The Monet Gardens at Giverny, France
Judging by comments I've received over the years since its first publication in 1986, my description of a do-it-yourself one-day adventure in Giverny, France is just about the most popular chapter in my guidebook Daytrips France Here's the entire chapter, taken from the the current sixth edition and slightly updated with new maps and images.
Click to check it out on Amazon.com: Daytrips France: 48 One-Day Adventures by Rail, Bus or Car--Includes Paris Walking Tours, Sixth Edition
Trip 13
*Giverny and Vernon: The Monet Gardens
A Daytrip from Paris
Born in 1840, the celebrated French painter Claude Monet was one of the founding fathers of Impressionism and a vital force in the modern art movement it led to. After a long period of ridicule and poverty, his talent finally received broad public recognition. Now fairly prosperous, Monet in 1883 created for himself and his family a lovely home surrounded by lush gardens near the Seine, in the tiny hamlet of Giverny. It was in this serene environment that his greatest works were achieved.
Following Monet's death in 1926, the property deteriorated badly until 1966, when it was willed to the Institut de France by his son Michael. Generous donations, primarily from the United States, have made possible a stunning restoration of this extraordinary place. Ever since its first public opening in 1980 as the Claude Monet Foundation, the gardens — along with his remarkably charming house and cavernous studio — have been an extremely popular daytrip destination, indeed a pilgrimage, for art lovers and tourists alike.
Organized bus tours to Giverny are offered by several firms in Paris, which is certainly a convenient way to reach this secluded spot. They have the disadvantage, however, of limiting the amount of time you can spend savoring its enchanting atmosphere. They also overlook nearby Vernon, an ancient town of considerable charm, worthy of a trip in itself.
GETTING THERE:
Trains depart St.-Lazare Station in Paris several times daily for Vernon, less than an hour away. From here take a taxi (or infrequent bus) the three-mile distance to Giverny. It's also possible to walk or rent a bicycle at the Vernon station or elsewhere in Vernon. Return trains run until early evening.
By Car, take the A-13 Autoroute to Bonnières-Vernon exit, then the N-15 into Vernon, cross the Seine and follow signs to the Monet Museum. It is about 73 km (46 miles) northwest of Paris.
PRACTICALITIES:
The Monet gardens and house are open from April through October, daily except on Mondays. Avoid comintg on a rainy day. The Tourist Information Office in Vernon, T: 02-3251-3960, is at 36 Rue Carnot near the church. A helpful website for both Giverny and Vernon is W: giverny.org.
FOOD AND DRINK:
Some good places for lunch in Giverny are:
Les Jardins de Giverny (Rt. D-5, near the Monet Foundation) Creative cuisine in a traditional country restaurant. T: 02-3221-6080 for reservations. X: Mon., Nov.-March. €€ and €€€
Auberge de Vieux Moulin (21 Rue de la Falaise, near the Monet Foundation) Traditional French country cuisine in a rustic setting. T: 02-3251-4615. X: weekends in winter. €€ and €€€
Les Nymphéas (by the Monet Foundation) Light meals, sandwiches, snacks, and the like. T: 02-3221-2031. X: Mon. €
SUGGESTED TOUR:
Numbers in parentheses correspond to numbers on the maps.
From the Vernon Train Station (1) you can take a taxi or bus to the Fondation Claude Monet in Giverny, a trip of nearly three miles. Walking is also possible by following the map, or you can rent a bicycle at the station.
*FONDATION CLAUDE MONET (2), T: 02-3251-2821, W: fondation-monet.com. Open April-Oct., Tues.-Sun. 9:30-6. Admission to house and garden €€, either alone €. Gift shop.
Visits at the Claude Monet Foundation in Giverny begin in the huge Water Lily Studio (photo, above), built in 1916 to accommodate large canvases. The paintings on the wall are, of course, copies; the originals being in leading museums.
Stroll over to the painstakingly restored house (photo, above), surfaced in pink crushed brick with green doors and shutters. Its exquisite interior, looking like the pages from a fashionable architectural magazine, is perhaps a bit too tidy for the home of an artist, but very beautiful nonetheless. It was here that Monet entertained his closest friends, including the French Premiere Georges Clemenceau and fellow artists Renoir, Degas, Rodin, and Cézanne, among others.
The Clos Normand Garden, facing the house, is totally French in concept. Monet loved gardens, and as his fortunes improved he employed several gardeners to maintain them. From here, a tunnel leads under the public road to the famous Water Garden (3), which he created by diverting a nearby stream. This part of the property exudes a distinctly Oriental aura. Much of it seems familiar, especially the wisteria-entwined Japanese Bridge, a subject of many of his best-known paintings (image, left), around which clusters of water lilies float on the pond.
While there, you may want to visit the nearby Musée d'Art Américain just down the road at 99 Rue Claude Monet. Works by leading American Impressionist painters who were influenced by Monet may be seen during the same time that the gardens are open. 99 Rue Claude Monet, T: 02-3251-9465. Open April-Oct., Tues.-Sun., 10-6. €€. Garden café for lunch or snacks.
Returning to Vernon, you will have a beautiful view from its bridge of the town, the Seine and the woods beyond. Visit the 12th-century Church of Notre-Dame (4), noted for its splendid west-front rose window and lavish interior. In the immediate vicinity stand a number of medieval half-timbered houses, lending atmosphere to this ancient settlement founded by Rollo, the first Duke of Normandy, in the 9th century. Stroll along Rue Carnot and Rue Potard. The Archives Tower (5) is all that remains of a massive castle built in 1123 by King Henry I of England. Closeby, in another venerable building, is the Poulain Municipal Museum (6), which proudly displays two paintings by Monet along with items of local interest. T: 02-3221-2809. Open Tues.-Fri. 10:30-12:30 and 2-6; weekends 2-6. €.
NEARBY SIGHT:
The Château of Bizy (7), an 18th-century mansion set in a charming park, may also be visited. Its interior contains many superb works in the Empire style along with Napoleonic souvenirs. To get there, follow the D-181 for one mile southwest of Vernon. Open Apr.-Oct., Tues.-Sun. 10-12 and 2-6; Nov. and Feb.-March, weekends only, 2-5. Closed Dec. and Jan. €€.
Copyright © 2005 Earl Steinbicker
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