area, consider staying here for a few days to totally relax and soak up the Alentejo beauty.

Tours & Tickets in Portugal

Here are some options to explore through GetYourGuide and Tiqets.com, both companies I’ve booked with several times, and had good experiences.

Powered by GetYourGuide

Do you have accommodation recommendations to share? Please let me know in the Comments section. I’m always on the lookout for new places to stay in Portugal.

Here are some more posts about Portugal: