Beyond Le Louvre in Paris

When art lovers think of the City of Lights, Le Louvre springs instantly to mind. Open since 1793, Le Louvre’s collection includes pieces from the Middle Ages through the mid-19th century. A must-see for Paris, Le Louvre attracts six million visitors per year.

Yet Le Louvre is only the first stop of the city’s world-class museums. The unique Beaux-Arts style Musée d’Orsay, located in an old railroad station, provides a setting that is, in itself, a feast for the eyes. The d’Orsay’s mostly Impressionist collection of paintings and sculptures from 1848 to 1914 bridges the period gap between Le Louvre and the modern art collection at the Centre Georges Pompidou.

The post-modern design of the Pompidou, with its glass walls and exterior skeleton of brightly colored industrial tubing, turned the architecture world upside down at its completion in 1971. Many visitors come just to ride the glass-enclosed elevators that lead to a breathtaking panorama of the city. But housed within Pompidou is a superb collection of cubism, surrealism, Dadaism, abstracts and pop art.

Paris is packed with some of the world’s most renowned museums, but it’s also full of hidden gems and a growing contemporary art scene. Several newer venues have rejuvenated the museum trek, such as the Institut du Monde Arabe and the ultra-modern Palais de Tokyo. Perhaps most notably, the city’s latest art trend mixes fresh, new work with live music, dance and performance art. Street artists, “art squats” in abandoned warehouse buildings, and budding underground cinemas and performance art venues have breathed fresh life into the culture establishment. “Le squat artisque” has become so mainstream in Paris, in fact, that many venues are now tourist attractions.

Visitors can even sleep in contemporary art by booking a room through a collective of art-focused bed and breakfasts, pioneered by creative consultant firm Art Process. The firm’s director, Eric Mezan, wants to make art an encounter. Art Process also offers Art Bus tours and a Buzz Bus, which visits fashion and design ventures.

“The tours were created for anyone who is interested in contemporary artistic creation and who wishes to apply it to their own lives,” Mezan says. “Art Process’ art coaches have direct relations with the art and the artists who make up Paris’ art scene, and they share with you their logical, laidback approach to contemporary art.”

Berlin’s progressive art scene

Berlin has become a magnet for cutting-edge art. Its history of attracting foreign artists dates back to the 1920s, but the real catalyst for attracting young progressive artists was the Berlin Wall. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the wall’s concrete slabs provided a blank canvas for West Berliners, and it soon was covered with graffiti and political messages. The colorful expressions on the west side were in sharp contrast to the blank walls of repressed East Berlin.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a flood of artistic talent from around the world has poured into the city’s vital, energetic art movement. Kirsten Schmidt, director of public relations for Berlin Tourism Marketing, says: “Many artists from around Europe and the world live in Berlin, enjoying the low cost of living and affordable studio space, the edgy and creative feel of the city, as well as the very high appreciation for art.”

Art lovers will find a lively and diverse setting in Berlin, with about 400 galleries and 175 museums that are clustered together in different areas and, therefore, easily explored. The world-famous Museum Island in the Spree River is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Home to Nefertiti, the Pergamon Altar, the gold of Troy and the gate of Babylon, Museum Island also offers collections of 19th century art, Bauhaus works and sculpture collections. Berlin is also known for its three world-class opera houses and seven professional orchestras, as well as a vibrant jazz community and a club DJ scene.

The buzzing art world of Berlin still is intertwined closely with graffiti and street art, and it is the perfect destination for avant-garde aficionados. Walking around the city, one literally can bump into art anywhere. American artist Jonathan Borofsky’s 100-foot-tall aluminum creation, located near the Spree, draws a continuous crowd. In other unlikely places, anything from doll installations, huge posters and even live performance art can be found.

The annual highlight is Art Forum Berlin, Europe’s most influential and bold event that celebrates contemporary art.

“It is one of the most innovative, world-class art shows, showcasing a comprehensive overview of the most-decisive trends and movements in the international art scene,” says Schmidt.

In 2007, Art Forum featured galleries from 25 countries and attracted 44,000 visitors. Schmidt highly recommends utilizing the services of a private art guide when visiting Berlin. “It’s a great way to explore the scene; the tours offer a personal, inside view,” she says.

Opera and art in St. Petersburg, Russia

Regarded as a leading cultural center in Europe, St. Petersburg is home to more than 50 theaters and 200-plus museums. Perhaps the most notable theater is the Mariinsky (known as the Kirov Theatre during the USSR). Built under the reign of Peter the Great in the 18th century, this historic venue has debuted some of the greatest masterpieces of the 19th and 20th century ? namely Peter Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and his Fifth Symphony. In addition to world-class opera and orchestra performances, the Mariinsky ballet company is equally legendary, having produced such talents as Anna Pavlova and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

The city’s landscape could be considered a work of art in itself. Baroque and neoclassical buildings of the 18th and 19th centuries line one city block after another, intermittently punctuated by city parks and green spaces. Many of St. Petersburg’s museums are housed in historic buildings; the most famous is inarguably The Hermitage. Its collection of more than three million works of art took 250 years to acquire; the items represent mankind’s ingenuity and creativity from the Stone Age to the 20th century. The Hermitage is actually a cluster of six expansive buildings, including the Winter Palace (former home of Peter the Great) and the Menshikov Palace (former home of St. Petersburg’s first governor, Alex Menshikov).

It would take a person several weeks to fully appreciate The Hermitage, which contains Russian imperial artifacts; Fabergé jewelry; and works by art icons from Michelangelo to Matisse.