Paris' Musee D'Orsay

The Royal Tour

Paris' Musee D'Orsay is built into a former train station. The station closed in 1939, with the museum opening in 1986. It is easy to see the station elements when one stands at an end.

From the outside, the museum is dominated by two huge clocks, remnants of its former role as a train station.

One of my favorite things is to see the clocks from the inside. One is found near the impressionist gallery; the other is inside the upstairs cafe.

Unlike the Louvre, the collection at the Musee D'Orsay is focused, only covering the years 1848-1915. The highlight is the impressionist gallery, which has this amazing Monet as one of my personal favorites.

While nearly every artist with works displayed is French, an exception is made for Van Gogh, who did most of his art in France, but is Dutch.

The Musee D'Orsay is magnificent, both from a collection perspective and an architectural one. Make sure to click the link below to read all about the museum, its history, and how to best see it.