The Museum Culture of Europe
When a tourist visits Europe there is the never-ending list of interesting things that St Peter's basilica history they can do. One thing the visitor should always investigate is a long list of art museums, and what they have to offer is truly extensive. Plus they are extremely popular. Of the 13 most visited art museums in the world, nine of them are located in Europe. And of that nine, four will be found in London and three in Paris. It is also important to note that these museums are all within easy access of public transportation.
Before we go further we should define the museums we are talking about here. These are museums with any form of art on display and they are taken from visitor counts in 2011. By far the museum with the most visitors that year was the Louvre in Paris, with almost 10,000,000 visitors. Second on the list is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City which had a little more than 6 million visitors. We could probably say that between Europe and the United States there is a real museum culture in both these areas.
Museums are an important part of a visit to any country. They reflect the culture, history, and traditions of that respective country's social fabric. One of my favorite museums that I have visited is the British Museum in London, and one could argue that the artifacts in that great place reflect the culture and traditions of most of the countries that the British Empire in its heyday had ruled. It really is an amazing collection, and if those items weren't housed there and under the protection of the British government most of them probably would be in a location not open to the public. So even though a few countries might object, I for one am glad we can view them.
Another great thing about these museums is the cost of entry. Some, like the British Museum at least in 2012, was free, as are a few others. But the costs for getting in to those that charge a fee, such as the Louvre in 2012 was only $15, and the Vatican museums were $21. Most of us would consider that to be quite a bargain for all they have to offer. Also they will typically have special exhibits that come in for a limited time, and there will be a fee for those. Recently the British Museum had an exhibit on the Aztec culture which was amazing, and well worth the cost.
Art museums of course are only a part of the plethora of museums available around Europe. When you decide to go to any city you will find them to be an invaluable part of that country's culture.