Claude Monet was a French painter (1840 – 1926), and considered to be the father of impressionism. He’s one of the world’s most famous painters, so I’m sure you’ve seen some of his works. I’m not really an art history expert, so I’ll leave you to go down a rabbit hole about his life and art at your own leisure.

Back to Giverny (pronounced jee-VER-nee), which is a village commune about 80 km (around 50 miles) west-northwest from Paris. Monet lived here from 1883 (eventually buying the Clos Normand in 1890) until his death in 1926. He is buried in the Giverny church cemetary in the village. Today, the home and gardens are preserved by the Claude Monet Foundation.

Before we get to the illustrious gardens and historical home, let’s talk about how to get to Claude Monet’s Garden in Giverny.

1. How to get to Giverny from Paris

The above painting is downloaded from the internet, as they are part of the public domain in the US, where this website is based.

Giverny is easily accessible from Paris from the Gare Saint-Lazare train station. You’ll buy your ticket for Vernon/Giverny, which is the closest stop. Train tickets can be purchased on site at the station or on the SNCF website. Adult round trip averages 32 EUR, but prices vary depending on the time of train. There are several trains per day, around once an hour.

The trip to Vernon/Giverny takes between 45-50 minutes. Remember: you need to stamp your ticket prior to entering the platform, and definitely before boarding at one of the yellow machines.

From the Vernon train station, it is about 7 km (4.5 miles) to Giverny. There are buses that can take you to Giverny, which are aligned with the Paris train arrival and departures. Adult round trip for the bus is 10 EUR, or 5 EUR one way. But if you want to walk, it’s a nice walk (follow the footprints) and takes about an hour. Here’s a map of the walking route, including shuttle times. There are also taxis outside waiting, just in case.

2. Inside Monet’s Home

While I don’t have any photos inside Monet’s home, I do distinctly remember feeling like I had stepped back in time to a vintage, country kitchen, and artist’s studio space. You’ll be able to see a two sitting rooms, his studio, the pantry, as well as the beautifully blue kitchen on the ground floor in the house.

On the next floor up (second floor for Americans, first floor for Europeans), the bedrooms. Monet’s bedroom, which is bright and sunny, overlooks the garden. (More on the garden in a bit). Monet’s bedroom is filled with famous paintings from his impressionist painter friends, like Cezanne, Renoir, and Manet. Imagine these people being your friends, and casually hanging a Renior up in your bedroom!! Wild times that must have been!

One thing that people always comment about in Monet’s room is how small his bed was. One website reported this was because he wasn’t tall, which I couldn’t really corroborate anywhere. The real reason was because he (and other aristocrats of the time) didn’t share a bed or bedroom with his wife. I’m sure she appreciated not being woken up at dawn when he would get up to paint. But don’t worry, their two bedrooms were connected by a “jack and jill” bathroom.

Lastly, Giverny is also home to Monet’s collection of Japanese prints. Like many artists of his time, Monet collected Japanese prints, which filled him with inspiration to add Japanese flourishes around his home and gardens. Although he never visited Japan, the influence these prints had on his work can be seen all around him!

3. The pièce de résistance – Monet’s Garden

It’s said that the gardens of Giverny were Monet’s greatest inspiration for 40 years. He meticulously designed every aspect of the flower gardens and water gardens, and expanded the property during his time there. Plants from all over France and the rest of the world were brought to Giverny to create his little heaven on earth. Besides importing lilies from around the world, he commissioned the Japanese-inspired arched bridge to be built, and specifically painted green to distinguish itself from traditional red, Japanese bridges. For the Japanese gardens, one of the gardeners he hired had the daily duty of dusting off the lily pads, so that the light could properly bounce off the flowers and leaves!

Monet’s famous water garden served as inspiration for countless paintings, including several series of the lily ponds alone. The most magnificent would be the eight large water lillies murals (entitled Nymphéas), which Monet donated to the Musee de Orangerie in 1922. In fact, Monet helped with the design of the new museum in order to fit the large murals!

4. Visitor Information for Giverny

Tickets cost 11 EUR for adults and seniors, which includes the home and gardens.

Address:
84 rue Claude Monet
27620 Giverny
Tel : +33 (0) 2 32 51 28 21
contact@fondation-monet.com

Open from April to end of October, from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm, last admission 5:30 pm.

Sorry, no pets allowed.

If you’d like to learn more about Impressionism, visit the Giverny Museum of Impressionism in the village. I didn’t visit, but far be it for me to deny another art lover a chance! Unsure about the adult entry cost (as the website has not been updated for the current season), but I imagine it is between 8 – 10 EUR for adults.

5. Parting thoughts on Giverny and Monet’s home

Is Monet’s garden worth visiting? 100% Yes – I absolutely loved this visit, and it made for a fun day trip from Paris.

The gardens are spectacular. Cost wise, you’re looking at 43 to 53 EUR per person to visit Giverny from Paris (RT train, entrance fees, and/or the shuttle). For me, as a Monet fan, it was definitely worth it to walk in the footsteps of an artistic great. Even though my parents are neutral about art and weren’t big Monet fans, they genuinely appreciated the garden, which was everything Monet hoped it would be.

If you can appreciate a gorgeous outdoor space and gardens, then, chances are, you’ll enjoy Giverny. While it was a delightful visit, I read online that picnics are not allowed in Giverny. So although you may like to sit there and enjoy some baguette and cheese, try not to 😉

In conclusion, I think Giverny is well worth a visit as a half day trip from Paris. If you have the time to spare on your Parisian or French vacation, soak up some culture and visit the place that inspired so many great works of art.

For other art themed trips:

• Visit famous Van Gogh sites in France and Netherlands!
• Love art nouveau? Then you’d love Brno, Czech Republic!
• Or visit the National Galleries in Scotland for free!

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

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