The 1 thing you need to see in 30 museums around the world
THE LOUVRE, PARIS, FRANCE: While this museum is most famous for Leonardo DaVinci's "Mona Lisa," the painting is super small in real life, fenced off by a velvet rope, and really crowded. Instead, check out "The Wedding at Cana," by Paolo Veronese, a fine example of Renaissance art and located directly across from the "Mona Lisa."
THE VATICAN MUSEUMS, VATICAN CITY: For the best sight in The Vatican, all you have to do is look up. That's where you will find Michelangelo's "Sistine Chapel."
ACROPOLIS MUSEUM, ATHENS, GREECE: Check out the Parthenon Frieze at the Parthenon Gallery. It once decorated the sides of the Parthenon.
BRITISH MUSEUM, LONDON, UK: If you can't make it to Athens, then the British Museum's collection of Greek antiquities, including a reconstruction of the Nereid Monument, will do the trick.
NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON, UK: One of the most visited art museums in the world, the gallery's must-see work is Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" series.
MUSEE DE L'ORANGERIE, PARIS, FRANCE: Claude Monet's "Water Lilies," which fill an entire circular room, were meant to provide a peaceful escape from city life. They still do.
MUSEE D'ORSAY, PARIS, FRANCE: Even in a place that's full of Van Gogh's masterpieces, the beautiful centerpiece clock of Paris' Musee d'Orsay simply cannot be missed.
RIJKSMUSEUM, AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS: Johannes Vermeer was one of the great Dutch artists. His work is prominently displayed at Rijksmuseum. "The Milkmaid," a simple yet beautiful portrayal of ordinary life in the 17th century, hangs in the museum.
ACCADEMIA GALLERY, FLORENCE, ITALY: Not only was Michelangelo an amazing painter, he was also the premier sculptor of the Renaissance. His "David," a marble tribute to the Biblical hero, still stands tall in Florence today.
SMITHSONIAN, WASHINGTON, D.C.: If you're a pop-culture junkie, you'll want to check out the Smithsonian's hall of film and TV artifacts, like Dorothy's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz."
EGYPTIAN MUSEUM, CAIRO, EGYPT: When King Tut's tomb was discovered, it sparked a renewed interest in Ancient Egypt. King Tut's gold mask is the crown jewel of the Egyptian Museum.
MUSEO REINA SOFIA, MADRID, SPAIN: Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" portrays the bombing of a village during the Spanish Civil War. After years of contention, the mural can finally be viewed in its home country.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART, LOS ANGELES: The Urban Light installation at LACMA consists of restored street lamps from the 1920s and 1930s.
UFFIZI GALLERY, FLORENCE, ITALY: Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance, and today displays the era's finest artwork. You'll find no better example of the time than Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus."
PERGAMON MUSEUM, BERLIN, GERMANY: The best of Berlin's Museum Island is a reconstruction of Ishtar Gate, the first thing you would have seen upon entering the ancient city of Babylon.
YAD VASHEM, JERUSALEM, ISRAEL: The Hall of Names in Israel's Holocaust Museum is an overwhelming and moving tribute to the millions of Jews who were murdered during WWII.
MOMA, NEW YORK: Vincent van Gogh's "Starry Night" hangs in the Museum of Modern Art. This painting has been replicated in many forms, but there's nothing quite like seeing the real thing.
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, NEW YORK: Walk through halls full of dinosaur bones and dioramas until you get to the eerily life-like "Blue Whale."
ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, CHICAGO: If you've seen "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," then you probably remember seeing "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte."
MUSEO NACIONAL DEL PRADO, MADRID, SPAIN: "The Colossus" by Francisco Goya was a huge influence on director Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim."
Source: The Huffington Post
STATE HERMITAGE, ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA: Be sure to visit the Russian art museum's gorgeous state rooms.
PALACE MUSEUM, BEIJING, CHINA: The Forbidden City, which houses the Palace Museum, the most-visited museum in the world, is an incredible sight to behold in and of itself, but the best part is the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: The 10-story Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda, constructed in 1348, is considered a Korean national treasure.
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK: The Met is worth spending a whole day at, but the incredible "The Temple of Dendur" will transport you to another era.
THE MUSEUM OF QIN TERRA-COTTA WARRIORS AND HORSES, XIAN, CHINA: See the incredible Terracotta Army that surrounds Emperor Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. They were meant to guard him in the afterlife.
GOLD MUSEUM, BOGOTA, COLOMBIA: Colombia's most famous museum holds a literal embarrassment of riches. Among the most interesting is the Golden Sea Snail.
HAGIA SOPHIA MUSEUM, ISTANBUL, TURKEY: The interior of the Hagia Sophia, which contains both Christian and Muslim imagery, is unlike any house of worship you've ever seen. Make sure to look up and see the beautiful, round Great Calligraphic Panes.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY, MEXICO CITY, MEXICO: The Aztec Sunstone contained the ancient civilization's calendar, and is a must-see. It's also much bigger in person.
GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO, SPAIN: Designed by Frank Gehry, the exterior of the museum itself is a work of art. You don't even have to go inside, because another must-see is Jeff Koons' "Puppy," which sits outside, and takes after 18th century European gardens.
KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM, VIENNA, AUSTRIA: Austria's premier art museum includes "Adoration of the Trinity," one of the most beautiful religious artworks of all time.
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