Musee d'Orsay(Orsay Gallery, Musée Orsay, Orsay Paris, Musee Orsay Paris, Musée d'Orsay , Orsay Museum Paris , Orsay Impressionist Gallery , Paris Orsay Museum, Musee d'Orsay Paris)

Musee d'Orsay, hailed as the "palace of impressionism," is where you can admire numerous masterpieces by great impressionist artists and experience the magic of colors and light. On the museum's plaza, six bronze statues represent the six continents of the world; inside the museum, beneath the grand glass dome, natural light filters through the glass and falls upon the paintings, allowing visitors to more vividly appreciate the charm of the artworks and the creative passion of the artists under this illumination.

The palace of art, the holy land of impressionism

The Musee d'Orsay faces the Louvre across the river and currently houses a collection of over 4,000 artworks, showcasing nearly half a century (1848–1912) of artistic creations from 1848 to the dawn of Cubism, including paintings, sculptures, and furniture displays. Locals often say that if you want to admire pre-1848 artistic treasures, visit the Louvre; if you're interested in modern art post-1912, head to the Centre Pompidou; while the Musee d'Orsay bridges the gap between the two. Currently, the Musee d'Orsay has over 80 exhibition halls across five floors, with three levels open to the public. These three floors chronologically display the museum's prized collections. The ground-floor hall primarily exhibits paintings, sculptures, and decorative artworks from 1850 to 1870, featuring masterpieces by numerous renowned artists. During your visit, you might start from the sculpture avenue at the center of the hall, explore the galleries along its sides, and then admire the famous model of the Paris Opera. Inside the museum, you'll notice traces of its former life as a train station—the tracks on the first floor, the VIP lounge on the second floor, and the hotel on the third floor have all been transformed into exhibition halls.

Get a close-up view of the iconic clock at Musee d'Orsay