Giverny is a tiny village west of Paris which has been made famous by the painter Claude Monet calling it home. In 1883 Monet fell in love with the place through a train window. He found a house there, moved in with his lady-friend, his two sons, and her six children, and stayed until his death in 1926.
Monet initially painted the countryside, but after 1890 when he bought the house he lived in and began transforming the gardens, he began his famous waterlily paintings. He had a water-garden constructed, even diverting the local river to achieve his vision.
Not far from Monet's former residence is the Museum of Impressionisms (Musee des Impessionismes) dedicated to the different forms of impressionist painting. Built into the landscape, the museum mimics the natural beauty of the surrounding area.
Giverny is about 45 miles (75 km) from Paris by road. To get there by train catch the SNCF from the Saint-Lazare Paris station to Vernon, on the Paris-Rouen-Le Havre line. From Vernon you can catch a local bus, taxi or hire a bicycle to ride to Giverny.
