Best Artistic Cities

London is one of the best artistic cities in the world. It is home to some of the world’s best art galleries and museums, and in hip spots like Shoreditch, it allows young up-and-coming artists to showcase their talent. One of your first stops has to be the Tate Modern, the converted power station is the place to go to find artwork by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. You can get a private tour, or a kid-friendly tour depending on who your travel companions are.

The Victoria & Albert Museum in Kensington is such a diverse museum that unites fashion, art and culture. You can find beautiful sculptures as well as temporary exhibitions about a wide variety of topics. It’s the largest arts and design museum in the world, and the building is just majestic! 

If you want to get artistic yourself, then fear not! London has plenty of activities for you to get stuck in! Knit With Attitude offers workshops to up your knitting game. Or get involved with printing at the Print Club London, where you can learn to print your own t-shirts, posters and tote bags.

With over 1000 galleries across the city, it is hardly surprising that Paris made our list. It is one of the world’s best artistic cities thanks to the Louvre Museum, home to Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. A short walk from Paris’ iconic museum is the Centre Pompidou, known for its wacky exterior. Each color has its purpose – blue is for air flow, yellow for electricity, green for water circuits and red for escalators and lifts for the public. The gallery is full of the world’s finest artwork – you can see Frida Kahlo’s The Frame and Henri Matisse’s La Blouse Roumaine. But you can also find more modern artists, notably artworks created between the 1990s and the present day.

If you are obsessed with sculptures, then the Rodin Museum will also have to be explored. You can see Rodin’s best work in this beautiful and decadent museum, including the world-renowned The Thinker. You can find this masterpiece in the museum’s lush green gardens. It represents Dante, leaning forward to observe the circles of Hell, while reflecting on his work.

New York is another dream destination for the art lovers out there. The Guggenheim Museum is one of the many reasons why it is one of the world’s best artistic cities. It is the most notorious of all the museums, for its modern and simple decor. It is even listed as a UNESCO heritage site! Here, regular exhibitions take place so you can discover artists old and new. And when we say art, we don’t just mean paintings, but sculptures and even video, proving that Guggenheim has a diverse range of pieces to show you.

Another famous museum in the city is the Brooklyn Museum, its ancient Roman-inspired structure will make you jaw drop. And in the springtime, it looks stunning alongside the blossom. You can see exhibitions on the world’s leading fashion designers, portraits of politicians, and on relevant topics such as climate change.

If you’re looking for purely modern artwork, then the Jack Henley Gallery in the Lower East Side should be on your checklist. It showcases recent talent and contemporary art that you won’t see anywhere else. They show a refreshing take on art, with limited edition posters and even organized projects that will blow your mind.

Berlin is the capital of Germany and also one of Europe’s capitals for art and culture. It is one of the world’s best artistic cities. Berlin is home to the world’s best museums of art and antiquities, and they’re just waiting to be discovered! It is also one of the best cities to find unique street murals. Urban Spree Street Art Gallery is one of the world’s most influential urban art spaces today. You can discover the city’s street art through exhibitions and you can even attend workshops. The world’s most famous street artists produce work here. So be sure to check out their work before tucking into some street food.

The Pergamon Museum is one of Berlin’s leading museums. It opened in 1930 to house full-size reconstructions of ancient monumental buildings. Tourists flock to see the Pergamon Altar, which was dedicated to Zeus and Athena. It was built in Pergamon, Turkey around 180 BC.

If you are fascinated by fashion, then the Museum of Decorative Arts will certainly catch your eye. You can find anything from the early Middle Ages to the present day. You can see some very impressive work done by Byzantine goldsmiths, and even some striking Art Deco pieces.

Barcelona is a magnificent city with sandy shores and beautiful sea views, but it also has plenty to offer in terms of art. The world renowned Picasso museum is in a picturesque setting and reflects on his formative years. It was opened in 1963 with the help of his friend and personal secretary, Jaumes Sabartès, and decades later, it is now home to over 3800 pieces of his work. Picasso loved Barcelona and felt very connected to the city, which is why the museum was opened here. The museum occupies five palaces on the street Carrer de Montcada, which explains its simple yet chic feel.

If you’re looking for a touch of modernity, then visit the Macba Museu d’Art Contemporani. You’ll love discovering its minimalist and modern pieces, the least recent dating back to 1945. It is an ode to the city’s diverse artwork.

Want to get to know Gaudi? Then one of the best things you can do in Barcelona is to visit Casa Milà. It hosts art exhibitions and performances. The first floor is an art gallery dedicated to showcasing different artists, while the second is a reflection on Gaudi and his work. You can also visit a Modernista apartment with an audio guide and fall in love with the decadence.

If you are a fan of street art, then the Three Chimney Urban Park will be the dream spot for you. There are stunning murals all across the city. Amateurs and professional street artists alike come here to adorn the walls with their latest masterpieces.

Florence is a magnificent city that can be considered as a work of art in itself. Why is it one of the best artistic cities in the world? One of the must-see museums is Galleria degli Uffizi, where you can find many Renaissance masterpieces such as Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus and Primavera. Lose yourself in the artwork and in the gallery’s different breathtaking rooms and stunning architecture.

Galleria dell’Accademia is the home to Michelangelo’s most famous pieces, from his Mannerist paintings to his incredible sculptures. The halls are spacious and unique, and you can even discover artwork and artefacts from Florence between 1370 and 1430.

Palazzo Pitti has everything to entertain the whole family – beautiful Boboli Gardens, and a range of different museums for you to explore. Enter the palace and discover the silver museum, the costume gallery and the royal apartments. Get a guided tour around the Palatina Gallery to learn more about the stunning frescoes and paintings from the Renaissance period.

São Paulo, in Brazil, is one of the best artistic cities in the world thanks to its groundbreaking art and incredible museums. The Museu de Arte Sacra is the home to sacred art from the 17th to 20th century in Brazil, and is based in the Luz Monastery. Discover the works of renowned sculptor Antonio Alejiadinho, and stop by the jewel room to see silver and gold artefacts glistening.

The MASP, of the Museum of Art of Sao Paulo, is the city’s biggest museum and is the country’s biggest tourist attraction. It showcases a diverse range of artwork, from African and Asian art to Brazilian drawings across the ages. Plus, it has an acclaimed international collection of artists such as Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Monet and Rafael.

The city also has a Museu de Arte Moderna, which features modern Brazilian artwork. You can see the artwork indoors and outdoors in their gorgeous gardens. The beauty of this museum is that they feature emerging talent, so you can be the first to discover your next favorite artist!