Claude Monet is perhaps best known for his famous paintings of the Giverny water lilies, or Nymphéas, which can be seen at the Orangerie.

Paris's Musée Marmottan Monet hosts the world's largest collection of Monet paintings, including his Impression: Sunrise, (1872) one of the first paintings in this style, which gave rise to the word Impressionism.

This museum is away from the center of Paris, but you can combine a visit with a stroll and a nice lunch in the nearby Bois de Boulogne.

The lower floor of the museum is devoted to Monet's paintings, including views of the Rouen Cathedral, the Japanese bridge at Giverny, the Gare Saint-Lazare, and some of his water lily paintings.

An interesting small exhibit focuses on Monet's vision and cataracts, which plagued him for many years and affected his color perception. His eye surgeon, Dr. Coutela, wrote in 1923, Il voit de loin suffisament pour un bourgeois tranquille, mais insuffisament pour un home comme lui. (His distance vision is sufficient for an ordinary person, but insufficient for a person like him.)

The main floor includes furnishings of the house as well as some paintings by Renoir, Dégas, Gaugin, Manet, and Berthe Morisot. Portraits by Renoir of Monet and his wife Camille may be seen in one of the rooms. There is also a portrait by Monet of his son Michel. Michel donated his father's collections of paintings to the Marmottan in 1966.

The museum also hosts special exhibitions, which are covered by the general admission ticket. The Marmottan is not part of the Paris Museum Pass.

The Marmottan is in the 16th arrondissement, on the southwest edge of Paris. To walk to the Bois de Boulogne, turn right out of the museum, go to the end of the street, and cross the street and you'll see an inconspicuous path. A five to ten minute walk will get you to the edge of the lakes of the Bois de Boulogne. If it's lunchtime, take the small launch over to the Chalet des Isles for a delightful lunch.

Alternately, if you turn left out of the museum, you'll pass through the small Park Ranelagh, with its green lawn, trees, statues, and play areas for children. From here you can continue to the Rue de Passy, past shops and restaurants, and eventually back to the Seine.

Here are the best places to see Monet's paintings in Paris.

Métro: La Muette
RER: Boulainvilliers
Bus: 22, 32, 52, 63

Musée Marmottan Monet
2, rue Louis Boilly
Paris 75016
+33 1 44 96 50 33

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