The medieval Castle of Auvers-sur-Oise (Château d'Auvers), or Auvers for short, is one of the most visited tourist attractions in a picturesque French village near Paris on the banks of the River Oise. The old classic castle, surrounded by a charming blossomy garden, was built for the courtier of Queen Maria de Medici, the noble Italian nobleman Zanobi Lioni in 1635. Since then, the castle has experienced many events, like grand balls and royal receptions, as well as prolonged oblivion. It had repeatedly undergone thorough reconstructions until it became an art museum in 1994. Today, its walls are home to immortal paintings by world-famous artists and the permanent exhibition "Impressionist Vision".
In general, the collection of the art museum comprises more than five hundred paintings by famous French artists of the 19th-20th centuries. You can visit the castle halls during a one-and-a-half-hour multimedia tour accompanied by an audio guide that will tell you about the history of Paris in the era of Baron Georges Eugene Haussmann in 9 languages. Each hall of the museum has its historical interior with authentic antiques, old photographs, and paintings on the walls. Thanks to modern technologies, visitors can not only see the old French roads, houses, and fashionistas walking along the cobbled lanes but also hear the noises of the streets, the voices of its inhabitants, feel the Parisian atmosphere of the 19th century. Other halls take visitors to the suburbs of Paris, to the picturesque countryside, which inspired such great artists as Renoir, Degas, Cezanne, and Monet to create real masterpieces. Besides, visitors can watch the short-length film about the last days of Vincent's life spent in the village of Auvers-sur-Oise. A fascinating tour of this castle ends with another film "The Seekers of Light", dedicated to the birth and development of Impressionism, its followers, and the preserved heritage of this style.