For my first trip to Paris, I put together a list of all the attractions I wanted to see, the list was so long, there was no way I could see everything on it in the four days that I was there, but I still refer to it each time I find myself back in Paris.
During my last trip, the Musee Rodin was top of the list (as long as there was sunshine), located just round the corner from the Les Invalides, the museum is in a lovely location. It has a new entrance hall and ticket booth that also houses the shop, and allows access to the Museum itself.
View from the Museum
We paid up and entered the grounds of the town house, which is the same building that Rodin rented as his studio and town home for many years of his life. The gardens of the house have been developed into a kind of sculpture park, using many of his own works and combining them with beautiful plants and trees to create a quiet oasis in the centre of a bustling city. The whole garden is enclosed by a high wall which seals it off from the rest of the city and makes it feel almost like a world in itself.
We bought tickets for both the house and garden (you can do either or both) and strolled around the extensive grounds first. It was spectacular, famous pieces such as the Thinker and the Gates of Hell presented in their own areas, while the orchard at the back houses many of his more personal pieces.
It was thought-provoking, especially the setting for the Gates of Hell, which had been set into one of the boundary walls. Imagining the gates swinging open and all sorts of horrors pouring out wasn’t difficult!
We spent some time at the formal pond at the rear of the gardens, and then wandered around the house itself which housed some of Rodan’s more delicate work. To finish off our fabulous trip we had lunch in the café, which serviced amazing quality fresh salads at surprisingly good value prices.
Tips for the Rodin Museum:
- If you are on a budget or have less time, just buy a ticket for the gardens, they are the most spectacular.
- Have a bite to eat in the café, it’s good value and delicious
- Spend some time looking at the Gates of Hell sculpture, it’s imposing, highly detailed and a great contrast to the beauty around it
- Make sure you get a picture of the Eiffel Tower poking over the roof-line at the back of the gardens. Definitely one of the more unusual ways of taking a picture of the Tower!
