I have seen many botanical gardens in my life, but none are as enchanting as Claude Monet’s home and garden at Giverny. On my last visit to Paris in September, I took an afternoon to ride the train and visit Monet’s home and it was well worth the trip.
These gardens served as a living canvas for Monet and inspired some of his most famous works. Giverny is a small commune in the Normandy region of France, 50 miles outside of Paris. It is the location where Claude Monet chose to spend the last 43 years of his life and to artistically cultivate the gardens that inspired many of his paintings. Here, art lovers can witness the landscape that enchanted the master painter.
The ticket gives visitors entry to Monet’s home and the freedom to wander its cultivated gardens, divided into two main sections: the Clos Normand and the Water Garden.
The flower gardens in front of Monet’s house are colorful flower beds arranged in a symmetrical pattern, creating a visual feast for visitors. Gardens are cultivated in rows, and flowers grow wild. One can meander slowly to admire the blooming botanicals dancing in the sunlight.
The gardens are extremely well maintained, I noticed that the landscapers discreetly dead stuck every perennial so that every plant produced new buds and bloomed profusely. You can’t resist stopping to snap countless pictures of individual flowers in their most perfect bloom.
Across the way is the peaceful Water Garden filled with water lilies on a mirror like pond surrounded by weeping willows, the same flowers immortalized in Monet’s series of iconic water lilies. The water garden is a very peaceful place to spend time in contemplation and enjoying the surrounding nature. I imagine the pinks are stronger in late spring and throughout the summer.
My visit was in late September, just as the lilies were fading and the autumn leaves were beginning their show, I could feel the change of season in the air.
A visit to Monet’s Gardens at Giverny offers a fusion of art, nature and history, making it a unique destination for those seeking a sensory and cultural experience. It is a place where art and nature meet, where you can feel tranquility and get inspiration from the surrounding gardens.
Exploring Monet’s residence provides insight into the life of one of the most influential figures in art history. Inside the residence you can admire several famous original works up close.
A walk around the interior of the house allows visitors to go back in time with preserved furniture and shades. As in his paintings, every color from pale lilac to cerulean blue to intense yellow is represented in the castle.
The best time to visit is from April to October. How to get there by train? Buy a ticket in St. Lazare in the 8th arrondissement, a train that takes visitors directly to the town of Vernon/Giverny where you jump off and then take a bus or trolley for another 15 minutes to the garden. Be sure to book your tickets in advance before you turn up, there is a time frame when you can enter.
We arrived in the afternoon when it was crowded and I had to wait 45 minutes for the group to pass through to really enjoy the gardens. I would recommend going early in the morning to avoid the crowds. You can spend an hour or two exploring the neighboring village of Vernon or find a bite to eat in the village or Giverny after a stroll through the gardens.
Have you had a chance to visit this special place in France?