For art’s sake – destinations with an aesthetic edge

Duomo Santa Maria del fiore and house's red roofs at dusk, Florence

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There are a few cities and galleries in the world that would probably be at the top of an art lover’s wish list to visit if they had the chance. One of the most obvious choices would perhaps be The Louvre in Paris. Not only is it the most visited art museum in the world, but also one of Paris’ most famous landmarks. Tourists from all over the world flock there every year to see Leonardo da Vinci‘s Mona Lisa, amongst many other prolific works of art.

Also on the list would perhaps be The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Tate galleries in London – renowned for their share of important collections. But if you’re looking for other destinations to visit with a rich artistic heritage, and have a real love of art, where else could you go to feed your interest?

Muralists in Mexico City

Unlike many important collections around the world, Mexico City’s most famous paintings are not housed in galleries and museums, but instead painted directly onto the fabric of public buildings – completed as part of the Mexican muralist movement.

The government buildings are a living work of art, thanks to artists such as Diego Rivera, who from the 1920s painted scenes from a socialist perspective; lampooning aspects of US society, while celebrating 20th Century and indigenous Mexican culture in colourful and striking frescoes.

The suburb of Coyoacán also has the Blue House museum – the home of Rivera’s celebrated artist wife, Frida Kahlo.

St Petersburg splendours

With some three million items in total, including what is said to be the largest collection of art in the world, the State Hermitage is one of the planet’s greatest museums. Founded almost 250 years ago by Catherine the Great, the gilded buildings house a treasure trove – including a huge collection of Western European art alongside Russian painters such as Repin.

However, St Petersburg – the traditional seat of both the tsars and the Russian Revolution – is another city where art seems to thrive on the streets, with its remarkable blend of architecture and the open-air wonderland of statues. These include the monumental ‘Bronze Horseman’ statue of Peter the Great, and the satirical version of portly unloved Tsar Alexander III sitting on a downcast horse.

Reborn in Florence

Widely considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is another city where art surrounds you. From the forefathers of the Renaissance such as Giotto, to brilliant sculptors like Donatello, the Florentine landscape is full of squares and statuary – such as the outdoor sculpture ‘gallery’ of the Loggias dei Lanzi – all dominated by the famous domed cupola roof by architect Brunelleschi.

Heading indoors, the world-famous Uffizi Gallery houses paintings by Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli’s much-parodied Birth of Venus, while the Academy of Fine Arts features Michelangelo’s immortal statue of David.

‘Scenes of everyday life’ in Amsterdam

Among Amsterdam’s many tourist attractions are some real gems for art lovers. The magnificent Rijksmuseum is the place to go if you want to see the painting greats of the Dutch Golden Age, with important collections of Rembrandt and the non-religious genre painting of Vermeer – he of the Girl with a Pearl Earring fame.

The city also houses the world’s largest collection of works by Van Gogh. The Van Gogh Museum’s main exhibition charts the creative life of the celebrated post-Impressionist, while there are also works from his contemporaries. Meanwhile, the Rembrandt House Museum shows how the artist lived for nearly 20 years after he made his name.

And if you are planning on travelling across Europe and beyond to visit the world’s most artistic cities it’s a good idea to have the appropriate travel insurance, and to buy your travel money in advance to get the best currency exchange deal.

Issued by Sainsbury’s Finance