Giverny

Claude Monet (1883-1926) lived in this little village 50 miles (81km) northwest of Paris, which today has become a pilgrimage for art lovers. Just a 50-minute train ride from Gare St-Lazare in Paris, you are returned to the artist's world of wonder. Monet's paintings live again in his meticulously re-created garden with its water-lily pool and its wisteria-draped Japanese bridge. In spring fruit trees burst into an array of pink and white flowers, and in autumn the garden blazes with sunflowers and dahlias. His famous water lilies — in French, nymphéas — flower during the latter part of July and in the first two weeks of August. Monet's ...

Claude Monet (1883-1926) lived in this little village 50 miles (81km) northwest of Paris, which today has become a pilgrimage for art lovers. Just a 50-minute train ride from Gare St-Lazare in Paris, you are returned to the artist's world of wonder. Monet's paintings live again in his meticulously re-created garden with its water-lily pool and its wisteria-draped Japanese bridge. In spring fruit trees burst into an array of pink and white flowers, and in autumn the garden blazes with sunflowers and dahlias. His famous water lilies — in French, nymphéas — flower during the latter part of July and in the first two weeks of August. Monet's house has been lovingly restored to look as it did when Sisley, Cézanne, Manet, Pissarro, and Renoir dropped by for tea. Adjoining his gardens is the Musée des Impressionistes Américains, showing American impressionists influenced by Monet. Later you can bike or walk along the Seine through the countryside with its poplar trees immortalized by Monet.

About the Expert

Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince have written many guidebooks for Frommer's, including Frommer's France and Frommer's Germany.