As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to restrict international travel, many wanderlust travellers around the world are craving their next trip. Wouter Vermeulen, GM of Southern Africa for Air France KLM notes that while we are all being responsible citizens practising social distancing, people across the world are finding creative ways to bring the world to them.
“During this time of lockdown, we have seen people embracing virtual travel to their dream destinations. And while it is no replacement for the real thing, it helps keep that travel dream alive. Another way we have seen people bringing the world to them is through virtual tourism! Many tourist hotspots and museums have created interactive versions of their offering to give travellers a glimpse into their unique exhibits,” says Vermeulen.
In a bid to bring the French spirit to South African travellers, Air France shares some top French museums offering interactive tours to help bring the magic of France into your own home.
1. The Louvre
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It’s one of the most famous museums in the world and the Louvre has gone above and beyond to ensure that culture fundis are able to get a dose of its remarkable exhibitions from home.
Through this remarkable virtual tour, travellers are able to explore the many corridors and take in some of the most important pieces in history which sit proudly on display in the Louvre. Pieces like the Mona Lisa, Nike, Venus de Milo and more are available to view with a click of a button.
Visit the Louvre virtually here.
2. The Fine Arts Museum Of Lyon
Lyon is an area of France which is rich in both history and culture and one of its greatest attractions is The Fine Arts Museum Of Lyon.
Housed in a centuries-old Benedictine convent, The Fine Arts Museum of Lyon holds some of the most significant fine art pieces in the country – which is why the museum is often nicknamed the ‘Little Louvre’. Now, thanks to Google Arts & Culture’s new online exhibition, you can view 30 pieces from the museum from home.
Visit The Fine Arts Museum Of Lyon virtually here.
3. Musée d’Orsay
While The Louvre is certainly Paris’ most-famous museum, Musée d’Orsay continues to be one of the city’s most magical cultural hotspots. The museum is housed in what used to be an old railway station and a hotel before it was turned into the remarkable world-famous museum that it is today.
The museum houses spectacular French furniture, paintings, photographs, and sculptures from artists like Renoir, Monet, Degas, Manet, and Van Gogh.
Visit Musée d’Orsay virtually here.
4. The Lascaux Caves
While the French art scene is known for housing some of the finest art known to man, it also offers a glimpse into what life was like thousands of years ago when cave art was still a prominent way of expression.
The Lascaux Caves, situated near the village of Montignac, is home to some of the earliest cave paintings in the world. The cave contains nearly 6,000 figures which can be grouped into three main categories: animals, human figures and abstract signs and gives us a glimpse of what human life was like roughly 20,000 years ago.
Visit The Lascaux Caves virtually here.
5. Musée l’Orangerie
Fans of the renowned French painter Monet are in for a treat as Musée l’Orangerie, which houses the artist’s famous Water Lilies mural, gives fans an inside look at Monet’s monumental piece.
The museum invites travellers to take part in a virtual walk in the two oval rooms of the artist’s world-famous Water Lilies series which was designed between 1915 and 1926 in Giverny – a village in the region of Normandy in northern France where Monet lived and worked from 1883 until his death in 1926. With an incredible zoom function, visitors can get up close and personal to every brushstroke this incredible artist used to create one of his career-defining projects.
Visit Musée l’Orangerie virtually here.
Edited by Luis Monzon
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