Europe on a budget: see these top museums and galleries for free
Oct 4, 2021 • 2 min read
Stroll great hallways lined with art for free in these top European museums and galleries © trabantos / Shutterstock
Museum-mooching can be a pricey pursuit, but there’s no need to dust the cobwebs off your wallet to enjoy these esteemed collections. This extract from ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼'s new edition of tells you where to see world-class art and ancient artifacts in Europe without spending a penny.
The Prado – Spain
Formerly a royal collection, this feast of fine art is now free every evening. One of the world’s greatest galleries, it boasts paintings by Goya, Raphael, Rubens and more.
; Paseo del Prado, Madrid, Spain; free evenings Mon-Sun.
Schuttersgalerij – Netherlands
One of the world’s only "museum streets", the walk-through Civic Guard Gallery at the Amsterdam Museum mixes historic portraits with a sprinkling of Dutch Masters, some amusing modern artwork and a 350-year-old statue of Goliath.
; Kalverstraat 92, Amsterdam, Netherlands; free.
Berlin Wall Memorial – Germany
This poignant museum preserves the last surviving piece of the Berlin Wall, tells the story of the ghost station of Nordbahnhof S-Bahn, and relates tales of horror, heroism and hope on Bernauer Strasse.
; Bernauer Strasse 119, Berlin, Germany; free.
Bristol Street Art – England
Free-range chinstrokers can enjoy some of the world’s best modern street art in Bristol. In Banksy’s home town, the al-fresco scene is sensational, with public spaces splattered with murals and installations by guerrilla artists.
; Bristol, England; free.
Musée Carnavalet – France
History meets art in this peculiarly , where 100 Tardis-like rooms transport visitors through time, via paintings and artifacts from the City of Light’s illuminating past.
; 16 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, Paris, France; closed Mon; free.
British Museum – England
London’s full of famous freebies, but this , packed with souvenirs accumulated during Britain's years of colonization, is top. You’ll never get around in one day – just come back.
; Great Russell St, London, England; free.
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This article was originally published on August 1, 2016.
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