Musée Marmottan Monet

The Musée Marmottan Monet is an often-overlooked gem hiding in the residential 16th Arrondissement. Set in what was once a hunting lodge on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne, the building now houses an incredible selection of Impressionist paintings.

When I first moved to Paris and was wandering aimlessly around Passy, I was stopped twice by well-meaning locals who saw me looking at my map, and who asked if I knew about the museum. I hadn’t, despite having visited Paris countless times before. But Passy and its pearls often go utterly unnoticed. I rectified the situation right then and there, and it has since become a firm favorite of mine and my visitors.

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The Musée Marmottan Monet holds some 100 pieces by Monet, making it the largest collection in Paris.

In addition to Monet’s work, the beautiful rooms house other Impressionist paintings by the artist’s friends and contemporaries. These include paintings by Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley, Degas, and many others, as well as the world’s largest collection of works by Berthe Morisot, a master Impressionist in her own right and sister-in-law to Edouard Manet, both of whom are buried in the nearby Cimetière de Passy.

Along with the permanent collection of Impressionists, there are usually temporary exhibitions on the ground floor. Plus, there’s a lovely gift shop too, selling all things Water Lily. It’s a manageable size of museum, enough to leave you spellbound but not so much as to overwhelm you.