THERE are only so many episodes of Love Is Blind we can watch on Netflix before our brains turn to mush.
But while we are cooped up at home, we can still keep our minds curious and our wanderlust alive.
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To introduce a little colour to our grey matter, we have teamed up with holiday rental experts Holidu to find top virtual tours around nine amazing European museums.
You won’t have to queue for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa’s smile, or face death by selfie stick at Monet’s Water Lillies.
Instead, grab a front row seat to Europe’s best culture – all from the comfort of your sofa.
THE LOUVRE
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THE Parisian gem is the world’s largest art and antiques museum, holding world-famous pieces such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the 2nd Century Winged Victory of Samothrace.
Unfortunately, it’s also the most popular museum in Europe on Instagram, meaning visitors are more focused on taking selfies with the art than enjoying it, so you are better off seeing it online. See louvre.fr.
STATE HERMITAGE
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NEXT up, we fly east over Europe and land in Saint Petersburg, the imperial capital of Russia for nearly two centuries, which is also home to the largest museum in the world in terms of exhibits.
The State Hermitage collection comprises more than 3 million works of art and artefacts, all of which can be viewed virtually on their extensive online platform. See hermitagemuseum.org.
VATICAN
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NO art lovers’ trip around Europe is complete without a visit to the Musei Vaticani. Located in Vatican City – in the heart of Italy’s capital Rome and home to the Pope – it hosts a grand collection of art and sculpture collected by the Roman Catholic Church over the centuries.
It includes several of the most renowned Roman sculptures. See museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en.html.
RIJKSMUSEUM
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THE name, which you may find difficult to pronounce, simply means Amsterdam State Museum. It is the most important museum in the Netherlands, both in terms of the amount of visitors and the number of works on display.
Featuring art by Vermeer and Rembrandt, the Rijksmuseum is dedicated to the country’s fine arts, crafts and history. See artsandculture.google.com/partner/rijksmuseum.
BRITISH MUSEUM
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LONDON is a cultural hub just waiting to be explored, and what better way to dive into history than by using the resources at the British Museum? It contains one of the most important collections in the world, illustrating the evolution of Man from his beginnings to present day.
Scroll through the ages as you explore art, history, religion, conflict and more. See britishmuseum.withgoogle.com.
MUSEE D’ORSAY
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WE return to Paris for a museum housed in an old railway station that holds the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist works in the world.
The website allows you to feast your eyes on a variety of works from oil paintings, canvases, sculptures and furniture to themes surrounding impressionism and French history. See m.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html.
MUSEE D’ART MODERNE
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ANOTHER treasure of the City of Light, the Musée d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris (also known as MAM Paris) holds a collection of 20th and 21st Century modern and contemporary art.
Browse the online archives to view the works of prominent artists, such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Robert Delaunay, Andy Warhol and many others. See mam.paris.fr.
VAN GOGH MUSEUM
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THE Amsterdam art museum is named after one of the most influential artists, Vincent van Gogh.
Dedicated to the works of the post-impressionist painter, this museum has access to amazing online resources including stories of his life and works and a wide variety of child-friendly information to keep youngsters entertained and educated. See vangoghmuseum.nl.
TATE MUSEUM
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IF British art is your kind of thing, then London’s Tate Britain is the ideal museum for you. Its online portal offers virtual tours around the rooms showing a chronological display of the country’s greatest artists of all time.
Click your way through the collection in order of decade to experience a clear overview of British art from 1545 to the present day. See tate.org.uk.
