The best museums United Kingdom

North of Trafalgar Square, the museum, located in a large neoclassical building, houses one of the most beautiful collections of paintings in the world by Western European masters. Divided into four wings, the collections, more than 2,000 works, are chronologically classified: from the 13th to the 15th century, from the 16th to the 18th century and the 20th century.
Among the artists present, we can mention the Italian masters: Botticelli, Raphael, Michelangelo, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio; the Spaniards: El Greco, Velázquez, Goya; the English: Hogarth, Gainsborough, Turner; the French: Le Lorrain, Poussin, Watteau... Even if we advise you to take your time in one of the most beautiful museums in Europe, you may have to go to the essential for want of time. Here is a quick memo of the essentials so you don't miss a thing!

The Husbands Arnolfini by Jan Van Eyck. 1434. Room 56. This painting depicts a rich merchant and his wife, in a bourgeois interior meticulously detailed. While the issue of the wife's pregnancy has caused much ink to flow in the art history community, the curators at the National Gallery tend to dismiss this idea. It is a very beautiful rendering of the play of light and the miniaturization of details (reflections in the mirror).

The Baptism of Christ of Piero della Francesca. Around 1450. Room 66. This panel was the central element of a polyptych. It is one of the artist's first works.

Venus and Mars of Botticelli. Around 1485. Room 58. Mars, the god of war, was one of the lovers of Venus, the goddess of Love. The painting shows Mars asleep and unarmed beside Venus awake and alert, symbol of the Love that overcomes all. This work was probably intended to decorate a room.

The Virgin at the Rock of Leonardo da Vinci. Between 1491 and 1508. Room E. The work is commissioned by the brotherhood of the Milanese Immaculate Conception. If the painting does not seem to refer directly to the Immaculate Conception, it is typically in the style of subjects that Leonardo painted such as St. John the Baptist, themes that were then very popular.

The Burial of Michelangelo. 1501. Room 8. This unfinished painting shows the Christ carried to be placed in his tomb. The painting was a priori intended for the church of San Agostino in Rome and was never delivered. We recognize Michelangelo's style, which is similar to other works of the same period.

The Emmaus Supper of the Caravaggio. 1601. Room 32. On their way to Emmaus, two disciples of Jesus Christ met the risen Messiah without recognizing him. Christ is shown here during supper, when he breaks bread and the disciples realize who he is. Le Caravage innovates in the treatment of the subject, and the intensity of the characters is remarkable, accentuated by their gestures and expressions.

The Rokeby Venus of Velasquez. 1647-1651. Room 30. This is the only example we have of a female nude painted by Velázquez. Venus, goddess of Love, was considered as the personification of feminine beauty. She is shown here with her son Cupid. The work is surely a commission for the Marquis de Carpio, Prime Minister of Spain.

For the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, don't miss Les Baigneurs à la grenouillère by Monet, Les Tournesols by Van Gogh, Le Dernier Voyage du Téméraire by Turner and La Charette de hoin by Constable.

A visit to Tate Britain is a must if you want to discover the great British artists. This museum boasts an ever-expanding collection of British and international art, now numbering over 70,000 works. Make sure you allow plenty of time for your visit. It is one of the four main sites of the Tate.Originally called the National Gallery of British Art, it had only one site and housed a small collection of British art. The project was initiated by Sir Henry Tate, sugar magnate and art lover, who decided to donate his works to the British nation. Due to lack of space, the National Gallery was unable to accommodate this art collection, and so the project was born to create a museum open to the public, including Henry Tate's gift as well as other works by British artists from various collections. In 1892, the site of a former prison, Millbank Penitentiary, was chosen as the location for the new National Gallery of British Art, under the direction of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Architect Sidney R. J. Smith took charge of refurbishing the building, opting for a neo-Byzantine style of architecture, recognizable by its arcades and central dome. In 1897, the Tate opened its doors to the public, displaying 245 works in eight rooms by British artists from the Renaissance to the present day. The result is the most important collection of British art, spanning 500 years of creativity and featuring the work of the most famous artists, including William Hogarth, Thomas Gainsborough, Francis Bacon, William Blake, Frederic Leighton, John Constable, Antony Gormley, Henri Moore, David Hockney... In 1932, the gallery officially adopted the name Tate Gallery. These collections were later enriched by the National Collection of Modern Art, mixing ancient and modern art until the decision was taken to split the collections in two. Renamed "Tate Britain" in March 2000 to coincide with the launch of the Tate Modern, it is also known for its many Pre-Raphaelite paintings. It is also home to the largest collection of works by Joseph William Mallord Turner, Britain's best-known painter (over 300 oils, watercolors and drawings). Tate Britain also hosts excellent temporary exhibitions and organizes the Turner Prize, the prestigious and often controversial competition for modern art.

This vast museum traces the history of London over 2,000 years. Highly interactive, it allows you to discover all the major stages in the city's construction, its evolution, its history and its customs. Following a chronological trail, with a succession of picturesque anecdotes, you can follow the course of history. From the arrival of the Romans to the Black Death of the ^14th century, which killed some 50 million people throughout Europe, including almost half of London's population; from the second plague in 1665 to the Great Fire of 1666, which can be seen in an animated reconstruction. At the turn of a room, a bay window offers an exceptional view of part of the Roman fortifications that once surrounded the City (London Wall). Then it's time for the Victorian era, as a whole district is recreated, with its stores, cobbled streets and you, the onlooker! A splendid 1930s car, surrounded by period dresses, pulls you into modernity, and you're projected into the Swinging London of the 1960s. Plenty to discover! This museum is one of our favorites for its modern, playful scenography.

An annex of the museum, Museum of London Docklands, can be visited in East London, on West India Quay. Here, we retrace the city's great port history, through the renovation of 200-year-old warehouses and docks. A fascinating visit that plunges us into the heart of several centuries of trade, migration and commerce.

A resolutely modern museum that presents new design and architectural innovations every year. Since November 2016, the museum has moved to Kensington, in the museum district. In the abundant permanent exhibition entitled "Designer, Maker, User", you can discover models, plans and videos that testify to the ingenuity of today's designers and the spectacular evolution of shapes and materials. More than 1,000 pieces are presented. We really like the different screens of this exhibition which allow the youngest (and not only) to try their hand at the art of design and to understand its stakes. The section on London transport is also particularly successful. Or the showcase on the evolution of our computers, from the first MacBook to today. And finally, our favorite is this amusing wall covered with objects characteristic of our time, present at the entrance of the permanent exhibition: the panels of the Tube, the famous blue bag from Ikea, our Stan Smith... Have fun recognizing the objects that populate your daily life, and exhibitions also aim to showcase the work of young designers who participate in the Designer of the Year competition. Temporary exhibitions are always sharp and original. And the various themes: the couturier Azzedine Alaïa, the houses of the future, Stanley Kubrick, Ferrari, life in March... Don't miss out on a visit to the museum's shop, filled with design and cool objects.

This is without a doubt the capital's most important visit. Located right next to the famous historic Harland and Wolff shipbuilding site, this attraction traces the history of the Titanic in the city where it was born. The building alone is worth a visit with its light-catching, undulating aluminum facade, reminiscent of Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie, Lyon's Musée des Confluences or the Fondation Vuitton in Paris. Its seductive angular shape evokes the bow of a ship. The museum is almost as emblematic as the Titanic whose history it recounts (4,200^m3 of concrete were poured in 24 hours to ensure its foundations!) For the record, the Titanic Belfast can accommodate 3,547 visitors at a time, the same capacity as the original Titanic and its facades measure 27 meters, the same height as the Titanic from keel to deck! James Cameron himself called it "phenomenal". If you only know the Titanic from James Cameron's movie, this visit is a must to go beyond the clichés, to get away from the romanticism and dig into the concrete reality of this mythical ship. Throughout the nine galleries spread over six floors, the past of the colossus, its construction site, its workers, its challenges and its tragic sinking are all on display. The launch of the museum was chosen for March 2012, the year corresponding to the centenary of the tragedy, which took place in 1912. Since then, it has become an unmissable event for all visitors, but also for the locals, who have thus reclaimed their past and their heritage. A visit here allows for a fun and exciting tour: 3D videos, documentaries, life-size models, rare objects found after the shipwreck, reconstruction of the cabins according to the different classes, etc. An experience that brings the Titanic back to life and will fascinate both history lovers and the simply curious. The museum is truly designed to provide an immersive and interactive experience for the spectators who take the place of the workers, passengers and crew of the famous liner. When the tour discusses the cranes of the shipyard and the height at which the men worked, we suddenly go up to the^4th floor where we overlook the rest of the museum and where the sounds of the shipyard accompany us. When the doors of the elevator open we discover this sentence: "Let's go to work"! The museum sometimes takes on the air of an amusement park with, among other things, the Shipyard Ride, a train that takes us, in the middle of the visit, with the workers to the shipyard. The Titanic is not only a love story, and it is the strength of this museum to remind us of this. The Titanic is above all the story of thousands of workers, of an entire city that gave everything to build it and that staked everything on its construction. The emotions are strong because we understand that all this work, all this genius, all these efforts ended at the bottom of the water. We understand the broken hope and pride of Belfast. The room of the sinking is particularly moving with the distress messages sent by the Titanic and reproduced hour by hour on the walls of the room. The silence reigns. In the last part of the exhibition, we take place in a huge amphitheater and we dive into the ocean in search of the wreck of the Titanic which is revealed little by little under the water. Fascinating!

It is one of London's most popular attractions, attracting no fewer than three million visitors every year. To return to the origins of the site, we need to understand who Madame Tussauds is. This Frenchwoman from Toulouse, whose real name was Marie Grosholtz, moved to London after the Revolution with something unusual in her luggage: wax casts of guillotined aristocrats. Since then, you don't have to go through the guillotine to feature in the museum - fortunately, you just have to be famous! Madame Tussauds museums are now to be found all over the world. Classified by theme, the rooms reveal all the personalities, contemporary or otherwise, of cinema, culture, sport, fashion, social networks and political leaders. These include Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, the Beatles, David Beckham and Beyoncé. For a complete immersion experience, you'll meet the kingdom's most glamorous couple, William and Kate, as well as the entire royal family! The Spirit of London tour takes you aboard a cab to discover London's history. The tour continues with the Marvel superheroes section, featuring a ten-minute 4D film, specially created by Marvel for Madame Tussauds. The tour continues with an immersion in scenes from the original Star Wars films. A visit that will appeal to young and old alike.