By With 4 weeks in Fontainbleau, a friend recommended the quaint town of Barbizon as a day visit. Just a 15-minute drive from the INSEAD campus at Fontainbleau, this was a very pretty 3 to 4 hour getaway. Popular in the 19th Century for being the home of landscape painters like Theodore Rousseau and Jean-Francois Millet, this town is covered with art galleries and beautiful art museums.
Discovered by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot in 1826, a generation of young artists decided to “paint from nature” by leaving their studios to work in the natural surroundings. Visit the Department Museum of Painters to have a good feel of what the painters would have experienced at this Inn that was opened in 1834.
Barbizon join the town of Auvers, Giverny and Cote d’Albatre as places to visit for an impressionist adventure.
The Barbizon Tourist Office
Do pop in for a map and a general introduction to the town. The staff are friendly and there are several souvenirs to pick up if you wish.
The Barbizon Tourist Office
Place Marc Jacquet – 77630 Barbizon
From February 16th to November 15th :
Open from Wed to Sun, 9:30 a.m – 1 p.m and 2 p.m – 5:30 p.m
From November 16th to February 15th :
Open from Wed to Sat, 10:00 a.m – 1 p.m and 2 p.m – 5:00 p.m
Sunday from 9:00 a.m to 1 p.m
Musee des Peintres de Barbizon
A 2 story building at the end of the high street, the Musee des Peintres de Barbizon was recommended to me by the Tourism Office. If I only have to go to 1 museum, this would be it. The ground floor consists of the living, dining, and kitchen whilst the 2nd floor gives you an idea of how it was to be an artist living in Barbizon. With the murals on the walls, the 2nd floor showed the living quarters of the artists to gather here for inspiration and peace. Presently, there are various art exhibitions on display.
Musee des Peintres de Barbizon
92 Grande Rue, 77630 Barbizon, France
10AM – 12:30PM, 2 – 5:30PM
La Galerie des Pains
After my visit to the Musee des Peintres de Barbizon, I meandered down the street to discover a charming old-style bakery famed for their croissants. Opened in April 2009, this bakery has a quiet reputation for making one of the country’s finest croissants. I went in for some croissants and was not disappointed.
La Galerie des Pains
70 Grande Rue, 77630 Barbizon, France
6:30AM–8PM
Transport Cost
I booked a roundtrip taxi for Euro80.00
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