Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon

Overview

Housed in a magnificent 17th-century former Benedictine abbey on Place des Terreaux, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon is considered the finest art museum in France outside the Louvre. Its 70 rooms span antiquities to modern art across a staggering breadth of European painting and sculpture.

Highlights

• Impressionist Collection: Major works by Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Sisley rival any Parisian collection.
• Egyptian Antiquities: An exceptional gallery of sarcophagi, canopic jars, and burial masks.
• The Cloister Garden: A peaceful enclosed garden in the center of the abbey, free to access and perfect for a quiet break.

History

The Palais Saint-Pierre was a royal abbey founded in the 7th century. Following the French Revolution, it was converted into a museum in 1801 under the direct orders of Napoleon. The building was classified as a historic monument in 1927.

Visitor Tips

• Free First Sundays: Permanent collections are free on the first Sunday of every month.
• The Café: The museum café in the cloister garden is one of the most pleasant hidden terraces in the city.
• Duration: 2–3 hours.