There’s no shortage of cultural experiences to be had while visiting Europe. You can spend time sight-seeing at castles, cathedrals and old forts, but nothing compares to walking through a fabulous art gallery reveling in the creative styles of the region. If you’re planning a trip to Europe, you’d be remiss not to check out these top art museums.

1.) Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain 
Even more famous than the museum of the same name in New York City, the surrealist architecture of the Guggenheim in Spain is as much of a talking piece as the work it houses. This futuristic structure showcases modern art and American sculptures that span the early 20th century to the present time. Thanks to its frequent rotating exhibits, no two visits to the Guggenheim are ever the same.

2.) The Louvre in Paris, France 
The Louvre is arguably the world’s most famous museum, thanks to a couple of its most widely known pieces: The Mona Lisa and the Venus De Milo. Housing one of the largest art collections in the world, the beautiful Louvre is also one of the oldest, dating back to 1793 with pieces that span from ancient to modern times.

3.) The Vatican Museum in Rome, Italy 
Comprised of over 70,000 pieces of artwork, the Vatican Museum is one of the largest museums in the world. You can meander through 50+ galleries of religious paintings, sculptures, and photos before finishing the day marveling at the breathtaking Sistine Chapel.

4.) Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands 
Although the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam may be more well-known, the Rijksmuseum is definitely worth your time, especially if you fancy Rembrandt over Van Gogh. This impressive edifice holds over 900,000 priceless pieces that span local Dutch culture to Asian designs, with even a few historical pieces thrown in for good measure.

5.) The National Gallery in London, United Kingdom 
While many prefer London’s majestic British Museum for its expansive Egyptian gallery, The National Gallery offers something most of these famous museums do not: free admission! Located right in the center of Trafalgar Square, visitors can peruse over 2,000 paintings from the 13th to the 19th century without paying a dime.

6.) The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia 
With over 3 million works of art, the six-building Hermitage Museum is the largest in the world and the most famous in Russia. You could spend days exploring the hundreds of rooms filled with art from the Middle Ages up until to now and still not see everything this place has to offer. Although it contains mostly western European art, there are galleries devoted to almost every art style.

7.) Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy 
Most of the finest Rennaissance artwork can be found in the Uffizi Gallery located in the historic center of Florence. Considered one of the most important museums in Europe, this renowned gallery features the work of many brilliant Rennaissance artists such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Bellini, and Raphael.

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