Europe is well-known for its rich history and cultural heritage and if you’re interested in seeing some artifacts from that up close, the continent is home to some of the best museums in the world. From art galleries to niche collections from specific eras of history, here are ten of the best museums in Europe.
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1. The British Museum – London, United Kingdom
London’s British Museum is a public institution dedicated to human history, art, and culture, located in the Bloomsbury neighborhood of the city. Its permanent collection of approximately eight million works is one of the largest and most comprehensive collections in the world. It was the first public national museum in the world, welcoming its first guests in 1759.
The British Museum, one of the best museums in Europe on our list is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM and is completely free to visit.
2. Viking Ship Museum – Oslo, Norway
The Viking Ship Museum is part of the Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo and contains three Viking-era burial ships. The most famous of the three is the Oseberg Ship is one of the best preserved Viking artifacts and studies and tests have determined that it is most likely that the ship was built in the year 800.
The Viking Ship Museum is open from Tuesdays to Sundays between the hours of 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You will need to purchase a ticket to visit which costs 120 kr for adults and 90 kr for seniors or students. Children under the age of 18 can visit for free.
3. The Tate Modern – London, England
Tate Modern is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the world. The pieces in the collection date from 1900 to the present. Some of the most famous works you can see when you visit are La guitare by Georges Braque, Figure dans un Fauteuil by Pablo Picasso, Water-Lilies by Claude Monet, and Walpurgisnacht by Paul Klee.
The Tate Modern opens every day at 10:00 AM but the closing times can vary depending on what day you visit. From Sunday through Thursday the museum closes at 6:00 PM but if you visit on Friday or Saturday you can stay until 10:00 PM. The Tate Modern is free to visit although some special exhibits may require you to purchase a ticket. The price of the ticket varies depending on what the exhibit is.
4. The Anne Frank House -Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The Anne Frank House is a historic structure and biographical museum dedicated to the story of the wartime diarist, Anne Frank. It is where Anne Frank, her family, and several other individuals lived, hiding from Nazi persecution for two years and one month. Sadly they were caught and later Anne died, age 15, a victim of the Nazi Holocaust. Her father was the only family member to survive the concentration camps and later he made the decision to publish her diaries, bringing her story to people all around the world.
The Anne Frank House, one of the best museums in Europe is open from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily, except for Sunday when it closes early at 7:00 PM. Tickets are €12.50 for adults and €6.50 for those between the ages of 10 and 17. Anyone younger can visit for free although there may be a small booking fee of €1.00 required.
5. Rijksmuseum – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Rijksmuseum is an arts and history museum that features some incredible works of art from various places and eras throughout the world although there is a focus on the incredible works of Dutch Golden Age painters. The museum is home to over 1 million artifacts, 8,000 of which are on display currently. Notable works include Girl in a Blue Dress by Johannes Cornelisz Verspronck, The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer, Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem by Rembrandt.
Rijksmuseum is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and costs €20.00 for those over the age of 18 and free for those 17 years old or younger.
6. The Vatican Museums – Vatican City
Located in the Vatican City, the Vatican Museums contain a massive collection of artifacts. The full archives contain about 70,000 works of art and 20,000 are on display. One Of the most famous works here is Michelangelo’s painting, The Creation of Adam, that can be seen on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
The Vatican Museums, one of the best museums in Europe are open from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM every day except Sunday when it is closed. The base ticket costs €17.00 and you can purchase an audio tour for an additional €7.00.
7. Uffizi Gallery – Florence, Italy
Among the most important and visited Italian museums, the Uffizi Gallery is also one of the largest and best-known in the world. IT houses a priceless collection of works from various eras and movements but it features a stunning selection of pieces made during the Italian Renaissance. Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus and Judith and Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi, who was the first woman to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno.
The Uffizi Gallery, one of the best museums is Europe is open from 8:15 AM to 6:00 PM every day except Monday when it is closed. The base ticket costs €16.00.
8. The Winter Palace and the Hermitage Museum – St. Petersburg, Russia
The Winter Palace in St. Petersberg, Russia, is an incredible historic structure. From 1732 until the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Russian royal families lived in this massive palace with its mint green, white, and gold accented exterior. The Hermitage Museum is housed in the palace, which is open to the public for tours.
The Winter Palace is open from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM every day except Monday when it is closed. Ticket prices vary immensely but start around $17.95.
9. Museo del Prado – Madrid, Spain
Spain’s main national art museum, Museo del Prado, is located in central Madrid. As a result of the former Spanish Royal Collection, it is widely regarded as having both one of the world’s finest collections of European art dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, and as the world’s best collection of Spanish art. Established in 1819 as a museum dedicated to paintings and sculpture, it also houses important collections of other types of art. The museum features an extensive collection of the works of Francisco Goya, one of the most significant Spanish painters of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Museo del Prado opens every day at 10:00 AM and closes at 8:00 PM every day except Sunday when it closes at 7:00 PM. Those under 18 can visit for free, but anyone older than that must purchase a ticket. The price may vary but it starts at €15.
10. The Louvre Museum – Paris, France
The Louvre Museum is one of the most famous museums in the world and it’s one of the most recognized landmarks in France. It’s the second largest art museum in the world, housing a collection of 615,797 artifacts, 35,000 of which are on display currently. It’s the most visited museum in the world with over 2.7 million coming annually to see the incredible works of art from various time periods and artistic styles.
The most famous piece at the Louvre Museum is likely Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, but you can also see works such as La Liberté Guidant le Peuple by Eugène Delacroix and La Dentellière by Jan Vermeer. You can also see famous sculptures such as the Vénus de Milo and Victoire de Samothrace.
The Louvre Museum opens daily at 9:00 AM. On Monday, Thursday, and Saturday it closes at 6:00 PM but if you visit on a Wednesday or Friday you can stay until 9:45 PM. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. You will need to purchase a ticket to visit. If you buy the ticket in person it will cost €15.00 and if you buy the ticket online in advance of your visit it will cost €17.00. Although you may want to save money by buying your ticket in person, you’ll save a significant amount of time by buying your ticket online and avoiding long lines.
Video Guide: 10 Best Museum in Europe to Visit
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Travel Resources for Planning a Trip to Europe
To make planning your trip to Europe easier, we included some of our recommended travel resources below. You can search and find the best flights, transportation options, hotels to stay in, tours/activities, and things you can do in each destination during your trip.
Flights:
Agoda: Search thousands of destinations around the world & quickly compare prices to find amazing deals on the best flights.
CheapOAir: You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages all on one site!
Kiwi.com: What we like about Kiwi is the fact that they are able to create combinations of flight, train, and bus tickets and offer them in a single itinerary. Also, Kiwi has what they called “Nomad” which helps you find the best way of visiting multiple destinations, saving you time and money.
JetRadar: You can search and compare airfares from 726 airlines and dozens of travel agencies and systems.
Hotels:
Agoda: Agoda is one of the world’s largest online travel accommodation platforms with a network of over 2,000,000 vacation rentals and hotels worldwide.
Hotellook: They have more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.
Transportations:
Airport Transfers: KiwiTaxi, Viator
Train: Trainline or RailEurope
Bus: Flixbus: Very affordable (as low as $6) and convenient way to transfer between cities in Europe.
Car Rentals: AutoEurope, EconomyBookings, or GetTransfer (transfers & car rentals with a personal driver)
Bike Rental: BikesBooking (Bikes & scooter rentals)
Transportation Comparison: Omio (search, compare, and book tickets for buses, trains, and flights all in one site)
Tours & Activities:
TakeWalks (WalkofItaly): This is our favorite site for walking tours & day trips.
Tiqets: Great site for entrance tickets. It offers directly bookable, instantly available, and completely mobile tickets for museums, shows, and attractions all over the world.
Musement: They have good activities and tours in Italy and Spain, also many great day trips you can choose from.
GetYourGuide: A large number of tours, excursions, and other travel activities
Viator: The largest one. It has everything from tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides in over 2,700 destinations worldwide. It also has many transportations and transfers options and some unique experiences we didn’t find anywhere else.
Need help planning a trip to Europe?
Want to plan a trip to visit the best museums in Europe but don’t know where to begin? If you find this type of trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!
At MultiCityTrips, multi-destination travel and complicated itineraries such as a special trip visiting some of the best museums in Europe are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize your multi-city vacations at the best price.
Don’t want to start from scratch and need some trip inspiration? Check out our marketplace for customizable pre-designed packages available right now for many amazing destinations.
To learn more about how our process of trip planning works in detail, please see our “How It Works” page or check out our video on “How to Plan a Multi-City Trip to Europe in 5 Easy Steps” here.
Have questions for us? Schedule a FREE Call with us here or contact one of the travel experts/destination specialists at [email protected], call/text us at (888)223-2316 today.
