You are planning to spend your honeymoon in the beautiful city of Paris ? Don't forget to visit the area while you're there ! Indeed, your honeymoon to Paris shouldn't end there and it would be a shame not to hop on the train and check out the small village of Giverny, where you can visit famous painter Monet's home and famous garden. Let us tell you everything about this small village of Giverny located on the borders of Normandy and Île-de-France, and reveal to you the Perfect Giverny Itinerary for a romantic day trip !
What to see in Giverny?
The destiny of Giverny was changed by the arrival of the painter Claude Monet in 1883, who spent the last 43 years of his life there creating two magnificent gardens, an inexhaustible source of inspiration for his painting. Here's your chance to make romantic honeymoon memories to last a lifetime with Giverny day trip from Paris…
Claude Monet's house, surrounded by a fabulous garden, is the place to visit in Giverny! In 1966, forty years after the death of Claude Monet, the house was bequeathed by his son to the Academy of Fine Arts. It was then opened to the public, who immediately flocked to discover the living environment and inspiration of the famous Impressionist painter. In fact, Giverny's popularity means it can get bustling in the summer months when the gardens are full of bright, colourful blooms, but autumn is also filled with beauty with fewer crowds.
After discovering the pretty house, visiting Claude Monet's gardens is a must! After a period of abandonment, the gardens have been carefully restored and are ethereally beautiful. The gardens are divided into compact spaces lined by hedges, creating many little "worlds". Each of the greenery rooms has its harmony of colours and shapes, and there is a central aisle covered with arches bearing roses in season. In 1893, Monet built the water lily pond on the other side of the road that runs alongside the garden. It is accessed today by a small tunnel passing under the road. The iconic waterlily pond, with its small Japanese bridge, is the perfect place for a romantic honeymoon selfie!
Museum of Impressionism in Giverny
Among the other prominent places to visit in Giverny, the Musée des Impressionnismes is also well worth a visit. Opened in 2009, it results from a collaboration between the Normandy communities and the Musée d'Orsay and replaces the former American Art Museum in Giverny. It aims to present the history of Impressionism and its influence on 20th-century art. The Museum of Impressionism has a small collection of Impressionist art but mainly hosts beautiful painting exhibitions directly linked to Impressionism and the Seine Valley.
Other places to visit on a honeymoon day out near Paris
As well as Giverny, many other fascinating and romantic destinations could be included on the itinerary of a day excursion. The Palace of Versailles is easily combined in a relaxed day trip as both destinations are less than one hour from Paris. Touring the royal apartments at the Palace of Versailles is one of France's major tourist attractions. Marvel at displays of the fountains (seasonal, so check when they are in operation first), the Hall of Mirrors, the gardens, Marie Antoinette's bedroom, the Crown Room, and more.