One of the most beautiful places i have had the pleasure of visiting in France is the beautiful garden on Monet in Giverny. With such an awe inspiring view its no wonder Monet created such beautiful paintings.
Located roughly an hour out of Paris in the quaint little town of Giverny, Monet's house and gardens are quite the beautiful tourist destination. Here you will find the home that he lived in for forty-three years,from 1883 to 1926. The house is a modest 2 story country home with an art studio full of some of Monet's gorgeous art works. You can also walk through his entire house and admire the different styles of decor from the turn of the century.
For the admission of only $9.50EU you get entry into his home as well as the surrounding gardens, which is the real treasure. The spectacular gardens are split into two sections. Half of the gardens surround the house. This garden contains mainly flowers and is set amongst various paths meandering around the front yard. The second garden, and this is the one your really want to see, is across the other side of a small country road. To access this section there is an underground passageway that leads from the first garden near the house. Once you reach the other side it opens up into a beautiful garden filled with lilies and wisteria surrounding Monet's iconic lily pond and bridges.
The garden is such a beautiful space you will want some time to really explore and see all of the beautiful flowers. Make sure to visit in spring if you have the chance, that is truly the best time of year as you get to see all of the amazing colours out in bloom and really immerse yourself in the subject of some of Monet's most famous works of art.
Although spring is un-questionably the best time of year the view the gardens, its also the busiest. You want to visit the gardens, especially the lily pond side, as early in the morning as possible to avoid the crowds. There' nothing worse than the perfect serene shot with 50 tourists climbing through the gardens in the background.
If your hiring a car, the drive to Giverny is quite beautiful. However, if your relying on public transport your in for a bit of a hassle. My advice would be to take a tour group shuttle out to the gardens. Its a little more expensive but it will save you a whole bunch of headaches trying to find your way there. Most tour companies will do a round trip shuttle with a guided tour (with some even providing a lunch at a close by restaurant for a little extra) all included for around about $60USD per person. They also give you a decent amount of time to visit the house and gardens so you don't feel rushed.
The Grounds are open every year from about March until early November from approximately 9am to 6pm and are definitely worth the visit. While you are visiting, Don't forget to visit the gift shop when you leave to take home your very own Monet print (obviously a duplicate - because lets face it, we don't all have tens of millions of dollars lying around).
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