For 4 euros (2 for students!), you won’t find a better value in a museum. The Matisse museum is set up in the hills of Nice and offers not only many fantastic works by the artist but a great view of the city too.

Matisse himself donated some of the work found in the museum, as he spent his last years in Nice. There are several hundred objects total, many of them paintings and sculptures, but there are also drawings and photos. The works here span Matisse’s entire life, and a large portion of them are chronologically arranged. Prior to visiting the museum, I was not a huge fan of Matisse, so I cannot say which of the works is his most famous, but all of them are quite stunning!

The building itself is also a work of art. The building is set on a beautiful villa, and the red exterior attracted my eye immediately. Inside, the Matisse museum is bright and airy, with hardwood floors throughout, and several open levels to explore. The gift shop is located on the lower level, away from any of his work, so it does not detract from the atmosphere a bit.

The museum is open every day except Tuesdays–-hours are 10am to 6pm. From central Nice, it is a 20- to 30-minute walk, but it is mostly uphill. Taking the bus is an easy option. For more information, head to the Matisse Museum website for collection information.

The museum is open from 10am to 6pm, April to September (otherwise to 5pm). The exhibition was way to small, the staff was rude and the whole thing was over before it began. Now I can at least say that I have been there, but that’s also pretty much all it gave me. And while you might think that I know nothing whatsoever about art, and be right in that assumption, I brought my mom along, who is really genuinely interested and she was also very disappointed. Too bad! Well, if you are super hooked on Matisse, maybe, just maybe this is something for you. Otherwise, see the parks and the buildings, have a cup of coffee up there, but don’t bother with the museum. At least the house, the olive trees and the ruins are beautiful. This is where the famous Nice Jazz festival is held every year, something I will get back to.

By the way, once you leave the park and head for the bus station, look west in the first intersection. In the monstrous white apartment building just on the other side of the road is where Queen Victoria used to live for a short stint and dabble in painting (told to us by a French English teacher with tons of lipstick on her teeth) just so you know!