Musee Rodin

The Musee Rodin is one of the most charming museums in Paris, dedicated to the sculptor Auguste Rodin and set in an elegant eighteenth century mansion with a magnificent garden. Rodin lived and worked in the Hotel Biron in his final years and left his entire collection to the French state on the condition that it become a museum. The result is a place where art and setting are inseparable.

The garden is the heart of the experience. Among rose beds, clipped hedges and tree lined paths you will find Rodin's most famous bronzes displayed in the open air, including The Thinker brooding on his pedestal, the dramatic Gates of Hell and the bronze group of The Burghers of Calais. Wandering between the sculptures with the gilded dome of Les Invalides rising beyond the trees is a genuinely romantic way to spend an afternoon.

Inside the mansion, light filled rooms hold marbles and plasters such as The Kiss, along with works by Camille Claudel, Rodin's gifted collaborator. The museum is far calmer than the city's blockbuster sites, so it offers a slower, more personal encounter with the work. A skip-the-line ticket is still useful in peak season, and there is an option for garden only access if you mainly want to see the outdoor sculptures.

The Rodin is closed on Mondays and is loveliest in late spring when the roses bloom. Take metro line 13 to Varenne, right beside the entrance, or line 8 to Invalides a short walk away. Its location in the seventh arrondissement makes it easy to combine with Les Invalides or a walk toward the Eiffel Tower. There is a pleasant cafe in the garden where you can pause among the sculptures, and the grounds offer plenty of shade in summer, which makes the Rodin a welcome change of pace from the busier indoor museums of the city.