Beneath the great glass roof of a former Belle Époque railway station, the Musée d'Orsay holds the world's richest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Monet, Van Gogh, Degas and Renoir hang side by side here, right on the Seine, facing the rooftops of Paris.
The museum at a glance
Housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, built by Victor Laloux for the 1900 World's Fair, the museum opened in 1986 after the disused station was converted. Its collection covers the years 1848 to 1914. The great clock, a relic of the station, looks out over the Seine and Montmartre.
Don't miss
Renoir's Bal du moulin de la Galette, Van Gogh's paintings, including several self-portraits and Starry Night over the Rhône, and Degas's dancers, in paint and in sculpture, are among the museum's masterpieces. On the 5th floor, the great clock frames the classic photo of Sacré-Cœur.
Visiting tips
A timed online ticket is strongly recommended, especially at weekends. Thursday late opening is much quieter than daytime.
Close by
The Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge leads to the Tuileries Garden and the Louvre. The Musée Rodin and its sculpture garden are a few minutes' walk away, and the Assemblée nationale stands on the Seine right next door.
