Impressionist painter Claude Monet chose Vernon, a small village in the country outside of Paris, as his residence in 1883. Here at his home, Giverny, the gardens would become the subject of many of his great works. And you can visit these gardens today, planting yourself in essence in the middle of a Monet masterpiece. This experience is one to enjoy if you are anywhere near the area.
We first scheduled our trip to Paris in the spring and put a visit to Monet’s house high on our priority list. When we had to postpone until October, we considered skipping this, as I thought maybe the flowers would not be worth noting. Thankfully, we went anyway, and the garden couldn’t have been more beautiful, with all the fall colors of blooms. Go whenever you can. You won’t be disappointed!
Your visit will include three parts of Monet’s home: the gardens, the water garden, and the home.
Tour Monet’s Personal Gardens
From the time Monet and his family moved into this place, he redesigned and updated the gardens. He employed a full-time gardener to assure the beauty of this sprawling wonderland. And of course, he painted here, exploring the light and reflection at all times of the day, through the seasons. He created and lived in his own palette. The yellows, purples, and reds of fall filled the garden on the day we visited.
Enjoy the Water Garden
Monet took such pride in his water garden, with its willows, maple trees, and bamboo, that he often received guests here. In his later life, he worked on the massive paintings of this garden, which are now displayed at the L’Orangerie in Paris, near the Louvre.
When asked why he filled the pond with lilies, Monet replied: “I love water, but I also love flowers. That’s why, once the pond was filled with water, I thought of embellishing it with flowers. I just took a catalogue and chose at random, that’s all.”
See the House Where the Monet Family Lived
Here Monet lived for 43 years until his death in 1926. His family included eight children, so you can imagine how full of life this home was for so long. Today several of the rooms are renovated with period furniture and colors to show how it looked when Monet lived here. Reproductions of his paintings are found throughout the house.







Practical Information
Giverny is an easy ride from Paris by train to Vernon. Once in the village, a shuttle bus drives you to Giverny. Be sure to note the times that the bus returns to pick you up in Giverny so you can get back to the train station on time. Giverny is open from March into the fall each year. Check the website for specific dates.
How about you? Have you been to Giverny?
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25 Comments
Oh my goodness!! How gorgeous!!!
Wow, I can see Monet was well to do for his time! Love the gardens. So much to see in Paris. One needs weeks to visit everything that is available. Maybe one of the times we visit our son in Amsterdam (only a 5 -hrs. drive to Paris – Many thanks for sharing the gardens in the Fall with ALL SEASONS and have a happy Thanksgiving!
What a great post. I am planning to visit Giverny in 2017 and your photos and information are first class.
Gorgeous photos, Sharon. Thanks so much for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/11/cana.html
Wow, I can see how Monet got inspiration. The gardens are beautiful. Great photo essay on this post.
Wow – stunning shots!
I can see Monet’s inspiration and muse from al the photos you took of the Giverny gardens
Wow! Such a lovely garden! Beautiful images!
Oh! What a place to go!
Love your images from Giverny. I went this past summer, but I haven’t gotten around to editing my images yet. Did you happen to explore the town any? Or go in any of the nearby museums?
Stunning! I want to paint now too! #image-in-ing
Oh Sharon, this is one place I’ve always wanted to visit. Gorgeous.
Amalia
xo
Lovely image. What a wonderful place.
Wow! Beautiful pictures! I went to Paris about 20 years ago, and visiting Monet’s gardens was a favorite stop on my tour. I remember the gardens being gorgeous. I don’t recall many details about the house though. How could I have forgotten that bright yellow dining area?!?
Thanks for sharing the gorgeous photos Sharon…and good to know that spring isn’t the only time to make a visit to these legendary gardens. #AllAboutFrance
Absolutely beautiful! The colours of the gardens and the riotous blooms, the fantastic house I would love that yellow dining room! If I lived here I’d be inspired to paint too – simply stunning. #AllAboutFrance
Such a beautiful place! It’s easy to see Monet’s inspiration, and we found it inspiring also. Now if only we were painters… 😉 Thanks for sharing your great photos! #AllAboutFrance
I can’t really work out why I haven’t been to Giverny considering I lived in Paris for 10 years and I love Monet….it’s something I must rectify! Your photos are lovely, thank you for linking up to #AllAboutFrance, hope to see you back again, next one is tomorrow!
[…] to explore more of Monet’s life and art? Treat yourself with a visit to Monet’s home at Giverny, just outside Paris. The gardens here were his […]
Absolutely gorgeous! I’ve been to the Orangerie in Paris but not yet to Giverny. Would love to see these wonderful gardens that inspired Monet’s paintings. Tbanks for your lovely pics.
I cannot believe I never visited Monet’s gardens, I don’t know what I was thinking! I’ve already told you how much of a fan of Monet I was, and to see the gardens for his inspiration … well, I clearly missed out. So much colour and beauty, thanks for sharing! #feetdotravel
The first time I visited Giverny, I apparently played a game of pooh sticks here (I was 2 years old). For those who aren’t familiar, pooh sticks is game from Winnie the Pooh involving dropping sticks and watching them ‘race’ under a bridge. Now as an Art History professor, I can’t tell if I find that hilarious or if I’m disappointed in myself for not appreciating the beauty more. Either way, this is a fabulous place to visit and filled with history.
This looks so beautiful! Great post!
Ohh my goodness, what a beautiful garden and what a colorful house Monet had. Thanks for sharing this, next time I will visit Paris I have to see Vernon.
Absolutely stunning! I have not visited Giverny but very much hope to get there one day.
#feetdotravel