10 Best Cities for Artists and Art Lovers

Many travelers choose their holiday destinations based on the artistic and cultural scene and as a result, there’s been a surge of new museums and galleries opening across the globe. From classical paintings and contemporary art in world-renowned museums, to hidden gems in lesser known galleries, these 10 must-see cities are teeming with artistic energy.

1. Venice, Italy, population 250,000

Arranged over 116 islands in a lagoon, this pedestrianised city of countless canals, labyrinthine streets and wee bridges is one of the most unique destinations in the world. And the fact that Venice hosts the world’s most prestigious contemporary art exhibition, the Art Biennale (next edition is 2026) is reason enough to visit. Every corner of the city is filled with art from the two main locations, the Giardini and the Arsenale, throughout museums, foundations, galleries, churches and palazzos. On alternate years you can visit the Architecture biennale. Aside from the biennale, there is plenty more for artists and art lovers. Great galleries like the Peggy Guggenheim, the Venetian home of the famous American collector, shows twentieth-century European and American art. The Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia has the largest collection of Venetian paintings in the world with must-see masterpieces by Tintoretto, Titian and Veronese. For a break from the crowds, take a short boat ride across the lagoon to the Lido for a beach afternoon.

2. Florence, Italy, population 362,000

Often described as the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is one of the world’s best art destinations. Home to some of the world’s greatest masterpieces, you can see Botticelli’s Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Gallery and Michelangelo’s 17 foot high sculpture David, made from a single block of marble at the Accademia. The Duomo, one of the largest churches in the world with its famous dome, is free to visit and houses works by Michelangelo, Donatello and Giotto. And if you’re keen for a bit of exercise, ascend the 463 narrow, twisty steps to the top of the Duomo for panoramic views and a sense of accomplishment. For contemporary art with cocktails and pizza, head to the glorious gardens at the Four Seasons hotel with an ongoing sculpture exhibition and a lovely terrace restaurant.

3. Paris, France, population 2.1 million

Nineteenth-century Paris was the world’s art capital. The city’s art schools, museums, salons and streets attracted artists from around the world and it was here that major art movements like Impressionism, Cubism, Art Deco, Abstract art and Modern art all began. Today, visitors can enjoy works from these movements and more at museums like the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Musée Rodin, Musée de l’Orangerie and the Musée Picasso. Every art lover must visit The Louvre at least once in their lifetime not just to see Leonardo’s incredible Mona Lisa and the famous Venus de Milo but for the quieter galleries too in the Richelieu wing with works by masters like Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer. For contemporary art, Fondation Louis Vuitton on the outskirts of the city is also essential

4. London, UK, population 8.9 million

As the creative capital of Europe, London is essential for art lovers. The National Gallery, the two Tates, the Hayward and the Royal Academy are just a few of the UK capital’s 857 public art galleries, most of which offer free admission. There are also plenty of lesser know and less crowded art galleries like Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath with a little known Constable, a Vermeer that is too fragile to ever travel and Turner paintings. In town, not far from hectic Oxford Circus is the brilliant Wallace Collection with Fragonard’s The Swing and works by Canaletto, Rubens and Titian. If you’re keen to make an art purchase, time your visit with one of the many art fairs: Frieze, the London Art Fair, Photo London, or 1-54, the only international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora.

5. Lisbon, Portugal, population 567,000

The contemporary art museum Maat (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology) on the outskirts of Lisbon in Belem has a permanent collection of Portuguese art and temporary exhibitions. It’s located in a stunning with beautiful views of the River Tagus and the 25 de Abril bridge. The suspension bridge, that is similar to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, was named after the 1974 military coup that overthrew the authoritarian government and established democracy in Portugal. In town, stroll through the gorgeous gardens of the new modern art center (CAM) at the Gulbenkian foundation redesigned by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. And for more modern art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Armando Martins just opened and has a hotel attached. The museum and hotel houses Armando Martins’ collection of Portuguese modern art and national and international contemporary art and ranges from the late 19th century to the present day with more than 600 works. In addition to the permanent collection, MACAM presents other temporary exhibitions.

6. Madrid, Spain, population 3.5 million

Madrid has three of the most admired art museums. The Reina Sofia, one of the world’s best museums for modern and contemporary art, has as highlights works by Dalí and Miró plus Picasso’s Guernica, made for the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris International Exposition in 1937. Since its inauguration in 1819, Museo del Prado has shown Spanish and international art from Goya, El Greco, Rubens and classics like Las meninas by Diego Velázquez and Hiëronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights, a large triptych depicting the world, with the garden of Eden, hell and the human world of love and depravity. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza has an extensive private collection spanning centuries from Renaissance to Pop Art. For an excellent range of contemporary art to buy, stroll down Calle del Doctor Fourquet, a street filled with commercial art galleries.

7. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, population 933,000

Amsterdam houses some of the world’s most renowned artworks at the Rijksmuseum with a wealth of Dutch Golden Age paintings, including Rembrandt’s The Night Watch and The Milkmaid by Vermeer, and works by Hals and Steen. And for one of the world’s best-loved artists, the Van Gogh Museum houses 700 works, the largest collection of the painter’s work anywhere. Near the Van Gogh museum is Stedelijk Museum with contemporary exhibitions from artists like Mondrian, Warhol and Ai Weiwei.

8. Vienna, Austria’ population 2 million

Beautiful Vienna, once the capital of the Habsburg Empire, benefitted from years of royal investment and as a result has some of the world’s finest art museums. Stunning palaces like the Belvedere are filled with famous artworks like The Kiss by Gustav Klimt. The Albertina Museum has an extensive print and drawing collection, including works by Dürer, Monet and Picasso while the Leopold Museum has the world’s largest collection of Egon Schiele’s work. While you’re in Vienna, be sure to follow in the footsteps of of Freud, Mahler and Klimt in one of the numerous historic cafés and sample the famous Sachertorte.

9. Mexico City, Mexico, population 9.2 million

Mexico City is a wonderful fusion of of Indigenous, colonial and modern artistic traditions. The city is teeming with life with free festivals nearly every weekend and there’s a thriving contemporary art scene. It’s possible to view art from the Aztecs at the Templo Mayor and in the National Museum of Anthropology. And the city is a showcase of the most famous Mexican artists at La Casa Azul, the former home of Frida Kahlo, now a museum filled with her works and memorabilia. And Diego Rivera’s murals are throughout the city, including at the Palacio Nacional and Museo Mural Diego Rivera.

10. New York City, USA; population 8.4 million

New York arguably took over from Paris as the center of the art world in the early 20th-century with influential movements like Abstract Expressionism and artists like Pollock and Rothko and later Frankenthaler. Pop Art followed from Warhol, Lichtenstein, Basquiat and Keith Haring. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) is one of the largest museums in the world, with a collection ranging from ancient Egypt to contemporary fashion. For fans of modern art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is unmissable with an unbeatable collection of 20th- and 21st-century art, that includes works by Picasso, Warhol, Pollock, Faith Ringgold and Joan Mitchell. The Whitney Museum has a stellar collection of American art and The Guggenheim in a Frank Lloyd Wright designed building can always be counted on for its adventurous exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. For art buyers, international art fairs like the Armory Show and Frieze New York are de rigeur.