Discover intimate art collections in Paris.
On this art-rich cultural journey, art historian Linda Wolk-Simon guides you through Paris’ special collections and hidden gems. Meet with a director of the Fondation Custodia/Collection Frits Lugt, and enjoy a private tour of one of the largest private collections of Old Master works on paper. Enjoy a special tour of the Opéra Garnier, known for its opulent Beaux-Arts style architecture and rich history, and get an insider’s look at one of the world’s preeminent collections of medieval art at the Musée de Cluny. Admire world-class works by Raphael, Poussin, and Delacroix, as well as rare manuscripts, during an expert-led tour of the Musée Condé, and savor local wine and cheese at a tasting in a private cellar.
Highlights
- Stroll through the literary haunts of Saint-Germain-des-Prés to find hidden courtyards and iconic cafés like Les Deux Magots, where Hemingway pondered his prose, on a guided walk.
- Join a curator to view one of the world’s important medieval art collections at the Musée de Cluny, where masterpieces like The Lady and the Unicorn are displayed amid Roman bath ruins.
- Discover Victor Hugo’s intimate world on a curator-led tour at the Maison de Victor Hugo and step into the exiled author’s attic apartment filled with manuscripts and mementos.
- Ascend the grand staircase under Chagall’s ceiling frescoes during an exclusive tour of the Opéra Garnier while taking in its Belle Époque splendor and gilded interiors.
- Savor a French-themed feast on a péniche lunch cruise along the Seine, gliding past the Eiffel Tower while indulging in confit de canard and seasonal soufflés.
- Awaken to the sacred echoes of Église Saint-Eustache on an early-morning tour, when the dawn light illuminates Rubens’ Pilgrims of Emmaus and the country’s largest organ.
- Embrace Gehry’s contemporary classic and view revered modern pieces at Fondation Louis Vuitton on an early-morning tour.
- Escape to Château de Chantilly for a day trip and behold Raphael’s Three Graces in the Condé Museum before visiting the 18th-century Great Stables, a lavish palace for horses.
- Indulge in a special tasting of local wine and cheese, unveil aristocratic secrets on an expert-led tour of a hôtel particulier, and learn all about bidding methods at an authentic Parisian auction house.
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