Claude Monet moved to Giverny in 1883 and lived there until his death in 1926. Over the years he built and expanded his gardens and property, creating a pallette of colors that are reflected in his Impressionist paintings.

Giverny is an easy day trip from Paris; here's how to get there. If you prefer, you can take the easy way: a full-day guided tour. More...

Visitors to Giverny can stroll through Monet's garden, the Clos Normand, with its array of flowers that change with the seasons. Monet designed the gardens himself, including an archway of roses that leads to his home. Birds chirp, bees buzz merrily about, and color abounds.

Perhaps the biggest draw of Giverny is the chance to see the Water Garden, home of the water lily pond. You can walk across a reproduction of the Japanese Bridge, covered in wisteria, and view the water lilies and the surrounding willow trees from several different vantage points. It's peaceful (though often crowded) and it's easy to see how it inspired Monet. In fact, after 1910 the water lilies were the sole focus of his paintings.

If you've recently visited the Orangerie and seen the water lily paintings there, you'll feel right at home here.

You can also visit Monet's pink house, which includes some original furnishings, reproductions of some of Monet's paintings, many Japanese prints from Monet's collection, and a lovely view of the gardens.

The gift shop, which features all things Monet, is housed in the studio where Monet painted the water lilies that are now in the Orangerie. Although cluttered with souvenirs today, the size of the atelier reminds the visitor of the monumental undertaking of those large paintings.

Giverny is not just Monet's home. It's an actual French village, with houses, more gardens, hotels, restaurants, and—not surprisingly—quite a few artists' studios. You can also see Monet's grave in the churchyard in the village.

Managed today by the Fondation Claude Monet Giverny, the property was left to the Académie des Beaux Arts by Monet's son Michel in 1966.

Just down the road from Monet's house and gardens is the Musée des Impressionnismes (formerly the Museum of American Art), which offers changing exhibitions of a variety of Impressionist art. It also has a nice restaurant, the Terra Café.

Monet's Home & Gardens in Giverny
84 rue Claude Monet
Giverny 27620 France
Tel +33 2 32 51 28 21

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Above, rose archways to Monet's house in Giverny.

Below, some of the water lilies that inspired Monet.