Giverny and the River Seine
Presentation
Gardens of Giverny, especially with its water lilies, pond and bridge have been an inexhaustible and major source of inspiration for Monet. Claude Monet nevertheless got inspired by surrounding cities and landscapes that could offer him an endless array of suitable motifs too. He also immortalized moments of family happiness with wife and children.
This full day tour in the French countryside is an invitation into the life of one of the most prestigious impressionist painter.
After visiting Monet’s House/Gardens as well as the village of Giverny in the morning, we have lunch in a French typical restaurant located either in intimate and bucolic place or in a more historical one that worth the visit. In the afternoon we travel by car along the bank of the River Seine in the footsteps of Monet and the special charm that imbues the River Seine. It will be also the opportunity for us to see how Monet transcribes his visions and impressions after what we see in reality.
We offer you exceptional services with a private guide and a private driver. Enjoy a full day immersion in Monet’s poetic world with friends and family!
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What are you going to see?
In the morning
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Claude Monet’s House and Gardens
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Village of Giverny and keys historic places : Hôtel Baudy, the church, Monet’s grave.
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Bonus : discover one atypical art shop owned by inhabitants of the village
Lunch
We made a special selection for you, choose the one you most like! (advance booking retired, do your request when you call us)
In the afternoon
Typical Normand villages and countryside along the Seine river painted by Claude Monet : Vernon, Limetz-Villez, Vétheuil, Lavacourt. (carte)
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Why you will like it
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Private tour for all day long
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Luxury and comfortable car with a private driver
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Pick up and drop off at your hotel
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Friendly and qualified guide passionate by the Impressionism
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Direct access tickets for Monet’s house and gardens avoiding queuing up
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Selected restaurants to enjoy French gastronomy
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Sum up and important information
Opening of the Claude Monet Foundation: daily from 25th of March till 1st of November. 9:30 am – 6 pm, last entry at 5:30pm.
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Time : 8 hours
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Timetable : 8am to 4 pm
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Language : English
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Number of people : as you wish, ideally from 2 to 17 persons.
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Disabled person : let us know so that we do the best we can
The tour progress :
Your private driver and your guide pick you up at your hotel, in Paris or nearby, at 8am. During our trip, your friendly and knowledgeable guide introduces himself and does a quick introduction of what you are going to see and do.
After 1hour and 20 minutes, we arrive in Giverny for the opening to avoid too many people and take pictures of the temporary pristine nature. Discover first the Water Garden which gave birth to the Water lilies series and the profusion of flowers of the Clos Normand. Then, enter Monet’s house where he’s been living for the last 40 years. By the end of the morning, we stroll around the charming village of Giverny to know more about its history and explanations of key places : the Hotel Baudy, the church where Monet was buried and his flowered grave.
To learn more of what you will see in the morning, click here
It’s lunch, make your choice! Link
In the afternoon: we explore the countryside
On the way back to Paris, we discover the surroundings where Monet would paint. In front of landscapes, your guide shows you reproductions of the paintings on an Ipad to compare Monet’s visions and what you see. Sometimes, we amazingly see the exact landscape that Monet used to paint 2 centuries ago!
After this trip, we go back to your hotel at 4 pm with your guide.
What are we going to see?
Becoming really the leader of “plein-air” (outdoor) painting, Monet is fascinated by the atmospheric effects, wind, fog, snow over nature. He will try to transcribe in painting his impressions. This will become his constant quest.
Vernon
Very quickly after arrived in Giverny, Monet plants his easel in “plein air” to get inspired by different views of a small village named Vernon on banks of the River Seine, 4 miles from Giverny. Reflections of this medieval town in the water fascinate the Impressionist Painter. He loves painting the old mill. 10 years later, he is still attracted by the church dominating the peaceful village. (video du Moulin très jolie)
The old mill is a splendid half-timbered monument built in the XVIth century. It is standing on the old pylons of the former bridge (XIIth century).
Limetz-Villez
Still settled in Giverny, Monet sails up the River in a self-made boat always looking for new pictorial motif. In Limetz, he becomes fond of the grand poplars rows that he wanted to capture through changing seasons and hours. He realizes a series of 22 versions between 1888 and 1891. Nowadays, the poplar rows are still there, let’s discover them!
Notes: a lot of Poplars paintings are kept in famous American museums in New York, Boston or Philadelphia.
La Roche Guyon
During the XIXth century, many Impressionist painters such as Camille Pissarro and Auguste Renoir have been attracted by this picturesque landscape. As Monet was living in Vétheuil, he would drive to La Roche Guyon, especially famous for its medieval castle.
On the banks of the Seine in Vétheuil
Before settling in Giverny, Monet lives in Véteuil in 1878 with his family. The village enjoys a privileged location: situated on a ridge, overlooking a loop of the river dotted with wooded islands. Such a characteristic landscape has everything to seduce the artist. At Vétheuil, it is mainly the connection between land and water, the reflections of the landscape in the river that hold the painter’s attention. Monet first represents the houses surrounding the church (he painted 60 paintings in which appears this church!). Changing only the position of his easel, he continues his studies of light and its search for new frames.
The river became a winter subject. The death of his first wife Camille affected Monet a lot. We can feel his deep sorrow in the paintings of that time.
Lavacourt
From his garden in Véteuil, Monet glimpses houses of the little village of Lavacourt located on the left bank of the Seine. Islets where grow up willows sprinkle the river. Monet paints this landscape in 1878 for the first time. He comes back next year to paint a new series of 4 views and then again in 1880 with this painting below. As in Vétheuil, he got inspired by harsh winter always looking for new lights and impressions.
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What is included?
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Cost of the transport
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Remuneration of the guide
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Direct access tickets for Monet’s house and garden
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Entrance to the church
What is not included?
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Extra purchases
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The restaurant
You want to see the paintings : visit the museums in Paris!
- The Marmottan Museum which has the largest collection of works by Monet in the world. There you can admire Impression sunrise (Impression soleil levant), painting which the name of “impressionisme “ is said to come from
- The Orsay Museum hosts some of the greatest Impressionist paintings and among them the Monet Parliament of London and the Cathedrals of Rouen
http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html?cHash=1030a57d48
- The Orangerie Museum which contains the largest series of Nymphéas offered by Claude Monet to the French State after the WWI as a symbol of peace