Here in Paris I feel like I am in a parallel universe that has so many of my favourite things. I am a self confessed lover of museums, galleries and castles. For anyone who has travelled with me knows I can get lost for hours just soaking up the atmosphere. And today I am back in a place that I truly love – Musée d’Orsay.

We pre purchased tickets which was such an excellent idea. Today is Sunday and you can get in for free. It’s a very wet day, so perfect for a day in a museum. The queues were long when we arrived but we moved through very quickly. The audio guides were EUR3.50 and so worthwhile.

A bit of history about this beautiful place. Lets go back to 1900, a year after the incredible architectural feat that was the Eiffel Tower was unveiled. The people of France were eager to celebrate the turn of the century. They also wanted to celebrate the success of the World’s Fair the year before. So a decision was made to build a railway station on the ruins of the Palais d’Orsay, expectations were high.

The railway station did its job as a travel hub serving western France up to 1939. But at this point train travel was changing, with longer platforms required for new electric trains. Orsay railway station became obsolete. So it was only used to deliver parcels to soldiers and, towards the end of the war, for prisoner transport.

From railway station to hotel and film set before closing down in 1973.

Thank goodness the President at the time, Georges Pompidou, liked the idea of turning it into a museum. Gae Aulenti was commissioned with the interior remodelling of the Musée d’Orsay and the renovation of the building. She would salvage and incorporate the 12,000 tonnes of metalwork and 35,000 m² of glazing.

It was listed as a historic monument in 1978 and inaugurated in 1986.

Everything about here screams masterpiece. There are not only incredible paintings but sculptures and decorative art. Here are some of my favourite spots and pieces.

It has the largest collection of impressionist paintings in the world. There are more than 480 impressionist and more than 1100 post-impressionist paintings. Picking just a few faves has been a bit tricky. It would have been easier to show pictures of the ones I don’t like (haha).

It is easy to get around and there is always a good special exhibition on here. This time Norwegian artist Harriet Backer was featured.

Her story and paintings are extraordinary. At that time, women in Norway weren’t considered full citizens. Amazingly, she became a key figure in the art scene. It is wonderful for me to discover “new” artists like Harriet. Yet another reason to love this place.

We took our time to see all of the exhibitions. We also had a quick break for lunch in the cafe here. How fab to sit with a quiche and coffee (at a pretty reasonable price) surrounded by works of art.

I am here for almost six hours and I call that a day well spent.

For me this is almost the perfect place. It is beautiful, with lots of interesting things to see and spots to sit and listen the audio guide. For me its a must see for Paris, and I know I’m not alone. And why not come on a Sunday when it’s free.