The best museums in Europe are treasure troves of wonder and knowledge. The museums across Europe offer a diverse range of exhibits, from ancient artefacts to contemporary artworks. Once you are in European museums, you have the opportunity to learn about history, culture, and creativity. What’s waiting for you is the unparalleled museum experience that caters to every interest. Whether you’re a history buff, an art aficionado, or a science enthusiast, the museums we prepare for you below will spark your imagination and expand your understanding of the world. Each of them is a testament to the continent’s rich and diverse heritage. Now, come and explore the best museums in Europe with us.
10 Best Museums in Europe
1. The Vatican Museum – Vatican, Rome
The Vatican Museum is located north of St. Peter’s Church in the Vatican. It covers an area of more than 55,000 square meters and includes more than 20 museums, including large and small exhibition halls, exhibition rooms, and more than 1,400 rooms.
The Vatican Museums is actually a general term, and it has several pavilions, including the Animal Sculpture Hall, the Etrusco Hall, the Missionary Museum, the History Museum, the Christian Asylum Museum, the Secular Museum, and so on. As one of the most famous museums in the world, the Vatican Museums have a rich collection of art and historical artefacts.
| Opening hours | Monday to Thursday: 8:30-18:30 Friday to Saturday: 8:30-22:30 Closed to on Catholic holidays |
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| Ticket price | €18 for adult |
2. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam – Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam was built in 1798 and officially opened to the public in 1800. At the time, it was located in Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, the Netherlands, and was the royal palace of Queen Beatrix. Later, in 1808, the Rijksmuseum moved to the Royal Palace in Amsterdam‘s Damm Platz and added Rembrandt’s famous painting “Night Watch”.
Today, the Rijksmuseum consists of five galleries: paintings, engravings, decorative arts, Dutch historical objects, prints, and Asian art. It has a rich collection of works of art and historical artefacts and is one of the most important cultural institutions in the Netherlands.
| Opening hours | 09：00 am-05：00 pm |
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| Ticket price | Adult: 22.50 euros Under 18 years old: free |
3. Prado Museum – Madrid, Spain
Located in 18th-century Madrid, Spain, the Prado Museum is considered one of the greatest museums in the world and one of the most comprehensive and authoritative collections of Spanish paintings.
The museum’s collection includes treasures of Spanish, Flemish and Italian art from the 15th to 19th centuries. Among them, the works of Spanish painter Goya are the most abundant and are an important part of his collection. The second floor of the museum is the most important exhibition area, consisting of many small rooms, displaying many Spanish and Italian paintings.
| Opening hours | 10:00 am – 08:00 pm Free on the first Saturday of every month from 20:30 to 23:30 Closed on Jan 1st, May 1st, and Dec 25th |
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| Ticket price | Adult: 15 euros |
4. Naturmuseum Senckenberg – Frankfurt,Germany
Naturmuseum Senckenberg in Frankfurt is one of the largest natural museums in Germany and one of the most famous museums in the world. The museum has a rich collection that shows the changes of the Earth and the evolution of various life forms over the past four billion years.
As you walk through its hallowed halls, you will encounter towering dinosaur skeletons, a diverse array of fossils, and an impressive display of biodiversity that spans millions of years. The Naturmuseum Senckenberg is not only a repository of natural artefacts but also a visionary centre for scientific research and education.
| Opening hours | Tuesday, Thursday: 01:00 pm-05:00 pm Wednesday: 10:00 am-06:00 pm Friday to Sunday: 10:00 am-05:00 pm Closed on Monday Closed on May 16th, 2024 |
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| Ticket price | Adult: 12 euros |
5. Orsay Museum – Paris, France
Musee d ‘Orsay, located on the left bank of the Seine, is a national museum. The museum is in the train station designed by architect Victor Laroux for the 1900 World’s Fair, across the river from the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens.
The museum mainly displays Western works of art created between 1848 and 1914, including paintings, sculptures, decorations, photographs, architectural designs, and other wonderful collections. These exhibits show the incredible artistic creativity of an era in which the masters of realism, impressionism, symbolism, separatism, pictorial photography, and other genres emerged.
| Opening hours | Tuesdays to Sundays: 09:30 pm-06:00 pm, Thursdays extended to 9:45 pm Closed on Mondays Closed on Jan 1st, May 1st, Dec 25th |
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| Ticket price | Adult: 14 euros |
6. Queen Sofia State Arts Center – Madrid, Spain
As one of the largest museums in the world, the Museum of the Queen Sofia State Art Center is a pavilion covering an area of 12,505 square meters. The museum’s collection is mainly concerned with Spain’s artistic style and the context and evolution of this style under the trend of European art.
Visitors are greeted by the iconic works of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí, which embody the revolutionary spirit of Spanish modernism. Alongside these masterpieces, the centre showcases contemporary artists who push the boundaries of artistic expression, exploring themes that resonate with today’s society.
| Opening hours | Monday to Thursday: 8:30-18:30 Friday to Saturday: 8:30-22:30 Closed to on Catholic holidays |
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| Ticket price | €18 for adult |
7. Uffizi Gallery – Florence, Italy
The Uffizi Gallery (Galleria degli Uffizi in Italian) is one of the best galleries in Europe of painting and art. It is in the Uffizi Palace in the centre of Florence, Italy. The Uffizi Palace used to be the government hall, and the Italian name for the government hall is “Uffizi”; hence, it is named the Uffizi Museum.
The Uffizi Gallery has a collection of works by representatives of the European Renaissance and other schools of painting, such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Tintoretto, Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyke, etc. In addition, the Uffizi Gallery has a collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures. For art lovers, the Uffizi Gallery is undoubtedly one of the most unique and spectacular museums in the heart of Florence.
| Opening hours | Monday to Thursday: 8:30-18:30 Friday to Saturday: 8:30-22:30 Closed to on Catholic holidays |
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| Ticket price | €18 for adult |
8. The Louvre – Paris, France
The Louvre (French: Musee du Louvre) is located on the north bank of the Seine River in central Paris, France. It is the first of the four major best museums in the world. Originally built in 1204, the Louvre was once the royal palace of France, inhabited by 50 French kings and queens. Besides, it is one of the most precious buildings of the French classical period.
The Louvre is famous for its rich collection of classical paintings and sculptures. Among the many art treasures on display, the most famous are the statue of Venus, the oil painting of Mona Lisa and the stone carving of the Goddess of Victory. These works, with their noble and beautiful artistic value, attract people from all over the world to visit, appreciate, and leave a deep impression.
| Opening hours | 09:00 am – 06:00 pm; closed every Tuesday Jan 1st, May 1st, Aug 15th, Dec 25th and other public holidays are not open to the public |
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| Ticket price | 17 euros for adult Notice: booking tickets online 10 days in advance |
| Website | https://www.louvre.fr/en/ |
9. The Hermitage Museum – Moscow, Russia
The Hermitage Museum was originally the private palace of Empress Catherine II of Russia. In the 18th century, a lot of valuable paintings were collected from Berlin. The works were kept in the Hermitage wing, inspired by the old French “hermit,” meaning “hidden palace,” and designed by the French architect Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe.
Known as Winter Palace, it is one of the greatest museums in the world, along with the Louvre, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today, the Hermitage Museum has become one of the world’s most famous art halls. It collects many precious cultural relics and works of art and shows many masterpieces in human history, allowing visitors to appreciate the charm of art and culture.
| Opening hours | Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday: 10:30 am-05:00 pm Wednesday and Friday: 10:30 am-09:00 pm Closed on Monday |
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| Ticket price | Foreign tourists: 700 rubles Domestic tourists: 500 rubles student: 300 rubles The third Thursday of each month and December 7 are free days |
| Website | https://www.hermitagemuseum.org/ |
The British Museum, founded in 1753, was officially opened to the public on 15 January 1759. As one of the world’s oldest and largest comprehensive museums, the British Museum is also one of the four major museums in the world.
The museum contains many cultural relics and treasures from all over the world, as well as the manuscripts of many great scientists, and its collection is rich and diverse, which is called the largest museum in the world. According to incomplete statistics, the British Museum currently has more than 8 million pieces in its collection.
| Opening hours | Monday to Sunday: 10:00 am – 05:00 pm (last entry before 04:00 pm) Closed on December 24th-26th |
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| Ticket price | Free Notice: The British Museum has a limit on the number of visitors. Please reserve tickets in advance |
| Website | https://www.britishmuseum.org |
Tips to Visit Famous Museums in Europe
Europe’s museum scene is truly unparalleled. Priceless treasures, such as paintings, sculptures, historical collections, or religious artefacts, are on display across the continent. If you don’t need to study the exhibits like the professionals, here is some excellent advice for enhancing your museum trips.
- Before visiting the best museums in Europe, you can check the museum’s website, study the map, and learn about the context to enhance your museum experience.
- Connect details about the artist’s life and the story of their work can enrich your visit.
- Head straight to the top attractions first to conserve energy for crowd-facing masterpieces like the “Mona Lisa” and “David”. If you have energy left, explore more exhibits.
- Listen to nearby tour guides for free. Before leaving, check out the gift shop and the postcard rack to make sure you didn’t miss anything.
- If you are a student studying in Europe, make sure you have accessible student accommodations for your trip to the museums you must see so that you can save more energy on the journey to museums.
Conclusion
The best museums in Europe are beacons of cultural heritage, scientific discovery, and artistic brilliance. From this blog, you can learn more specific information about each museum we mentioned above, including the opening hours, ticket price and the introduction. These museums are not merely repositories of artefacts and artworks. Moreover, they are dynamic spaces that foster education, inspire creativity, and promote a deeper understanding of our shared history and human endeavour. A visit to any of these famous museums is an educational journey and a profound voyage of personal and collective enlightenment.
FAQ
What is the number one museum in Europe?
The Louvre
Home to thousands of works ranging from antiquities to the most esteemed masterpieces of the Renaissance, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and the ancient Greek statue “Venus de Milo,” the Louvre offers an unparalleled journey through time and culture.
Which city has the most museums in Europe?
Berlin
Berlin, the capital of Germany, has over 170 museums, making it the city with the most museums in Europe. From the world-renowned Pergamon Museum to the innovative Museum of the Future, Berlin’s museum landscape offers a rich tapestry of history, art, and science, providing endless learning opportunities and inspiring experiences.
What are the best museums in the uk?
The British Museum and the National Gallery in London feature extensive collections
The Science Museum and the Natural History Museum offer interactive exhibits and captivating displays.
The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh are must-visit destinations.
