“I am in raptures, Giverny is a wonderful place to me”— Claude Monet
Just an hour away from the busy streets of Paris exists a little village named Giverny tucked away in the fields of Normandy, perfect for art enthusiasts.
Giverny is a beautiful painter town where the most well-known artists have lived out their lives, the entire town is like one big canvas you can step into, surrounded by strokes of colours and a rich history that leaves you craving oil paint-stained hands.
I first went to Giverny in 2024 with my cousin and her friend. We took the train, then a bus that took us right outside of Monet’s garden where we were able to see several iconic landscapes that inspired his paintings. Most recently, I went in early may 2025 with a friend. We took her car, bought ourselves sandwiches for the road and drove for an hour listening to a mixture of bossanova and early 2000s pop songs.
We arrived at midday, sat down in a small park in Claude Monet street right next to Monet’s house and ate our sandwiches. After that, we walked over to Monet’s house, touring the garden then going inside. Each flower, each tree and vine was carefully coordinated to appear as picturesque as possible. There was some sort of mathematical perfection to it all— I could take a picture from any angle and it would be breathtaking no matter what!
Next, we went inside. I felt like I was inside Monet’s mind. There were paintings and brushes everywhere and the rooms smelled of oil and wood. Most of the paintings inside aren’t originals so this may just be a placebo but it’s crazy how his house is made to feel like he could come back at any moment and be surprised to find us there, rummaging through his house, uninvited guests who point a strange device at his paintings and keep walking into the next room, only to repeat the strange action. Perhaps he’d laugh at us, get curious and ask to see what we’re holding, 0r maybe he’d be mad that we’re intruding (it is his house after all).
After touring the house, I invite you to walk around town a little and explore the galleries it has to offer. The Museum of Impressionism, Atelier Galerie LETOLIACHA and the Galerie Blanche in front of Maison Baudy are personal favorites of mine. After checking out the galleries, I recommend you get lunch or an afternoon snack at Au Coin des Pain’tre. The dishes are a bit pricey but worth it if you ask me.
If you’re craving a sweet-treat, you can never go wrong with chocolate. Giverny Chocolat by Babzacao is right next to the Au Coin des Pain’tre and their chocolate-covered froyo is delicious, though once again, it is quite pricey for what it is. The shop also sells artisanal chocolates that are a bit more affordable.
After dessert, the best thing you can do is go on a quick stroll and visit Monet’s grave located in the Sainte Radegonde Church, I also recommend you go inside, it is quite beautiful with a lingering scent of petrichor and who doesn’t love that?
After visiting the church, it was time for my friend and I to go home. I really wanted to see Monet’s bust which took us an embarrassingly long time to find. If you came by navette, it stops in a parking dedicated to that. If you walk straight for 5 minutes, you will find it but since my friend and I came by car, we walked around the entire time following Google Maps’ little blue arrow that made us jump into oncoming traffic several times. The moral of this story is that if you came by car and want to see the Monet bust, go the navette parking.
Giverny is truly a little heaven on earth that preserves the rich history of such an important artist. Its love of art prevails still with a huge number of the population being artists with skills waiting to be recognized. This is the perfect place for a day-trip close to Paris though I’d advise you to be careful— you’ll never want to leave.
© 2025 C. H. Gökdemir. All rights reserved.
Cece: Unfiltered 
Leave a comment