Explore the world of Parisian exhibitions and museums

Paris offers a cultural experience that is unmatched anywhere else in the world. Why not enjoy a break in this wonderful city, where you can explore the world of Parisian exhibitions, with their diverse and exciting topics, and museums such as the Louvre, the Orangerie Museum, the Pompidou Centre, the Musée Jacquemart-André, Le Grand Palais and many more? Staying at the Hotel Université, a few steps from Saint-Germain des Prés, you will be well placed to take full advantage of the cultural riches the capital has to offer. Just to whet your appetite, here are some of our recommendations.

Fabulous museums and exhibition venues in Paris

The Louvre museum

One of the world’s largest museums, its most-visited and some say its greatest, this former royal palace houses a vast accumulation of cultural objects dating from prehistory onwards. The origins of this wonderful collection lie in the 16th century, when it was begun by King Francis I. During the French Revolution the Louvre became a national art museum. Today it holds such masterpieces as the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and, of course, the Mona Lisa.

The Musée de l'Orangerie

Originally built in 1852 and located in the west corner of the Tuileries Gardens, this superb gallery of Impr    essionist and Post-Impressionist paintings is perhaps most famous for being the home of eight Water Lilies murals by Claude Monet, although it also has works by Rousseau, Modigliani, Matisse, Renoir, Picasso and Cézanne, among others. An upcoming exhibition from April 15th to July 13th will display the sculptures and drawings of Adolfo Wildt, one of the 20th century’s most refined artists.

The Centre Pompidou

This multicultural complex and its daringly high-tech architecture is the home of the National Museum of Modern Art, among its many other functions. The Museum holds the largest collection of 20th and 21st century art in Europe, from Cubism to Surrealism to Pop Art and beyond. A retrospective of the work of the controversial artist Jeff Koons runs until April 27th.

The Grand Palais

This stunningly lovely Beaux-Arts architecture building is an exhibition hall and museum complex situated on the Champs-Élysées. Regular exhibitions and events of outstanding quality are mounted here. Coming soon is an exhibition devoted to the work of Diego Velázquez (1599 – 1660), the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV and an inspiration to the later Realist and Impressionist painters. It runs from March 25th to July 13th.

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• The Louvre museum
99 Rue de Rivoli, Paris 1st
Metro : Louvre Rivoli, line 1 – Palais Royal Musée du Louvre, lines 1 et 7
• The Musée de l'Orangerie
Jardin des Tuileries, Paris 1st
Tel. : 0033 (0)1 44 50 43 00
Metro : Concorde, lines 1,8,12 - Tuileries, line 1 
• The National Museum of Modern Art at the Centre Pompidou,
Place Georges-Pompidou, Paris 4e
Metro : Rambuteau (ligne : 11), Hôtel de Ville (lines: 1&11), Châtelet–Les Halles (lines : 1, 4, 7, 11 et 14) 
RER Châtelet–Les Halles (lines: A, B, D) 
Tel. 0033 (0)1 44 78 12 33
• The Grand Palais
Entry at Winston Churchill avenue, Paris 8e
Tel: 00 33 (0) 1 44 13 17 17
Metro : Champs Elysées-Clémenceau, lines 1, 13

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Picture 'Musée de l'Orangerie' copyright holder : Tourist Office Paris - Photographer Marc Bertrand

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Hôtel de l'Université
Distinguished hotel at the heart of Paris Saint-Germain-des-Prés