Barcelona and Paris are world capitals of art, science, knowledge and innovation. If you are also a lover of culture and want to discover these impressive cities, here is a selection of the
Barcelona and Paris museums you need to visit. It is now easier than ever to get to Barcelona and Paris with
Renfe-SNCF in Cooperation trains. Travel in the most comfortable, fast and ecological way and open your mind to everything that Barcelona and Paris can offer you.
Museums you cannot miss in Barcelona
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
The first Barcelona museum you can not miss is the MNAC, or
National Museum of Art of Catalonia. This museum can be found at the impressive National Palau de Montjuïc. The building was built for the
International Exhibition of 1929 and
became a museum in 1934. Today it houses some 1000 years of Spanish and Catalan art in a space of 50,000 m2. Here you can marvel at
medieval mural art, the international Renaissance and Baroque, Catalan modernism, and even photography from nowadays. Do not hesitate to ask for more information about temporary exhibitions and activities for visitors.
Fundació Joan Miró
Fundació Joan Miró
Another of the Barcelona museums that you should visit is the
Fundació Joan Miró. This foundation was created
by Miró himself in 1975 and since then is a space of art, culture, dialogue, innovation and reunion. Joan Miró is often overlooked because of the great fame of other
Spanish painters, like Picasso or Goya. But the work of Miro has much to offer anyone who comes to admire his work. In addition, the Fundació tries to enhance the talent of the young painters of the 21st century who wish to make themselves known to the world.
It is therefore a fantastic place to discover future stars of art.
Museu Marítim de Barcelona
If you like the sea and you are a boat lover, you can not miss this museum in Barcelona. This is the MMB, or
Maritime Museum of Barcelona. Here you can see real boats and life-size reconstructions of ancient ships. You can also immerse yourself in the history of the Mediterranean Sea shipbuilding.
This museum offers a lot of themed activities for children and adults. In addition, they do not cease in their research work and dive in archives and chronicles to draw a map of the maritime history of Barcelona and the Mediterranean.
Paris museums you must visit
Centre Pompidou
View from the Centre Georges Pompidou Square
The Centre Pompidou is one of the most emblematic Paris museums. It is
the building that houses the collection of modern art in Paris, and many compare it to the MoMA in New York. The building itself is already a work of art that has been engraved in the retinas of the general public. But inside you can discover
exhibitions and monographs on artists such as Kandinsky, Miró, and Matisse. Since 1992, the Centre Pompidou has decided to incorporate other cultural aspects into plastic art. For that reason, here you can contemplate debates, meetings, cinema, and all kinds of live shows.
Musée des Arts et Métiers
An unmissable Paris museum is the
Museum of Arts and Crafts. This is the oldest museum dedicated to science in Europe. It may sound familiar to you, because it's scenery of the climax of
Umberto Eco's novel "Foucault’s Pendulum". But aside from the famous pendulum here you can see the whole history of human knowledge in terms of machinery, scientific instruments and energy.
The museum is located in the old abbey of Saint-Martin-des-Champs and offers a walk for almost five centuries of innovation and knowledge.
Musée Rodin
“The Thinker” by Rodin
The last Paris museum you should visit is the
Musée Rodin. This museum is located in the house that the artist inhabited during his last years. Here you can see
a lot of Rodin's works, but also other pieces of art.
The walls of the house display paintings by Renoir, Van Gogh, Monet, and Carrière. But the favorite part of the visitors are usually the gardens. This green space is filled with sculptures, some as famous as
The Thinker or The Gates of Hell.
