Top Museum in London: The National Gallery

Some of the most amazing tourist attractions of London are the magnificent museums. A few of the most famous museums include the British Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the National History Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. My favorite museum to visit was the National Gallery. The National Gallery houses the national collection of Western European tradition from the 13th to 19th centuries. The museum is open 361 days a year free of charge. It is also located in one of the most historic places in London, Trafalgar Square. 

The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square

For any readers who appreciate any type of art, the National Gallery is a must see destination. The museum is massive: you can block out an entire day to visit the National Gallery and won't be able to get through a quarter of what the museum has to offer. The National Gallery's collection contains over 2,300 works with artists ranging from medieval and Renaissance Italy to the French impressionists. The collections are broken up into four time periods: 13th to 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, and 18th to early 20th century. One of my favorite artists whose paintings are frequently displayed in the National Gallery is Claude.

Seaport with the Embarkation of Saint Ursula, Claude 

The National Gallery has wonderful placement of paintings and a great layout structure. Because the museum is so massive, the museum itself is very roomy. In the middle of the day during the museum's peak times, visitors can walk around without feeling trapped and can soak in the history of each painting. During my time abroad, I visited the National Gallery about six or seven times (still not having seen the entire museum), and I noticed that if you sit around the most famous paintings, such as Van Gogh's Sunflowers or Claude's Seaport with the Embarkation of Saint Ursula, a group of young students will surround the paintings, followed by a very informative tour guide. This is a great way to learn about each painting and see the reactions of young students to some of the most influential artists in the world. 

Because the National Gallery takes a good chunk of the day to visit, there is a National Cafe, Espresso Bar, and National Dining Room, which allows visitors to take a break and relax for a bit. Also, there is a gift shop to take back a souvenir of your favorite artist or painting. Every time I visited a museum, I would buy a postcard of a painting that was different and unique. At the end of my trip, I compiled all of my postcards from around Europe and created a book of memories. 

Before visiting the National Gallery, I highly recommend exploring the website for collections that you want to see. Plan your trip to the museum before you go so you have time to see all the paintings and collections that you are most interested in. You can spend an entire day getting lost in the art or looking for the most famous paintings. Do yourself a favor and save time by downloading a map and highlighting the places that you want to spend the most time in. Although it is free and you can always go back on a later day, there are other museums and attractions in London that you don't want to miss out on!