Visiting the best European Museums Online

One of the most appealing aspects of traveling to a foreign country is visiting museums. You can now also do it online. 

The prospect of traveling abroad can be enticing for many. It is an experience that allows for the exploration of a new country, culture and language. One of the most appealing aspects of traveling to a foreign country is visiting museums. Museums provide a different insight into a country’s history and culture, through masterful pieces of art and delicate artifacts.

However, traveling abroad isn’t easy. Not only is there a lot of planning involved. There can also be financial burdens. As well as problems that the world is witnessing today. As the Coronavirus infiltrates borders across the globe, many governmental organizations are demanding that museums, and most public places, need to be shut down for public health safety.

Despite all of these problems, there is a solution: visiting museums online. Below is a list of ten world-famous museums that provide an enriching experience through virtual tours online.

The Tate Britain – London, England

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Located on Millbank in the City of Westminster is the Tate Britain. This art museum is one piece of a network of galleries throughout England. The network includes Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St. Ives, with Tate Britain being the oldest link in the chain. Funded by Henry Tate in 1889, the museum opened its doors to the public in 1897. 

Upon opening, the Tate Britain housed a small collection of British artwork. It has since grown to accommodate a collection of over 70,000 pieces of art. Dating from the 16^th-centruy to the present day and including styles from international modern to contemporary art, the gallery offers a variety of art and styles suitable for everyone. Google Virtual tour.

The British Museum – London, England

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Founded in 1753 and opening its doors in 1759, the British Museum was the first national public museum of the world. Located in the Bloomsbury neighborhood of London, this public institution is dedicated to the presentation of human art, culture and history. Housing a permanent collection of eight million artifacts, the British Museum can be described as the largest, most comprehensive collection in the world.

The British Museum’s massive collection began during the reign of the British Empire. It has been described as a collection of history, with its artifacts originating from all seven continents. Today, the museum apologies for its previous acquisition of artifacts. However, the collection continues to grow, through the use of more humane ways: donations, excavations and purchases from private collectors. Online tour.

The Dalí Theater and Museum – Figueres, Spain

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At the heart of the Dalí Theater and Museum is the building that once housed the old town theater. After being destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, the theater was left in a state of ruins, until 1960. At this time Salvador Dalí and the mayor of Figueres came together and decided to rebuild the theater. Buried in a crypt below the main stage is Salvador Dalí, himself, the man to whom the Dalí Theater and Museum was dedicated to.

Located in his hometown of Figueres in Catalonia, about an hour away from Barcelona, the museum houses the largest collection of Dalí’s work in the world. The architecture of the museum can be seen as a work of art within itself. For these reasons, the Dalí Theater and Museum has been described as the most interesting museums in Northern Spain and has become one of the most popular, as well. Virtual tour.

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia – Madrid, Spain

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Often referred to as the Museo Reina Sofia or more simply the Sofia is the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. Located in Madrid, close to the Atocha train and metro stops, the Sofia is Spain’s national museum of 20^th-centruy art. 

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia houses a collection dedicated to Spanish art and proudly displays the works of Spanish artists Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. Its most famous piece happens to be Picasso’s Guernica. Despite the museums dedication to Spanish art, the collection has expanded to include work from international artists. Google virtual tour.

The Louvre – Paris, France

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One of the world’s largest and most visited museums is the Louvre. Sitting on the Right Bank of the Seine River and serving as a central landmark in the city of Paris, France, the Louvre originally held a collection of only 537 paintings originating from royals or confiscated church property. 

However, since its opening on 10 August 1793, the museum’s collection grew to house nearly 35,000 objects, dating from the prehistoric era to the 21^st-century. Exhibited in an area of over 652,300 square feet, the Louvre’s collection is broken up into eight curatorial departments: Prints and Drawings; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Islamic Art; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities; and finally, Egyptian Antiquities. Millions of curious onlookers visit the Louvre every year to experience the beauty of the Egyptian Sphinxes and the mysterious smile of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” Virtual tour.

The Vatican Museums – Vatican City

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The smallest country in the world is home to the third most visited museum in the world – the Vatican Museums. What once began as a small collection of sculptures started by Pope Julius II, the Vatican Museums grew into a complex array of galleries and museums. With the help of popes Clement XIV and Pius VI, the collection expanded to house the works of artists like Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Salvador Dalí. Some notable works include da Vinci’s “Last Supper” and Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam,” which can be viewed on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Online tour.

The Uffizi Gallery – Florence, Italy

Designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560, the Uffizi Gallery was originally meant to house the Granducal Magistratures of Tuscany for Cosimo I de’Medici. Over time, however, the top floor of the Uffizi became an exhibition of ancient sculptures, artwork and artifacts originating from the dynastic collection. Eventually the house was wiped out, but Anna Maria Luisa, the last Medici heiress, negotiated for the collection to stay in Florence. The collection then formed one of the world’s first modern museums. Beginning in the 16^th-centruy, the Uffizi Gallery remained closed to the public and was only accessible through request. This changed in 1765, when the gallery officially opened to the public, and it has remained that way ever since. Online Google tour. 

The Doge’s Palace – Venice, Italy

One of the 11 museums run by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, the Doge’s Palace opened its doors as a museum in 1923. However, before this transition, the palace was once home to the Doge of Venice. The supreme authority of the former Republic of Venice resided in one of the most popular landmarks in the city of Venice. For years this palace built in Venetian Gothic style has captured the attention of viewers from the outside, but now as a museum, it entices visitors to explore the inside. Google virtual tour.

The Belvedere – Vienna, Austria 

Declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the Belvedere is one of Europe’s most stunning Baroque landmarks. Once used a summer residence by Prince Eugene of Savoy, the museum now is home to the biggest collection of Austria art dating from the Middle Ages to present day. This collection displays more than just a development in Austrian art, but it also provides an insight into Austrian history. Alongside the primary collection are works from international artists, as well as exhibits of the castle itself. Google virtual tour.

The Rijksmuseum – Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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In 1800, the Rijksmuseum was founded in The Hague and then moved to Amsterdam eight years later. In Amsterdam this museum, dedicated to the arts and history of Amsterdam, bounced from home to home. It was first located in the Royal Palace, later it was moved to the Trippenhuis. Now, it has found its present home at the Museum Square located in the borough of South Amsterdam.

The Rijksmuseum is the most visited museum in the Netherlands. It is also the largest art museum in the country, with a total of 8,000 displayed objects. This is just a small fraction of the entire collection housed in the Rijksmuseum, a collection of 1 million artworks and artifacts dating from the 13^th-century to the 21^st-centruy. Among this collection are works from artists ike Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer. Google virtual tour.

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