Any tourist trip, whether it’s a shopping tour, a business visit or a simple holiday cannot do without excursions and self-visit attractions. London, Paris, Madrid, like other capitals of European countries, can boast a huge number of architectural monuments and collections of treasures of various epochs.
In order that you don’t get lost in this kaleidoscope of expositions and exhibitions, the TaxFree4U service has prepared a list of museums for you, which are definitely worth a visit, if you get such a case. And do not forget: next to the museums there are always a lot of shops, where you can certainly find souvenirs for loved ones. And TaxFree4U will allow you to save time and effort for enjoying masterpieces of art and technology, taking on all the work on VAT refunds from purchases in Europe. So, let’s begin!
According to polls conducted by the portal TripAdvisor, in 2017 10 most popular museums in Europe looks like this:
1. The Musee d’Orsay, Paris
2. The State Hermitage, St. Petersburg
3. The new museum of the Acropolis, Athens
4. The Prado Museum, Madrid
5. Victoria and Albert Museum, London
6. The National Gallery, London
7. The Vase Museum, Stockholm
8. Louvre, Paris
9. Egyptian Museum, Turin
10. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
You can find a lot of interesting and useful on the web about each of this exhibitions . We will dwell on some of them and introduce you to those that are also worth a visit.
France
Perhaps, one of the most famous museums in the world, in the exposition of which a huge number of masterpieces of art are collected, including Mona Lisa, Venus of Milo and so on. The Louvre is located in the 1st district at Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, but without knowing the exact location of the Louvre palace you will be able to find it. The area of the Louvre Museum is 60,000 square meters, on which stands an exposition with more than 35,000 artifacts and art objects. The underground tunnel leads to the museum from the metro, and on the territory of the complex there are several large souvenir shops.
In order that you don’t get lost, use the brochures: they indicate the most popular art objects, otherwise you will not have enough days to bypass the entire Louvre. The entrance fee is 9 euros (adult).
Advice from TaxFree4U: if you want to see Gioconda, then come in the morning and on weekdays, otherwise you will have to make your way through the crowd of tourists. And be prepared for the fact that before you will not be a huge canvas, but a small picture behind a thick bulletproof glass.
Also pay attention to the Center Georges Pompidou at Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris is usually abbreviated as the Pompidou Center. It houses the largest modern museum in Europe, and next to it — a huge number of boutiques and shopping centers.
If you are interested in scientific discoveries, then do not miss the opportunity to see the collection of the City of Science and Industry (address: 30 Avenue Corentin Cariou, 75019 Paris). This is the largest museum of science in Europe. On its territory there is a large aquarium, IMAX cinema, a huge number of exhibition halls and even a scientific literature library. Also, tourists adore the submarine “Argonat”, which can be seen along and across. Entry costs 12 euros for an adult ticket and 9 euros for a child.
If your journey is not limited to Paris, look into the space town in the territory of Toulouse. In the museum you can independently launch a small rocket, look at Soviet satellites and rockets (for example, the modules of Mir or Soyuz orbital stations). If you like cosmic research, you will like this museum. The ticket costs 21 euros (adult) and 16 euros — the cost of the children’s pass.
With the help of the service TaxFree4U you can not only save time, but also return VAT from the purchase of souvenirs in the Louvre. Enjoy the masterpieces, not thinking about filling in the declarations and queues to the customs officer — this will take care of TaxFree4U!
United Kingdom
London can be called the capital of scientific Europe and a museum pioneer, since the British Museum is the first public museum in Europe. His address is Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG. In the museum’s collection there are more than 8 million exhibits from all over the world and the epochs of human culture. The collection was based on the passion of Sir Hans Stone, who in his lifetime collected 70,000 exhibits that gave rise to this museum in 1834.
The National Gallery (address: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN, UK) is the fifth most visited gallery in the world. What is remarkable, all 2,500 works of art located in the gallery belong to the people of Britain, so the entrance to the complex is free for all comers.
The London Museum of Natural History (address: Cromwell Rd, Kensington, London SW7 5BD) is one of the most famous scientific museums in the world. The business card is a full skeleton of a diplomat in the hall (by the way, around it there are large souvenir shops with a large selection of goods (this is where the movie “Night at the Museum” was filmed.
Oxford Museum of the History of Science (address: Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AZ, UK) is also open to all comers and free admission. This is the first scientific museum in the world, in which a lot of things are collected, belonging to Einstein, Tesla, Newton and other legendary scientists.
With the help of TaxFree4U service you can get VAT refunds from purchases in all souvenir shops of these museums, but do not stop there: the London shopping is waiting for you, and TaxFree4U will help to make it in English economical.
Italy
The Vatican Museum (address: Viale Vaticano, 00165 Roma RM). One of the most famous museums in the world. Here is the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael’s Stantsi. The museum’s collection contains a huge number of exhibits, artifacts, books and other items that the church has accumulated over the centuries. The ticket costs 37 euros.
The Uffizi Gallery (address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Firenze FI). The most famous art gallery in Italy and one of the most important collections in the world of painting. Most of the exhibits from the textbooks on the history of European art can be found among thousands of works in the Uffizi. The ticket price is fixed at 20 euros.
The Da Vinci Museum is named after one of the most important scientists of all time. In it are collected drawings and mechanisms of Leonardo, as well as large collections of musical instruments and books of the Middle Ages. The admission price is 10 euro for adults (7.5 euros for children).
Germany
Dresden Gallery (address: Theaterplatz 1, 01067 Dresden). The gallery is located in Dresden Zwinger — one of the most beautiful palaces in Europe. In the gallery — 50 rooms with more than 10 000 pieces of art. One of the most famous — “Sistine Madonna” by Raphael. Entrance — 12 euros.
The Old Pinakothek in Munich (address: Barer Str. 27, 80333 München) is a large museum in the collection of which there are canvases of Bosch, Rubens, Da Vinci Durer and other famous artists. Entrance — 1 euro.
Spain
The Queen Sofia Art Center in Madrid (Calle de Santa Isabel, 52, 28012 Madrid) is a collection of contemporary art, one of the largest in the world. Included in the “Golden Triangle of Arts”, along with the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemis.
In Barcelona, you can visit the Cosmocaish Museum (address: Carrer d’Isaac Newton, 26, 08022 Barcelona), where you will find a huge number of interactive experiences, three-dimensional images, and simply fun pastime: the museum even has a tropical hall. You can also create hurricanes, sandstorms and tornadoes on your own. Entrance — 4 euros, children are free.
Finland
The popular science museum “Eureka” (address: Kuninkaalantie 7, Vantaa) is a whole city of interactive science in Helsinki. A cinema, a planetarium and three huge pavilions will not leave anyone indifferent. The entrance fee is 22 euros (for children 15 euros).
National Museum of Finland (address: Helsinki, Mannerheimintie, 34). The largest art museum in Finland. Here is a rich collection dedicated to the culture of the Vikings and Slavs. The admission ticket costs 10 euros.
Do not forget about VAT refund!
In order to make your trip not only useful, but also economical, do not forget to use the TaxFree4U service for VAT refund up to 19%. The service operates in 6 countries of Europe: France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Italy and Finland. Visit as many museums and boutiques as possible, and the TaxFree4U service will do all the work for you!