Monet's House

Claude Monet lived in this house in Giverny from 1883 until his death in 1926, and it shows. He designed and planted the famous water garden himself — the lily pond, the Japanese bridge, the weeping willows — and then spent the last thirty years of his life painting it obsessively. Those paintings are now some of the most recognisable in the world.

The house is a pink Norman building with green shutters and a long flower garden that leads down to the water garden. Inside, the kitchen and dining room are tiled entirely in blue and white Delft, the walls hung with Japanese woodblock prints Monet collected throughout his life. The whole place feels considered and personal.

Spring is the best time to visit, when the wisteria blooms over the bridge and the tulips are out, but honestly it's beautiful in any season.