Three Top Offbeat Museums Of Paris To Attract Tourist
It is for no reason that Paris is known as the cultural capital of Europe. The city is replete with various museums and galleries and is for this reason is one of the favourite cities of art lovers from all over the world. There are a lot of reasons as to why Paris is one of the few favourite destinations of people from far and wide. The city’s fabulous attractions, its michelin starred restaurants and its amazing fashion stores and markets have its share of admirers many of whom often prefer to come back to the city again and again just to soak in the Parisian atmosphere. However, of all the things that Paris is popular for, it is mainly for its monuments, various art galleries and museums that people mainly visit Paris.
If anyone ever asks what does Paris have in abundance? It will be its museums, as a city Paris is replete with museums of various shapes and sizes and dedicated to things and people you can ever imagine! While the likes of Musee de Louver , Musee Rodin, Musee d’Orsay are fairly well known and welcomes a fairly large number of visitors , there are still many lesser known museums of which people are unaware of. Here we will share with you a list of relatively unknown museums that the city hides in its ambit and of which many people are still unaware of. And of you want to know about them and are planning to visit them, then make sure to book a Paris service apartment or holiday apartment during your stay in the city. And yes, do try to rent an apartment that is close to the attraction as it will help you save on the transportation cost and time which you can then use to spend as much time as possible in the museums and for buying souvenirs.
While most of the visitors are aware of some of Paris popular museums like
1. Musee du Louvre
2. Museum national d'histoire naturelle
3. Louvre Museum in Paris
4. Musee d'Orsay
5. Pontoise Cathedral
6. Les Invalides
7. Grand Palais
8. Cite des
9. ciences et de l'Industrie
10. Pontoise Cathedral
There are still many some of the unknown yet interesting museums are:
Fragonard Musee du Parfum
Located near the Opera Garnier in the 9th arrondisement is the Fragonard Musee du Parfum, a private museum where one can learn about the history of perfume and how they are made and packaged. The museum located in a town house going back to the time of Napoleon II contain period furnishings and perfume exhibits that include old toiletry sets, antique perfume bottles and a perfume organ which is used to mix fragrances etc. A shop is also located within its precincts where guests can sample and buy Fragonard perfumes. Free guided tours are available, with the museum opened from 9 am -6pm from Monday to Saturdays and from 9am – 5pm on Sundays and other holidays. Nearest tube is the Opera Metro Station (line 3, 7,8) and if coming by RER A, the nearest station is Auber station. For those staying in any holiday rental or short term let in and around the Opera then you can simply walk down to the Museum as it is located on 9 rue Scribe.
Musee du Vin
For a country that is known for making some of the finest wines of the world, it is but obvious that there has to be a museum dedicated to it, hence the Wine Museum of Paris. Situated in the 16th arrondissement and near to the Trocadero and the Eiffel Tower, the museum is located in a 14th century limestone quarry that also acted as a monastery before it was destroyed in the 1789 French Revolution only to be rehabilitated as a museum dedicated towards preserving and promoting the finest wines of France. Opened to the general public in 1984, the Paris wine museum traces the history of wine making craft in France while showcasing the various tools and objects that were used in the process. Guided tours and private wine tasting seminars at the museum restaurant are available and need to be booked in advance so do check their website for the details. Being located near the Eiffel Tower, one can easily reach the venue from one’s fully furnished vacation rental. Just take the metro line 6 for the Passey station, the RER C for the Champs de mars -Tour-Effeil and if coming by bus then opt for bus no 72.
Musee de Le Monnaie de Paris
Housed in an impressive neo classical building-the Hôtel de la Monnaie built during the late 1770’s, the Le Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) is one of the oldest institutions in Paris dating to 864 AD. Its museum traces the development of money in Paris through various exhibits, seminars and workshops. Various guided tours that take one through a numismatic history of France and through various workshops where visitors get to visit the art foundry etc are available. Also available is a guided architectural tour of the building. All these tours need to be pre booked in advance. A sales office is also located within the museum precincts where one can buy several souvenirs and medals. The museum is opened from Tuesday to Friday from 11am- 5.30 pm and on weekends from noon to 5.30pm with the sales office opened from Mon - Fri 10 am - 6.15 pm. To reach the Musee from your holiday flat take the RER A till Chatelet-Les Halles , the RER B & C for Saint-Michel and the Metro for Odeon - Pont-Neuf - Saint-Michel Station and if coming by Bus then the number 58 - 70 - 24 – 27.
Besides these museums, there are still several interesting and quirky museums that are located all over the city. One needs to have ample time in hand to explore these, so the next time you are in Paris make sure to plan a holiday for a longer duration so that you can enjoy the city and its myriad attractions to the hilt.
