Excursion from Paris to Giverny and Monet’s house: tips

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An excursion from Paris to Giverny and Monet’s house is now a must do in Paris Region. Claude Monet, the master of Impressionism, lived for 43 years in a house with a pink crushed-brick facade surrounded by wonderful gardens. It was all restored and opened to the public many years ago. A day trip to Giverny is It is worth a visit during spring and summer.

Visiting Giverny : What to do and see

Don’t Miss at Giverny

• Le Pressoir – Monet’s house : for interior of the house and the view on garden
• Monet’s Garden: The garden which inspired many masterpieces of the painter
• The Japanese bridge: famous bridge above the water lilies
• Monet’s Museum: interesting collection of painting of Monet and other artists
• Having a lunch or a dinner in the village of Giverny

History of Mont Garden at Giverny

Born in 1840, the French impressionist painter Monet, was a brilliant innovator. He excelled in representing the effects of lights at different times of the day. He is mostly known for his series of paintings of the Rouen Cathedral and water lilies.

Leaving Poissy (in Paris suburbs) , Monet came to this town in Normandy in 1883. He took a small railway linking Vetheuil to Vernon, discovering the village at a point where the Epte stream joined the nearby Seine.

Many celebrities came to visit him in his home also called Le Pressoir. Among them Clemenceau, Cézanne, Rodin, Renoir, Degas, and Sisley enjoyed his company and the good cooking.

At the death of Monet in 1926, his son Michel, inherited the house but he left it abandoned until it decayed in ruins. The gardens almost became a jungle inhabited by river rats. In 1966 Michel Monet died, leaving the house to the Beaux Arts Academy.

It wasn’t until 1977 that Gerald Van der Kamp, who restored Versailles, decided to work on Giverny. It was mostly restored with gifts from American benefactors, especially Mrs. Lila Acheson Wallace, head of Reader’s Digest, who contributed of $1 million.

Guests can stroll through the garden with its thousands of flowers, including the nympheas. You cross a Japanese bridge hung with wisteria to a dreamy setting of weeping willows and rhododendrons. Monet’s studio barge was installed on the pond.

Also, read excursions and day-trips from Paris

How to get in Giverny from Paris

• You can use a car taking the Autoroute A13 toward Rouen and then taken direction Vernon and Giveny (about 1 hour)
• You can also take the train to Vernon and then take a Shuttle to Giverny
• The best way to visit the city is to have a guided tour of Giverny and Monet’s gardens. Many companies offer interesting guided tours to visit the impressionist city.
• You can do a simple tour or opt for a combo with other famous excursions like Versailles on DDay beaches.

Another interesting package is the impressionism road tour.