Visitors to Europe often marvel at the continent’s wealth of ancient history, stunning art, and beautiful landscapes. But a close look at many of the best museums in Europe reveals another layer of riches: an unparalleled collection of some of the world’s most famous and treasured artifacts. From ancient Egyptian relics to Renaissance masterpieces, European museums are home to some of the most prized objects in history to the most modern art museums.

Here are 20 of the best museums in Europe, listed in no particular order:

european museums

The Louvre Museum, Paris

The Louvre Museum, located in Paris, France, is perhaps the most famous museum in the world. With a collection of more than 380,000 objects, the Louvre is one of the largest art museums in the world.

The museum is best known for its extensive art collections, which include pieces from some of the most famous artists in history, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Vincent van Gogh; no wonder that the Louvre is the most visited art museum in the world.

the louvre museum

The British Museum, London

The British Museum in London is home to one of the largest collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the world and a large collection of Greek and Roman art.

The Whole collection is over 8 million items showing human history and art over the years.

The museum houses also a large collection of Asian art and one of the largest collections of coins and medals in the world.

The British Museum is one of the free of charge museums in London.

The Vatican Museums, Rome

The Vatican Museums are some of the most famous museums in the world, and for a good reason. The museums are home to one of the largest collections of ancient art in the world and a large collection of Renaissance art. 

The museums are also home to one of the world’s largest collections of Christian art.

Perhaps the most famous attraction in the Vatican Museums is the Sistine Chapel, which Michelangelo decorated.

Vatican City is not only the smallest country in the world but also the only country recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Vatican Museum

Museum del Prado, Madrid

The Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, is home to one of the largest art collections in the world. The Spanish National Museum is best known for its collection of Spanish art, which includes works from some of the most famous Spanish artists, such as Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Goya, dating from the 12th to 20th century.

The collection of Museum del Prado is vast. It has over 7500 items on display and many more in storage.

The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is The Royal Museum of the Netherlands, and it’s home to one of the largest collections of art in the world. The museum is best known for its collection of Dutch art, which includes works from some of the most famous Dutch artists, such as Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer.

The museum is also home to a large collection of Asian art.

Rijksmuseum – Dutch National Museum dedicated to History and Art

The Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg 

The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, is the largest art museum in the world by gallery space.

The museum was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of paintings from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. 

The museum is also home to a large collection of Russian art.

The State Hermitage Museum celebrates the anniversary of its founding each year on 7 December, Saint Catherine’s Day.

Tate Modern, London

The Tate Modern in London, England, is one of the most famous modern art museums in the world.

Tate Modern is an international modern art gallery located in London that houses the United Kingdom’s national collection of international modern and contemporary art.

View from the Tate Modern

The gallery is located in the former Bankside Power Station designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and built in two stages between 1947 and 1963. It closed in 1981, and between 1995 to 2000, got converted into the Tate Gallery.

The museum has the largest collection of modern art, and its the most visited museum in the United Kingdom.

National Gallery, London

The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It houses Western European paintings from the 13th to 19th centuries.

The gallery is home to some of the most famous paintings in the world, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

The National Gallery is one of the free of charge museums in London.

Natural History Museum London

The Natural History Museum in London, England, is one of the largest museums in the world dedicated to natural history.

The museum was founded in 1881, and it’s home to over 70 million items from across the natural world.

Some of the most famous exhibits at the museum include a life-size model of a blue whale, which hangs in the main lobby.

Natural History Museum in London is probably the best Natural History Museum in the world.

Acropolis Museum, Athens

The Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece, is one of the most famous ancient art museums in Greece.

The museum was opened in 2009, and it’s home to a large collection of artefacts from the Acropolis and other ancient sites in Athens.

The museum is best known for its collection of sculptures from the Acropolis, which includes the iconic statue of Athena Parthenos.

The museum’s collections include as well a vast collection of ancient Greek pottery.

National Archeological Museum Athens, Greece

The National Archeological Museum in Athens, Greece, is one of the largest and most important archaeological museums in the world.

The museum was founded in 1829, and it’s home to a large collection of artefacts from ancient Greece and Rome.

Some of the most famous exhibits at the museum include the Mask of Agamemnon, the statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the Parthenon Marbles.

The museum is also home to a large library with over 100,000 books and manuscripts.

During World War II, the National Archaeological Museum was used as a hospital and the artefacts were buried to prevent from damage and looting

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is the best museum in the world dedicated to the work of Vincent van Gogh.

The museum was founded in 1973, and it’s home to the largest collection of paintings, drawings, and letters by Vincent van Gogh in the world.

The museum also has a fantastic collection of artworks by other artists from the 19th century, including paintings by Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, and Georges Seurat.

The museum is best known for its collection of van Gogh’s paintings, which includes some of his most famous works, such as The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, and The Starry Night.

The Van Gogh museum is located in the Amsterdam neighborhood of Oud-Zuid, near the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum.

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, is one of the most famous modern art museums in the world.

The museum was founded in 1997 and it’s home to over 200 works of art by some of the most famous modern artists, including Pablo Picasso and Mark Rothko.

The museum is located in the former Bilbao docks, which were redeveloped in the 1990s.

This contemporary art museum has a unique design, which was created by American architect Frank Gehry.

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is one of the most visited museums in Spain.

National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin

The National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the best art museums in Europe. https://www.nationalgallery.ie/art-and-artists/highlights-collection

The gallery is home to Irish and European art from the 16th to 20th centuries.

Some of the most famous paintings in the gallery’s collection include works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas and Picasso.

The gallery also has a large collection of Irish art.

The National Gallery of Ireland is one of the free of charge museums in Dublin.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The Uffizi Gallery is an art museum in Florence, Italy. It’s one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world.

The gallery was founded in 1581 by Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici making it one of the oldest museums in Europe.

The gallery is home to a large collection of Italian Renaissance art, including paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

Altes Museum, Berlin

The Altes Museum is located on Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin. The museum is part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

The museum was built between 1823 and 1830, and it’s home to a large collection of Greek and Roman artifacts.

The Altes Museum is one of the free of charge museums in Berlin.

Neon Museum, Warsaw

The Neon Museum in Warsaw, Poland, is home to numerous neon signs from the former communist era.

The museum was founded in 2014, and it’s home to over 100 neon signs from businesses and organizations that were closed down by the communists.

The signs are displayed in the museum’s exhibition hall, which is located in a former power plant.

The Neon Museum is one of the best museums in Europe for those interested in learning about the history of communism.

National Tile Museum, Lisbon

The National Tile Museum (Museu Nacional do Azulejo) is a tile museum in Lisbon, Portugal.

The museum was founded in 1972 and it’s home to a large collection of Portuguese and Spanish tiles from the 16th to 20th centuries.

Some of the most famous tiles in the museum’s collection include tiles from the Portuguese royal family’s palace and the world’s largest collection of Spanish azulejos.

The museum is located in the Alfama district of Lisbon.

The National Tile Museum is one of the best museums in Europe for those interested in Portuguese or Spanish history or art.

Galleria dell’Accademia, Venice

The Galleria dell’Accademia in Venice, Italy, is best known for its collection of Renaissance art, which includes works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

Best European Museums