#1 The Musée d’Orsay | Paris, France

The Musée d’Orsay is centred right in the heart of Paris, the city of love. It is filled with romantic masterpieces and alluring impressionist paintings. The museum is housed in what used to be the Beaux-Arts train station built in 1898. Elements of the old train station can still be seen throughout the museum.

This museum gets its reputation as one of the most romantic museums since it houses the largest impressionist and post-impressionist paintings in the world. Works of art from Monet, Degas, Manet and Renoir decorate the walls of the museum. These soft and subtle paintings lull you into a sweet and sensual world. No one can stand in front of Monet’s Lily Pond and not be transported. And Renoir’s scenes of passionate delights in the Dancing at the Moulin de la Galette in Montmartre makes you want to grab your partner’s hand and dance the day away yourself.

Google Galleries

Through the Google online galleries, you can see works from Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin, and Van Gogh. Zoom right in to see the tiny textures of the brush strokes. You can study the gentle expressions on even the background characters’ faces! Getting this close to these famous paintings is something you can only experience online.

#2 Museum of Broken Relationships | Zagreb, Croatia

An art collection dedicated to the end of a relationship might seem like an odd choice when listing off Romantic museums. But the Museum of Broken Relationships is one of the most emotionally resonant places in the world. Whether they are stories of sadness, anger or sentimentality, each piece in the museum tells the story of the power of love. And how it can change your life forever.

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Right now, the entire collection of the Museum of Broken Relationships is now up online. We’ve all experienced aspects of these stories in our own lives, and it’s only in learning from them that we can grow. Valentines doesn’t have to be celebrated just by those in a relationship, but also by those who love themselves. Even if you’re single or going through a painful breakup, there is a sense of community and understanding surrounding you, even in this online gallery. If you are in a relationship, reading through these might be the icebreaker you need to share your own stories. It might allow you to open up in ways you might not expect.

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#3 The Louvre | Paris, France

The Louvre is home to some of the most romantic sculptures from around the world. Whether is the Winged Victory of Samothrace or carvings of Eros and Psyche’s carving by the illustrious Antonio Canova or the famed Venus de Milo the museum is filled with passionate treasures.

You can view the entire museum in 4K through the virtual video tour below! Pause as you go and discuss with your Palentine, lover or partner when something catches your eye – for better or for worse! There is so much to learn from discussing art. You don’t need to be an art historian or scholar to talk about it either. This easy couch viewing is a great way to discover what you love and what interests you. And then once the world opens back up again, you can go out and pursue more of that!

#4 V&AVictoria and Albert Museum | London, England

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had one of the most poetic relationships in English history. Most court marriages are arranged to secure political alliances, so it’s rare that we see a case of true love in the monarchy. Queen Victoria loved Prince Albert so profoundly that after his death, she wore black for the rest of her life in honour of his passing and the overwhelming grief she felt in his absence. She built this museum to honour his memory. He always wanted the people to be knowledgeable and share in the riches of his kingdom. Here, at the V&A, the public can view the treasures of England’s past, present and precious objects from around the world.

Gifts of Jewels

Some of the most romantic parts of the collection include illustrated manuscripts of famous love songs from the Renaissance and sultry sculptures depicting some of the greatest love stories from antiquity. The V&A also houses over 3,000 pieces of jewellery, many of which were given as tokens of love. Here you can look down at medieval love rings, a pendant given to Elizabeth I from one of her lovers and sparkling tiaras worn by princesses on their wedding day. Their fantastic jewellery collection has all been documented online for your viewing pleasure. See what your partner thinks is your style or pick out your favourites piece for a friend as you pretend to be princesses!

#5 The Uffizi Museum | Florence, Italy

The building we now know as the Uffizi Museum didn’t start off as a museum at all. It was once the palace of Cosimo I de Medici, designed by Giorgio Vasari. These two names, Vasari and Medici, are perhaps the two most essential words in art history. The Medici family was one of the wealthiest families in Florence and shaped the history of Italy and art history forver.

Although not famous for paintings, Vasari is whom we refer to as “the first art historian.” He created an almost complete book called The Lives of the Artists. He grew up with Michelangelo, Donatello, Titian, Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael and hundreds more. His biographies are annotated with juicy pieces of gossip and personal anecdotes, which provide a glimpse into these historic artists’ real world. His love for art was unending. The same goes for the Medici’s. Although it might not be love between two people, these people’s devotion and affection for art and artists run deeper and more profoundly than many human romances.

Google Galleries

10 of the museum’s most popular galleries are now on display on their website in 360°! You can virtually walk through the gallery and zoom into each painting along the wall. If you are interested in learning more about a specific picture, then head over to Google Art and Culture Galleries. Over here, you can click on any image that catches your eye. It will bring you into a detailed description of the piece and more information about the artists. They also have a few online exhibitions. One of these walks you through every last detail of Piero di Cosimo’s famous panting “Perseus Freeing Andromeda.”

#6 Belvedere Palace and Museum | Vienna, Austria

The Belvedere Museum was once a vast baroque Palace, home to the ruling Habsburg dynasty and built for Prince Eugene of Savoy. The Prince always loved art and started collecting at a young age. In 1781 the Prince opened up parts of his imperial collection up to the public. Over the years, the state collection grew and grew, and in 1903 the Moderne Galerie was opened as a public museum. Its curator, a subordinate to the Minister of Culture, made sure to acquire art from all different epochs representing a wide breadth of art from Austria’s history. 

But what makes this museum worthwhile on our virtual journey through romantic museums is its collection of Klimt masterpieces. His pièce de résistance is entitled The Kiss and is widely thought of as one of the most romantic and passionate paintings ever made. Klimt was a fiery painter and lover. His favourite subject was the female body, and his works are all marked by intense eroticism. The Kiss depicts two figures joined together in a tight embrace as they stand on the edge of a cliff. Even the shape of the Kiss has suggestive symbolism. The man and woman together form the shape of a phallus – it doesn’t get more on the nose than that.

Google Galleries

Google’s Arts and Culture contains Belvedere’s complete collection of digitized artwork for you to view and read about. They also have an excellent digital exhibition on ‘The Kiss.‘ I was lucky enough to see this work of art in person and was absolutely mesmerized by it. Getting the chance to learn a little bit more about the painting was a great way to recall some of those treasured memories.

Belvedere’s Online Gallery

One of the most unique features of Belvedere’s online gallery is its use of augmented reality. You can visit their website and use an app on your phone to study a series of Egon Schiele’s paintings in greater detail. When you use your phone to scan the image on the screen, it will trigger an audio track that guides you through the work of art. You can also use your phone as a scanner, using infrared technology to uncover hidden secrets beneath the finished painting.

#7 Louisiana Museum of Modern Art | Øresund Sound in Humlebæk, Denmark

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is in a world of its own. Unlike most museums, it’s not in the centre of a big city. To get here, you have to take a train from the centre of the town and travel out to the calm countryside—a perfect weekend getaway for you and your loved one. The idyllic, breathtaking landscape surrounding the museum is in itself what makes this place so romantic.

As you approach the museum, you wander through a small Danish waterside fishing village. You pass little cottages and tiny farms when suddenly you come upon an unassuming yet contemporary looking building. The sound of water can be heard in the distance, and as you pass through an archway of trees, you come upon the museum’s entrance.

Outdoor Modern Art

Inside is a mixture of indoor and outdoor exhibitions. The combination of art, architecture and scenery is impeccable. You weave through the collections at your own pace. The outdoor sculptures are hidden among the trees and seem like a little secret you can discover along the way. The way you view the art is a very personal experience. Modern art can be challenging to define, and it is more up to the viewers on interpretation. Discussing the ideas and emotions that each piece brings forth inside you and your partner is such a bonding adventure. One that is sure to spark some passionate feelings.

Outside Suburbia has an excellent virtual written and photographic tour that guides you through the museum in the most charming and captivating ways. The short video I’ve inserted below was filmed by the museum and gives you a glimpse of the incredible outdoor sculpture gallery. Another great way to experience a part of this collection from your sofa at home.

#8 Rodin Museum | Paris, France

The Rodin Museum houses a collection of works from its namesake, Auguste Rodin. Rodin was one of the first sculptors of his age to depart from traditional sculpting methods (generally thought to be overly perfect and unrealistic). He loved imperfections and wanted to depict a truer to form a representation of the human figure. Instead of stiffly posed allegories, we were suddenly exposed to voluptuous, undulating women with wills and desires of their own. Like Klimt, Rodin was an intensely passionate man and this vigour can be throughout his work. Rodin had a love affair with love itself, and all of his pieces speak to a visceral part of ourselves. They awaken us. And for the lovers, they might ever enliven something else…

While The Kiss is the most notable sculpture by Rodin, many others deserve their moment in the sun. Nymphs Playing, Eternal Idol and The Cathedral are all splendidly tender pieces that bring me to my knees. And best of all, they each have been captured virutally to be viewed online.

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Rodin’s Sculptures

Many of Rodin’s sculptures are carved in what feels like a fiery outburst. Like the figures burst forth from the stone. They are partly unfinished, as love itself as an unfinished masterpiece, never to be fully understood. That sense of mystery is what fuels the fire of love and keeps us intrigued and impassioned.

To see a complete collection of his work online, head off to the Google Arts and Culture collection. Here you can select the pieces which pique your interest and find out more information on them. To get even more insight into the artworks, you can head over to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (I know, a little bit of a detour). This museum also holds various copies of Rodin’s pieces. They offer amazing audio guides to each of the sculptures.

These audio tours are a great way to learn more about the artists and the object. If you’d rather sit back and watch something then the video below is a relaxing tour of the museum set to romantic music. While the video was shot a while ago, I find the footage to be a lovely and nostalgic view of the gallery, in all its simplicity and grace.

#9 Thorvaldsen Museum | Copenhagen, Denmark

This won’t be on many other lists. It’s a bit of a wild card. And I think I like that. It’s nice to have something a bit out of the ordinary at the top of the list because if it wasn’t, you could be reading this anywhere else. Thorvaldsen is a mostly unknown name outside of Europe. Still, within the continent, he is among some of the most famous sculptors! Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen in 1770 to poor parents, but lucky for him his father was a carver. From a young age, Thorvaldsen learned to sculpt; his eyes would trace over an object and he would memorize its lines and curves. From only his memory he could then copy the form onto a piece of wood almost perfectly.

He learned to appreciate the subtle curvatures of the human body. Eventually, his skills were recognized by the art community. He got a scholarship and the opportunity to travel to Rome. There, he studied under some of the great masters and worked there until 1838. When he was in Italy, he took on many prestigious clients and commissions. When he finally returned to Denmark, heralded as a national hero, a museum was built in his honour to house his works. Unlike many artists who never get to see their creations loved by the public, Thorvaldsen had the opportunity to see the museums built from the ground up and watch the people come to admire his artworks.

Neo-Classical Sculpture

The basis of Thorvaldsen’s oeuvre is Neo-classical art. Greek and Roman myths created the universe where his art lived. The characters and stories he told through still marble still manage to move the most hardened heart. Cupid, one of the most notorious symbols on Valentine’s Day, is celebrated throughout the Thorvaldsen’s Museum. So many of his sculptures are so sensual in nature. The way he can turn hard stone to butter to capture the softness of skin and the brush of a caress.

Google Arts and Culture have a beautifully digital collection of his sculptures that you can view online. They also have the museum captured in 360 in google street view, so you can walk through the museum yourself to discover treasures around every corner.

You can also head over to my blog post, where you get a complete tour of the museum and detailed descriptions about the objects and the artist’s history. It’s a wonderful companion to Google street view and will make you feel like you’re really there!

Hopefully, this list gave you some ideas of how to find that sense of wanderlust even amid this pandemic! Sometimes you just need to get a little creative. Let me know in the comment what your favourite romantic museum or gallery is!

Happy (virtual) Travels, Adventurers!

The post The Most Romantic Museums to Visit Virtually on Valentines first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

But while the pandemic might be raging outside my doors, lucky for us, the wonders of modern technology allow us to travel virtually. Even while cooped up at home! So if you’re looking for something fun to do, perhaps this virtual weekend tour of Mexico City is just what you need. This virtual tour is a fun way to bring a little bit of wanderlust back into your life and break your pandemic routine.

Table Of Contents

1. Saturday – Start with a Café de Olla
2. Visit the Golden Metropolitan Cathedral
3. Find your Inner Archeologist in Templo Mayor
4. Discover Historic Treasures inside the National Museum of Anthropology
5. Find Art Deco Murals inside the Palacio de Bellas Artes
6. Discover Mexico's Fold Art Heritage at the Museo de Arte Popular
7. Hike to the Chapultepec Castle
8. Take a Mexican Cooking Class
9. Sunday: Start off in Coyoacan's Casa Azul
10. Take a Virtual Walking Tour of Coyoacan
11. Experience the Wonders of Xochimilco
12. Peek into the Life of Frida & Diego inside the Museo Dolores Olmedo
13. Learn how to Make Mole
14. Watch a Lucha Libre Match!

Saturday – Start with a Café de Olla

One of my favourite parts of the day when visiting any city is early in the morning. This might seem odd to some people, as their idea of a vacation is getting to sleep in. But I find the morning to be the best time of day to see a new city. I love watching the locals walking to work, taking their dogs out to the park and admiring the sunlight as it rises to wake the city. And in every city I’ve visited, everyone starts the day off with a cup of coffee.

In Mexico City, I had some of the best cups of coffee of my life! One of the traditional forms of coffee in Mexico is called ‘Café de olla‘. Café de olla is easy to prepare at home yourself and will make you feel like you’re somewhere new! Café de olla is traditionally made in an earthen clay pot, and its predominant flavour is made from boiling cinnamon sticks. This gives the coffee the most amazing spiced flavour.

Café de Olla Recipe

The video below is my favourite recipe guide as it’s hosted by this adorable Abuela (Spanish for “grandmother”). She shares with us her time hnoured recipe for her Café de Olla. The only ingredient you might not find in your local grocery store is the ‘piloncillo‘. A piloncillo or panela is a cone of unrefined cane sugar. This boils away in the water and sweetens the coffee as it dissolves. If you don’t like sweet coffee, you can omit this altogether or just add white sugar to taste.

Visit the Golden Metropolitan Cathedral

Now that you’ve had your caffeine, let’s continue our peaceful start to the day. Next stop: the Metropolitan Cathedral, located in the heart of the Zocalo. The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven is probably the longest title of a church I’ve ever seen. The church is the official seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico. While being such a holy place for Christians is enough to make this building sacred, it is also located right beside one of the most outstanding former Aztec precincts. The area is a powerful connecting space between both the new and old world. You can sit back and enjoy a 4K virtual tour of the building in the video below. Admire the fantastic gilding throughout the church and the stunning Saint chapels that flank either side of the nave.

CyArk

One of the most remarkable ways you can get up close to the details inside the church is through the work of CyArk. CyArk is a non-profit organization that aims to digitally record, archive and share the world’s most significant cultural heritage sites. In 2018 they set out to document the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral. Since the structure is at such high risk due to earthquake damage, capturing it as it is now will help future restorers should the worst happen.

Altar of the Kings

As of 2021, CyArk has captured in 3D the entirety of the monumental ‘Altar of the Kings‘. This altar measures 45.1 ft wide, 82 ft tall and 25 ft deep! The altar is almost entirely covered in gold gilding and features hundreds of painted figures. Due to its enormous size and amount of gold used, it is also called the “golden cave“. With the CyArk technology, you can zoom right into the different pieces of the atar and see the smallest details you can’t see from the floor below.

You can also explore the exterior of the church. Zooming all around it, even peeking onto the roof. You can explore areas of the building unable to be seen by the public on the ground. I had never even noticed until now that the central dome’s onion roof has blue ceramic tiles lining the ribs! Their website also offers a detailed exhibition into the creations of this digital masterpiece.

Find your Inner Archeologist in Templo Mayor

Located right beside the Cathedral are the ancient ruins of the Templo Mayor. The Templo Mayor (which is Spanish for the “Greater Temple”) was the Aztec people’s main place of worship[ in their capital city of Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was founded around 1325 on an island in what was then Lake Texcoco. The Aztec empire flourished here until the 15th century until the Spanish invaded and changed the course of Mexican history forever. The temple constructed here was called the Huēyi Teōcalli. It was dedicated to both the war god Huitzilopochtli, and the god of rain and agriculture, Tlaloc. Construction of the temple is thought to have begun in 1325 but saw significant reconstruction over the years. The Spanish destroyed the temple in 1521, but luckily we still have these remains to study the great empire.

History of the Museum

When the modern metropolis of Mexico City began to be constructed, city planners had no idea what was beneath the earth’s surface. In 1978 archeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma discovered that beneath 13 buildings in this area there were the ruins of the old empire. Excavating the site meant that all these 13 structures had to be demolished. Luckily, the city saw more value in recovering lost treasures of the past than preserved buildings from colonization.

More than 7,000 objects were discovered here and are on display in the museum. Skeletons of turtles, frogs and crocodiles were found as this area was once a rich waterway. There were also mixtec figurines, ceramic urns from Veracruz, masks from Guerrero state, copper rattles, and decorated skulls and knives of obsidian that were uncovered. So many of these objects came from far away, revealing that this city was a great place to journey to.

Street View

The museum opened to the public in 1980 so that everyone could view these fantastic pieces of Mesoamerican history. To view the site for yourself, you can explore it is via google street view in 360. You can look up and down on the exterior and see the details of these centuries-old buildings.

To find out more about the museum and the old temple, you can watch this video below. There are English subtitles to follow along with if you don’t speak Spanish. The video is well worth listening to as it gives you an excellent primer on the history of the site.

Discover Historic Treasures inside the National Museum of Anthropology

To learn even more about Mexico’s ancient history, head over to the virtual National Museum of Anthropology. This museum is the most visited museum in Mexico City. That is saying a lot since Mexico City is home to the world’s 2nd most extensive collection of museums! The National Museum of Anthropology’s goal is to research, conserve, exhibit and disseminate the most important archaeological and ethnographic collections from the country.

The online gallery is broken up into categories based on the materials the objects are made of. You can view pieces made of stone, clay, rock and more. When you click on an object, you will be able to study it in detail by zooming in and out. They scanned the items at such high-res you can get right into the cracks! Along with the images of the item are excellent write-ups on the pieces that will tell you all about where it was discovered, the meaning behind it and even information about the craftsmen who made it.

Find Art Deco Murals inside the Palacio de Bellas Artes

The Palacio de Bellas Artes or Palace of Fine Arts is an Art Nouveau masterpiece. It stands as the central hub for music, dance, theatre, opera and literature in Mexico, dubbing it with the nickname “Cathedral of Art“. Construction on the Palacio began in 1904 but was halted in 1913 due to many different complications. The structure wasn’t finished until 1934.

While the exterior is a beautiful blend of Art Nouveau and Neoclassical architecture, the interior is decorated with Art Deco elements. One of the things which makes the building so famous is the interior murals painted by Diego Rivera. To explore the Palacio de Bellas Artes, you can take a virtual tour. On the official website, you’ll be able to see the incredible murals, tour the sprawling art deco lobby, explore the theatre and even see underneath the stage! Something which not just any ol’ visitor would be able to see. My favourite part of the building is the stunning stained-glass dome inside atop the theatre.

Discover Mexico’s Fold Art Heritage at the Museo de Arte Popular

Across the street from the Palacio de Bellas Artes, you can find the Museo de Arte Popular. This museum takes visitors back several centuries and studies the history of traditional folk art of Mexico’s people. It aims to display the diversity of cultures and how the interaction between nature, man and society create the rich fabric of Mexican art and artistry.

Two online exhibitions that are available virtually study traditional Mexican textiles and the Festival of Day of the Dead. The show on clothing is such an interesting investigation into the influence of Mexico’s flora and fauna in apparel. You can see how different parts of the country have various iconic patterns dedicated to their local flowers.

In the exhibition ‘The Ofrenda of Day of the Dead‘, the museum aims to teach the viewer all about the Mexican ‘Ofrenda‘. An ‘ofrenda‘ is an altar that families prepare for the relatives who have passed. This is a traditional part of the Day of the Dead celebrations. It is meant to guide the spirits of their dead relatives’ home during the festival. The altar is filled with items that the person who past loved in their life. The altar is also covered with meaningful items such as sugar skulls, marigolds and more. The exhibition will tell you all about the significance of the objects placed on the altar.

Hike to the Chapultepec Castle

Hidden away atop a hill above downtown Mexico City is the great Chapultepec Castle. I was amazed by visiting the castle that such a thing existed in Mexico City’s modern metropolis. Chapultepec Castle’s name comes from the Nahuatl word” chapoltepēc,” that means “at the grasshopper’s hill.” The hillside was, for hundreds of years, a sacred place for the Aztecs. In the 18th century, before the palace was built, the hillside was home to a gunpowder warehouse and military academy. Then in 1864, it became the official residence of Emperor Maximilian I and his consort Empress Carlota.

Carlota went to excellent care and expensive to remodel the palace into a luxurious residence. It was used as an official residence of the President of Mexico from 1883 until 1939. After which it was turned into a museum. My blog about my visit to the castle is a highly detailed summary of all the wonders you’ll find there. YouVisit also has a beautiful virtual tour you can take to view parts of the palace in 360 degrees!

Take a Mexican Cooking Class

The best way to finish off your day is to create a delicious traditional Mexican meal. One of the best things about visiting Mexico City is the food! And while you might not be able to be there yourself, food is always something you can attempt to make at home. One of the very best online class services is the ever-popular MasterClass. Gabriela Cámara, A “star of modern Mexican cuisine,” brings her local, sustainable twist to time-honoured traditions. In this class, you will learn how to make everything you need for a complete Mexican dinner. You’ll make fresh tortillas, succulent tacos al pastor, salsas (of course), and my favourite aguachile de camarón (raw shrimp in lime and chile). You can even learn how to make huevos rancheros to eat for breakfast the next day!

Sunday: Start off in Coyoacan’s Casa Azul

Next up, it’s time to head over to the suburb of Coyoacan, to see where the great artists Frida Kahlo lived. Frida not only grew up in Coyoacan, but she also purchased her childhood home and lived out the rest of her days there too. She called the house “La Casa Azul”. The name comes from the bright Azul (Spanish for blue) colour that the house’s exterior is painted with. In her childhood journal, she wrote that the colour blue represented “electricity and love.” Those two words seem to describe Frida perfectly. Despite all the suffering, she went through her art and her life is filled with such passion and power.

Truly one of my favourite places I have ever visited is the Casa Azul, in Mexico City. This gorgeous blue house, in the cozy neighbourhood of Coyoacan, is where Frida Kahlo lived as a child. It is also where she spent the better part of the end of her life. In Mexican culture, it is good luck to be born and die and in the same place. The Casa Azul is teeming with memories, influences, and the real spirit, Frida Kahlo. There is genuinely no better place to give you a more intimate exploration into her life than inside the Casa Azul.

During the summer of 2020, the Casa Azul Museum took it upon themselves to capture the Casa Azul in 360 degrees. With this new technology visitors from all over the world could explore the house room by room from their own home! You can explore the entirety of the house, peeking into her kitchen, bedroom, studio and her magical garden. The virtual tour doesn’t come with any detailed information, so you can use our self-guided tour. Follow along for a complete understanding of the significance of every object, painting and plant inside the house. If you’re interested in a full virtual tour of Frida Kahlo, you can check out my blog post for more on the great artist.

Take a Virtual Walking Tour of Coyoacan

One of the most important places to study Frida Kahlo is in her home town neighbourhood of Coyoacán. Outside the heart of Mexico City, this little village was where Frida was born, grew up, lived, and eventually died. These streets were her playground, her studio and her home. It’s here you can get a glimpse into the life of the great artist. You can read more about Coyoacan here or take a virtual tour online.

Experience the Wonders of Xochimilco

A place that was sacred to Frida was Xochimilco. Xochimilco and the surrounding Aztec waterways were where Frida and her friends would go to escape the city. A famous photo of Frida on a boat along the Xochimilco canals shows her dipping her hand into the water. She felt at home here, a place to run away from her dramatic marriage, her pain and even perhaps, herself.

Today it’s a vibrant neighbourhood where you can experience the same journey Frida would have taken. There are so many videos online which take you through these wonderfully colourful canals. With a Mezcal in hand at home, you’ll feel like you’re there!

Peek into the Life of Frida & Diego inside the Museo Dolores Olmedo

Located in Xochimilco, the Museo Dolores Olmedo is situated in an old stone house dating back to the 16th century. Inside it contains the world’s largest collections of works by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. The online exhibition tells the story of the life and art of Frida Khalo. Using personal effects, photographs and live street views of where she lived you feel like you are stepping into her shoes. And of course, you’ll also see a myriad of her earliest paintings and sketches.

Learn how to Make Mole

For our second recipe I wanted to provide an alternative to the subscription service which MasterClass requires. There are TONS of free recipes and tutorials online and the best are on Youtube. Rick Martinez with Food52 (one of my favourite recipe websites) takes us through how to make one of his favourite recipes, Mole. Mole is such an essential part of Mexican cusine. But the recipe can feel like a daunting one to take on. But with Rick’s charming personality and easy-to-follow instructions, he makes the entire experience nothing but fun!

Watch a Lucha Libre Match!

Lucha Libre is one of the most vibrant and exciting sports to watch in Mexico City! It had even been deemed a part of the “intangible cultural heritage” of Mexico City as of 2016. Lucha Libre means “freestyle wrestling,” and these stupendous matches are the perfect way to end off your virtual tour of Mexico City. Over the years, Lucha Libre wrestling has developed a unique style separating it from any form of American wrestling, either professional or Olympic.

In Mexico, wrestlers dress in fantastical outfits and always wear the iconic colourful “lucha” mask. They must wear their mask, hiding their true identity. Only when they lose a match are they unmasked as a sign of disgrace. We went to see a show when we were in Mexico City, and it was one of the most exciting nights of my life! To get an idea of what it is like to experience it for yourself, I would recommend watching the video below.

The video details the entire experience. From entering the great stadium, to the food and, of course, the amazing acrobatics of Lucha wrestling. If you’re interested in just watching other matches, you can check out this video and more online.

This brings us to the end of our lovely virtual weekend in Mexico City. Another part of our series on Virtual Travel. I hope you enjoyed being able to see all these amazing places inside my favourite place in the world! Let me know in the comments what you’re favourite place we saw was and what future destinations you’d like to visit virtually next!

Happy (Virtual) Travels, Adventurers!

The post How to Have an Amazing Virtual Weekend in Mexico City first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace was the primary summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, located in Hietzing, Vienna. The name Schönbrunn means “beautiful spring” as the palace was located beside a large freshwater reserve. The palace is perhaps best known for the 1,441 fantastical Baroque and Rococo interiors. The amazingly preserved nature of the palace has been deemed a UNESCO world heritage site. You can walk through the palace room by room through Google Arts and Culture virtual tour. To support the tour, you can go to the palace’s website to get more information on the history of each room. On the site, you can get details on the design of the interior and the incredible decorative arts which embellsih each of the incredible rooms.

If you would prefer a video tour, then you can watch the 4K video below. This video leads you throughout the exterior and interior of the palace. The beautiful classical music playing throughout provides an immersive experience. With the music surrounding you, one can better imagine what it would have been like to attend a lavish court ball in the palace.

Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles was the main royal residents for the kings and queens of France since 1682. The palace was built under Louis XIV, who originally owned a small hunting lodge on the grounds. Over the years, he transformed the small lodge into this incredible chateau! Google Arts and Culture have set up an amazing set of stories, tours, photo galleries, and more to help visitors digitally experience the history and wonder that is Versaille.

If you’re looking for something absolutely 21st century, then you need to check out “VersaillesVR The Palace is Yours.” On this app, Versaille has been captured in VR. This allows anyone with a VR headset to explore the palace in 360°. Everywhere you move your head, the camera follows like you are really there. You can see the King and Queen’s State Apartments, climb onto the stage in the Royal Opera House, discover the Hall of Mirrors, and walk right up to tapestries, paintings, sculptures and furniture! You can even switch to night mode to explore the palace by the light of the chimney fires.

If you don’t own a VR headset, you can still explore the rooms in 360° using the website Poly. On this site, you can click on a variety of Versaille’s interior rooms and explore them in detail. There are even info icons that are clickable to see more information. From there you are able to learn all about the history of the rooms you’re exploring.

Buckingham Palace

Pretty much everyone has heard the name Buckingham Palace, but I’m guessing far fewer of you have been inside. Buckingham Palace, located in London, is the royal residence of the Kings and Queens of England. If you’ve been watching the Netflix series, ‘The Crown‘ you’ll be even more interested to learn and see the REAL interiors which the show tries its best to emulate.

The palace is home to 775 rooms, the most lavish of which are the State Rooms. These are used for official and state entertaining. They are only open to the public during August and September. The reason for this is that the royal family spends their summers in Balmoral and are not in royal residence. Since the public has such a small window to view the rooms they remain a rare sight to see. But not anymore!

The Royal Collection Trust has created an online gallery and tour of the palace’s State Rooms. Some of the rooms can be explored in 360° so you can look all around you like you were really there! Throughout the scenes, you can click on the information icons to get more details about the space.

Doge’s Palace

Found in the fairytale city of Venice is the incredible Doge’s Palace. A Doge was the Venetian chief magistrate and the closest thing the city would get to have their own King. The palace was built as his residences in the center of Venice, right on St. Mark’s Square. It was originally built in 1340 but modified many times throughout the centuries. In 1923 it was transformed into a museum with some of the cities most precious works of art. Today, you can view the interiors of the palace through a Google Arts and Culture virtual tour. With this guide you can explore and learn all about the history of the building as well as walk through their masterful gothic interiors.

If you’re looking for a more complete tour of the palace, then head over to Musement for one of their guided virtual tours. With this tour, you can explore the Doge’s Palace along with a complete audio narration. To go along with the audio track are beautiful pictures of the building, as well as satellite and views of the palace and its surroundings. Through the power of storytelling, you’ll really feel like you’re there.

Pena Palace

I’ve been lucky enough to visit many different palaces throughout my travels. But my favourite of them all has got to be Pena Palace! Located outside of Lisbon, in the town of Sintra, Pena Palace is the ultimate in romantic castles. The palace was built atop the foundations of an old monastery. King Ferdinand took ownership of the land in 1838 and set out to transform the ruins into a fantastical summer residence for his family.

The bright red, yellow and purple-grey colours of the facade immediately made it so unique. The multicoloured Portuguese tile, Azulejo, add another magical touch that makes the palace such a visual draw. Today you can view the palace from high above as if you were flying over it in a helicopter. AirPano gives us a bird’s eye view over the top of this amazing palace. From up high you can study parts of the structure that you’d never be able to see otherwise.

If you’re are looking for a more informative tour, you can check out my Ultimate Self Guided tour. I have so many pictures and a detailed account of my time there. While it was written as a guide for people visiting the site in person, with all the pictures and descriptions I think you’ll be able to imagine what it’s like to really be there.

The Château of Chambord

The Château de Chambord is one of the great palaces of France. Built in the 16th century for Francis I, the place is located in the center of the stunning Loire Valley. The palace blends French Renaissance architecture with traditional medieval structures. The most iconic part of the castle is surely the 800 sculpted columns and elaborately decorated roof. Francis, wanted these columns to resemble the skyline of Constantinople. The Google Arts and Culture exhibit studies the history of the castle. It features a multitude of archaeological discoveries, which delves into the wonders of its construction. Seeing the palace in both photographs and architectural layouts allows you to appreciate the technical skill which was involved in creating such a masterpiece. And hundreds of years ago, without modern technology to boot!

Once you’ve finished reading the article, you can head inside the castle and explore it virtually. My favourite part of this castle is all the intricately sculpted bits of stone decor. Near the grand staircase, you’ll find 200 finials and a patterned ceiling with a variety of characters, both mythological and religious, dotting the vaults. Looking down on you like little spies.

Bolsover Castle

Bolsover Castle, located in the small town of Bolsover in the English countryside, is known as the “little castle.” The name comes from the fact the main “castle” structure is surrounded by these large fortifications. The juxtaposition of the expansive courtyard and huge winged terrace makes the castle appear even smaller. The castle was built in the 17th century above the ruins of a 12th-century medieval castle. Today, it remains one of the best examples of Jacobean architecture. The palace was built as a retreat for banqueting and pleasure by William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle. While the castle might not strike you as anything special right away, its secrets are hidden inside. William was obsessed with creating puzzles to flatter and amuse his guests. The Google Arts and Culture exhibit aims to help you unravel the mysteries inside Bolsover’s Little Castle. 

Neuschwanstein Castle

To view the interiors of the palace, you can head over to their official website. From there you can follow along with their visual tour. It’s amazing to see the level of decoration and detail which went into the castle. So many aspects of the castle look more like a Byzantine church than a castle. My favourite room of the palace has got to be the ‘Singers’ Hall.’ This was also the King’s favourite room in the entire palace. It occupies the whole of the fourth floor. The room’s design pays homage to the German legends of Lohengrin, the Swan Knight. Look closely for little swan icons hidden in the frescoes.

Bran Castle

Bran Castle, located on the Transylvanian side of Romania, is better known by the public as “Dracula’s Castle”. While there is no evidence, Bram Stocker even visited the castle, and the castle itself bears no resemblance to the one in the book, the legend remains. Perhaps the main reason for the connection is due to its revelance to Vlad the Impaler. Vlad was the true to life inspiration for the character of Dracula. Vlad III or Vlad the Impaler was the ruler of Wallachia from 1448 to 1476. His legendary name comes from the fact that Vlad had the bodies of his enemies impaled on large spikes to ward off invading Ottomans and Hungarian. His rule was rutheless and he would punish his enermies as well as his citizens just a brutally.

While Vlad never owned Castle Bran, there are rumours that he was once imprisoned there after his capture by the Hungarians. Historical records show that he was imprisoned in Budapest. But since the castle is so foreboding and dramatic, it was colloquially referred to as his prison.

Today the castle is now a museum playing host to objects and furniture collected by Queen Marie, the last Queen of Romania. You are able to explore the exterior and interiors of the building through google street view. While the Romanian castle might not be as opulent and grand as others around Europe, I think seeing this kind of art and architecture is such an important and interesting contrast.

The castle’s official website also offers visitors video tours of the castle. I especially love the video filmed of the Castle during a winter snowfall. It looks both so picturesque and haunting at the same time in the chill of winter. There is also a complete castle gallery to get a better look into the furnishing and art inside the palace. 

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal also called the ‘Crown of the Palace‘ was commissioned in 1632 by emperor Shah Jahan. He had the palace made as a tomb for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. And when he died, he was buried there as well, with his true love. It’s fascinating to know that one of the most beautiful structures in the world is actually a giant tomb. The ivory-white marble mausoleum sits on the southern bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. Today it is one of the 10 “Man-Made Wonders of the World“. The Google Arts and Culture exhibit, ‘Four Secret Spots at the Taj Mahal,’ takes you a street view tour of the lesser-known corners of India’s most iconic structure. There are so many discoveries I made looking through this virtual guide and I loved learning about those otherwise unknown secrets.

Miramare Castle

Miramare Castle is one of the great Italian castles. Built in the 19th-century on the Gulf of Trieste, the castle was made for Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium, who would go on to become Empress Carlota of Mexico. The interiors of the castle have been captured in 360, and you can walk the halls of the palace yourself! 

To view the exteriors of the castle, there are some great videos online which make you feel like you’re really there! The castle’s grounds were designed by the archduke himself. They include some incredible landscaping featuring tropical species of trees and plants. The videos just make you want to jump right into that blue water that surrounds the castle.

Chapultepec Castle

A perfect segway from Miramare Castle is over to Mexico to Chapultepec Castle. This was Charlotte of Belgium’s residence when she became Empress Carlota of Mexico. I was amazed upon visiting the castle that such a thing existed in the modern metropolis of downtown Mexico City. Chapultepec Castle’s name comes from the Nahuatl word” chapoltepēc”, which means “at the grasshopper’s hill.” The hillside was for hundreds of years a sacred place for the Aztecs. In the 18th century, before the palace was built, the hillside was home to a gunpowder warehouse and military academy. Then in 1864, it became the official residence of Emperor Maximilian I and his consort Empress Carlota.

Carlota went to great care and expensive to remodel the palace into a luxurious residence. It was used as an official residence of the President of Mexico from 1883 until 1939. After which it was turned into a museum. My blog all about my visit to the castle is a highly detailed summary of all the wonders you’ll find there. YouVisit also has a wonderful virtual tour you can take to view parts of the palace in 360 degrees!

Catherine Palace

The Catherine Palace is a Rococo palace in Tsarskoye Selo just outside St. Petersburg, Russia. This was the summer residence of the Russian tsars, built in 1710 by Peter the Great for his wife Catherine I. The original palace for Catherine was only 16 rooms large, a fraction of the size it is now. When Catherine the first died, the palace was inherited by her daughter Elizabeth I. Elizabeth took upon expanding the palace into the grand structure it is today. Although none of the original rooms from Catherine’s time remain, her daughter loved her so much she always wanted it to be named after her.

In this 45-minute video tour, you are lead through the palace by guide Nadezhda Mironenko. You can see the details that architect Rastrelli took such great care in creating. He was a baroque visionary and took such great care in ensuring the palace was the gem of the baroque age. You’ll visit the Grand Hall, the Golden Suite and the Amber Room (the so-called eighth wonder of the world). The Amber Room is a chamber covered floor to ceiling in amber panels, backed with gold leaf and shimmering mirrors. The interior is absolutely overwhelming, and even though you can’t be there in person, you can still be in awe of the spectacle in front of you.

Matsumoto Castle

Matsumoto Castle is one of Japan’s best-preserved historic castles. It is located in the city of Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture. The castle also goes by the nickname “Crow Castle” because of its black exterior. Because the original wooden interiors and external stonework remain from the 16th century, it has been listed as a National Treasure of Japan. The Discovery Makes Knowledge youtube channel has a lovely video guide that leads you through the castle. Throughout the video, you get a great understanding of the history and meaning behind so many aspects of the palace.

After getting a primer with the video, head over to the Palace’s official website to get extremely detailed explanations about everything around the castle. You can use google street view to walk the castle’s ground and follow along with the website’s guide.

Lobkowicz Palace

The Lobkowicz Palace is one of the largest palaces inside Prague Castle. It was built in the 16th century by the Czech nobleman Jaroslav of Pernštejn. For many years, their doors remained closed to the public, used only by the palace’s residents. But in 2007, the building was transformed into a museum. Inside it features a great collection of artworks and decorative items from the Lobkowicz Collection. You’ll find paintings by Antonio Canaletto, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Lucas Cranach the Elder, and Diego Velázquez hung on the walls. You can also see musical instruments, original manuscripts and early prints of composers, including Beethoven and Mozart.

One of my favourite Czech youtube channels, The Honest Guide, produced this fantastic exclusive video during the height of lockdown in Prague. Lobkowicz Palace is a privately owned building and the channel was given private access to tour their collection. Since Prague was in lockdown there were no public visitors so they had the whole place to themselves.

Start the video about 12 minutes in to begin right as they enter the museum. What makes the tour so interesting is that the guide is actually a descendant of the family who owns the palace! His stories and selection of favourite pieces inside the museum really make it feel more intimate and personal experience. They had some technical difficulties with the sound but stick with it as the information you get is fantastic!

I hope you enjoyed this guide of my favourite palaces around the world you can still visit online! In one day you’ll be able to travel across the globe and see some of the most opulent and ornate state rooms and royal galleries! Let me know in the comment what your favourite palace was or where you would like to visit virtually!

Happy (virtual) Travels, Adventurers!

The post 15 Amazing Palace and Castle Tours you can View Virtually first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Table Of Contents

1. British Museum
2. The Mütter Museum
3. National Portrait Gallery
4. The Field Museum
5. The Wallace Collection
6. Van Gogh Museum 
7. Frick Museum
8. Rijksmuseum
9. The American Museum of Natural History
10. The State Hermitage Museum
11. V&A
12. MET

British Museum

The British Museum in London, England, is where you can find over two million years of human history and culture. It contains some world-famous objects, including the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and Egyptian mummies. 

Curator’s Corner

Their youtube series called ‘Curator’s Corner‘ introduces you to the various curators working in the museum. They take the time to show you different interesting objects from their specialties. And most of the videos are set, literally in their “corner” or office space. This is just another little treat since you feel like you are being let into their private world. Never to be seen otherwise. One of my favourite curators is Naomi Speakman, who is the curator for late medieval Europe. She loves exploring the fantastical world of medieval bestiaries and the mythical creatures found within. Seeing as these items are so old it’s amazing how she breathes new life into them!

Curator’s Tour

Since many museums’ exhibitions were not viewable to the public when the world shut down, the curators turned to online video to take viewers on a tour of their displays. These tours come in both shorter videos and live tours, which are hour-long specials hosted by various experts. It’s such a unique way to view these incredible exhibitions despite not being there in person.

The Mütter Museum

The Mütter Museum is America’s Finest Museum of Medical History. The museum aims to help the public appreciate the mysteries and beauty of the natural human body. The museum hopes to help people learn more about the diagnosis and disease treatment throughout history. Inside the museum, you’ll find some of the most incredible collections of anatomical specimens, medical instruments, cabinets of curiosity and more!

While the museum is not for the faint-hearted, their videos are an extraordinary adventure! Especially when we are amid a world-wide pandemic, their exhibitions on the 1918 Influenza Pandemic seem almost eerily apt. Their half-hour-long museum tour is an excellent introduction to what the museum is all about and worth your time to check out!

National Portrait Gallery

London’s National Portrait Gallery has been one of the most important art institutions since 1856. But today, with modern technology, we are being invited into the museums to discover the stories behind the world’s greatest paintings and artists. Their online youtube channel contains interviews with leading art experts, live recordings of talks and events, and insights into our latest exhibitions. 

10 minutes Talks

Their 10-minute talks series is one of my favourites for anyone who wants to get a little primer into art history but doesn’t want to get overwhelmed with information. These short segments study just one painting by one artist. Different curators and producers from the museums lead you through the artwork, the hidden meanings and any historical context which lends itself to studying the painting with more intention.

5-Minute Meditation

Another fascinating tidbit that they have been producing during the pandemic are these 5-Minute Meditations. This series is all about blending mindfulness and art appreciation. You grab a water or coffee and sit back with the gentle voices of the curators guiding you through the lines and textures of the painting as you have moments of self-reflection throughout. I have to admit; they are so soothing, they might even put you to sleep!

Talks for All

Lastly, if you are looking for something a little more in-depth, you can sit back and enjoy one of the longer videos called Talks for All. These lectures were initially recorded in the gallery in front of an audience, but now you can attend as an audience of one from the comfort of your own home. Something is oddly comforting about hearing the murmur of laughter or contemplation from the unseen audience in front of the lecturers. It makes you feel like you are really there.

The Field Museum

In Chicago, the Field Museum has been producing videos with the Chief Curiosity Correspondent for Youtube for the past eight years! Hosted by Emily Graslie, former volunteer of the University of Montana Zoological Museum, her heart burstingly charming personality guides you through all different parts of their collection. In such a large museum like the Field Museum, there are plenty of aspects of their collection that aren’t even on display in the museum but hidden away in the archives. Well, these videos put you behind the scenes in some of the unseen parts of the museum. One of my favourite episodes is all about their rare book room! There are also such topics as the Whale Warehouse, museums taxidermy, meteorites and more!

The Wallace Collection

The Wallace Collection is a museum in London, housed in the grand Hertford House in Manchester Square. This was once the permanent residence of the Seymour family, the Marquesses of Hertford. The Marquesses of Hertford, along with Sir Richard Wallace, for whom the museum is named after, amassed a vast collection of fine and decorative arts in their lifetime. These ranged from furniture, arms and armour, porcelain and Old Master paintings. Sir Richard Wallace bequeathed the collection to the British Nation in 1897 so that everyone could enjoy the collection.

Today, it really can, as much of the collection has been documented on video for all to see. Their playlist on the collection highlights is an excellent intro to all the wondrous things these collectors amassed over time.

Van Gogh Museum 

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is a museum dedicated solely to the works of Vincent Van Gogh. Famously, Vincent van Gogh only ever sold one painting during his lifetime, ‘The Red Vineyard.’ Today he is one of the world’s most notable painters, with his works selling for millions upon millions of dollars.

Throughout the pandemic, the Van Gogh museum has not only been creating entertaining videos for you to watch but tutorials for you to follow along with and learn as you go. Their series called ‘Let’s Paint Like Van Gogh‘ helps even the most beginning painter learn the simple techniques Van Gogh used to create his vivid and powerful masterpieces. They manage to simplify iconic parts of some of his paintings to allow you the chance to create your own at home!

In another series called ‘In the Picture,’ curators take you through their 2020 exhibition, which tells stories about identity and image, in 75 portraits.

Frick Museum

The Frick Collection in New York City houses the personal art collection of industrialist Henry Clay Frick. The museum is even located inside his old house on the Upper East Side. In addition to some old master paintings, the collection also includes fine furniture, decorative arts and more. Their 12-minute video introduction allows you to step inside the doors and look at the house almost as it was when Frick left it.

During the pandemic, they created many videos that allowed people to view their collection through a myriad of different themes. One of those series’ was called ‘Travels with a Curator,’ where curator Xavier F. Salomon, takes you on a virtual trip around the world. In the series, they study museums around the world and how they connect with the Frick Museum.

Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum, located in Amsterdam, is the Dutch National Museum. Inside its great walls are pieces dedicated to the arts and history of Amsterdam. At the start of the pandemic, the Rijksmuseum wanted to give viewers worldwide access to the secrets of their galleries, so they started the series #RijksmuseumUnlocked. Throughout the series, various curators lead you through different parts of the museum to study themes and hidden meanings behind highlights from their collection.

Their newest series is called ‘Rijksmuseum in 60 seconds‘. These videos allow you to learn more about their collection in just one minute!

The American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History, located in New York City, is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Since opening its doors to the public in 1869, the museum attempts to help people discover and interpret information about the natural world around us. My favourite video series of theirs has got to be ‘Shelf Life‘! This series is relatively old, starting in 2014. The series is for curious minds and features curators opening doors, drawers and hidden away rooms to study rarely-seen items in the museum’s collection.

The State Hermitage Museum

I have long dreamt of visiting the Hermitage Museum, delving into the dark Russian winter only to wander the halls of this incredible fortress of beauty. The State Hermitage Museum is located in Saint Petersburg, Russia and is the second-largest art museum in the world! The collection was founded by Empress Catherine the Great and contains over three million items! And while you might not be able to view each one of those items in person, you can experience it through an AMAZING virtual tour!

In May 2020, Apple created a five-hour cinematic journey inside the Hermitage museum. Throughout the videos, you are lead through 45 galleries, view 588 masterpieces, and wonder at the beautiful live performances which take place inside some of their most sacred spaces. Even more incredibly, the video was shot in ONE CONTINUOUS TAKE! The music composed throughout the video is so hauntingly beautiful, and I cannot recommend watching this piece more! You don’t need to watch all five hours, but I think once you start watching, you’ll find yourself entranced.

V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum (also known as the V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art and design. Founded in 1852, the V&A promotes innovation and communicates the importance of good design. The collection contains over 2.27 million objects, dating from 1600 to the present. This video, hosted by curator May Rosenthal Sloan, explores vintage citrus fruit wrappers as new forms of advertising in the 19th century. This was the video that first started my binging of the V&A’s youtube channel. The packaging feels so ephemeral and yet like a work of art all at the same time.

So many objects in the V&A’s collection are small trinkets. And while seeing them in person is a beautiful experience, being able to study them in microscopic detail on video is a unique experience. One of my favourite videos is called ‘Spotlight on Jewels‘. Academy Award-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne, jewellery designer Stephen Webster, British Vogue jewellery editor Carol Woolton and V&A curator Clare Phillips come together in this feature to reveal their favourite items from the collection.

MET

The MET or Metropolitan Museum of Art is America’s most famous art gallery. Located in the heart of New York City, the collection is home to over two million works of art! with so many objects in their collection and a slew of curators to keep it all running, the content they are producing online is superb! Their ‘Art, Explained‘ series is a beautiful way to pick your favourite items from the collection and learn a little bit more about them in a concise amount of time! There are over 80 items that have been documented in the videos, so there are lots to choose from.

Another series which I love is called ‘MET Stories‘. This 12-part series features stories from all different kinds of people, from chefs, fashion designers and even lawyers, telling stories about how the MET influenced or changed their lives.

Throughout the pandemics, the MET has also been creating videos that spark their viewers creativity. This is everything from learning how to make a soap carvings, sculpturing clay pots and my personal favourite, creating your cabinet of curiosity!

Hopefully these entertaining channels give you something to watch and inspire your mind throughout the rest of this pandemic. While we have to stay at home, we can still explore the world through these virtual travels!

The post 12 Incredible Youtube Museum Channels You MUST Watch first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

The Google Art and Culture site provides virtual exhibitions that they call “stories”. These “stories” are curated collections, sometimes from various museums, which are collected to tell captivating narratives. I have an entire post on some of the world’s best online museums and art galleries but, if you’re looking for something which only requires a minimal amount of time, then these exhibits are for you! Each one takes only about 10 minutes to explore but will leave you feeling artistically refreshed.

Table Of Contents

1. The Goddess Lakshmi in Popular Culture
2. Stanisław Mateusz Ignacy Wyspiański 
3. Elsa Schiaparelli Collection at the V&A
4. The Life and Art of Frida Kahlo
5. The Star Trail at the National Gallery
6. Johannes Vermeer's 'The Procuress' 
7. Heaven, Hell, and Dying Well
8. Table at Versaille
9. İstanbul: The City of Dreams
10. Question of Identity
11. Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

The Goddess Lakshmi in Popular Culture

The Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, has been etched into visual arts since time immemorial. But her modern portrayal in the 20th century is a unique study well worth looking into! Together with The Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the British Museum, this exhibition guides you through pieces of ephemera that contain images of the Goddess. The exhibition teachers you about the meaning behind these different representations as well as visual elements paired with Lakshmi.

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Stanisław Mateusz Ignacy Wyspiański 

The “fourth Polish Bard” Stanisław Mateusz Ignacy Wyspiański was one of the most multitalented artists to ever grace this earth. Wyspiański, born in Kraków, Poland, was a playwright, painter and poet, and an interior and furniture designer. His paintings were fiercely intimate, and he took great pride in continuing ancestral folk traditions. Many people outside of Poland have never heard of him despite his many contributions to arts and culture. One of the exhibitions, which are well worth your time to check out, takes you through the artist’s life. It features both photographs from his life, maps of his homes and pastel sketches and paintings. These images collected here are ones of the loved ones in his life.

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After getting this primer on his life, you can study the exhibition featuring drawings from his travels. From 1890–1895 Wyspiański travelled all over Europe and took his pastels with him. His fluid and gestural images feel like they were made in a rush of excitement upon seeing these new destinations. During his stay in Paris, where he went to study and improve his art, he missed his home of Kraków greatly. But when he returned home, he found himself missing Paris. Forever torn between the comfort of home and the thrilling excitement of the artistic community in those bustling big cities. His art seems to depict this eternal longing.

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Elsa Schiaparelli Collection at the V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum (also known as the V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art and design. Founded in 1852, the V&A promotes innovation and communicates the importance of good design. As a graphic designer, I think these kinds of museums are so important! While the collection contains over 2.27 million objects, the most iconic part is their costume collection. The V&A’s costume collection is the most comprehensive in Britain, containing over 14,000 outfits. This also includes accessories and shoes, dating from 1600 to the present. One of the online exhibits will take you on a journey through time using items from their fashion and clothing collection. These items range from high-end couture to inspired ready-to-wear to innovative street style.

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One of my favourite parts of their collection is their assortment of Elsa Schiaparelli pieces. Elsa Schiaparelli was a genius of the 20th century. She broke the mould of traditional tailoring and combined fashion and surrealism in the most inventive ways. She used embroidery, embellishment and unusual materials to transform her garments into unique fashion statements. The online gallery will lead you through some of her most inventive pieces that you can study in great detail. Learning all about the influences and references used throughout.

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The Life and Art of Frida Kahlo

Located in Xochimilco, the Museo Dolores Olmedo is situated in an old stone house dating back to the 16th century. Inside it contains the world’s largest collections of works by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. The online exhibition tells the story of the life and art of Frida Khalo through her personal effects, photographs and live street views of where she lived. And of course, using a myriad of her paintings and sketches.

The Star Trail at the National Gallery

The National Gallery, located in Central London, was founded in 1824. The museum houses over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. Their collection contains such masterpieces as van Eyck‘s ‘Arnolfini Portrait,‘ Velázquez‘s ‘Rokeby Venus,‘ Turner‘s ‘Fighting Temeraire‘ and Van Gogh‘s ‘Sunflowers.’ One of the more interesting curated collections featured on the Google Arts and Culture website is all about the ‘Star Trail‘. In a variety of the paintings in the gallery, you can see stars painted in the skies. While some are more obvious and less metaphorical, others are hidden in less prominent places and have some deep, sometimes philosophical meanings. The exhibition guides you through this “star trail” and is an interesting way to view different pieces from their collection.

Johannes Vermeer’s ‘The Procuress’ 

The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister or Old Masters Picture Gallery in Dresden, Germany, is home to the old empire’s most treasured paintings. The gallery is relatively small compared to some of the world’s most prolific museums. But it is honestly one of my favourites. There are about 750 paintings, lovingly curated, inside a stunningly decorated interior. The images range from the 15th to the 18th centuries. One of their most important pieces from the collection is the ‘The Procuress’ by Johannes Vermeer painted in 1656.

Having a Vermeer in your gallery is a real draw since the old master only is known to have painted 34 paintings in his lifetime. ‘The Procuress‘ is considered a very interesting and progressive painting of his. It represents sex work in a positive light. The painful woman portrayed in the photo looks contented and in control of her circumstances. But there are so many other aspects and hidden meanings to the painting that this virtual exhibit lends insight into.

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Heaven, Hell, and Dying Well

The J. Paul Getty Museum, located in Los Angeles, California, is one of the most surprising places to find some very old European artworks. The collection features European paintings, drawings, sculpture, decorative arts, and European, Asian, and American photographs dating from the eighth through the twenty-first century! But most importantly, it features a stunning collection of illuminated manuscripts. One of the most interesting online exhibitions from their collection is ‘Heaven, Hell, and Dying Well: Images of Death in the Middle Ages.’ An illuminated manuscript is a book in which the text is supplemented with such decoration as initials, borders, and miniature illustrations. Many of these little illustrations are innovative visions of heaven and hell as depicted by early Christian writings. And studying these representations of heaven, hell and the process of dying gives us a glimspe into the medieval way of life.

Table at Versaille

The Palace of Versaille has a beautiful online collection of some of their beautiful paintings that dot the castle walls. In addition to digitizing the paintings, they also have a digital collection of the palace’s antique plates and tableware used to serve the elaborate banquets. These paintings of the King’s table and old paper menus dating back to 1744, give us a peek into what Royal meals at Versaille would have looked like. But food back then wasn’t just for filling your belly; dining was considered a way to show off your greatness, wealth and power. And this exhibition takes you through those hidden meanings. It also provides a mirror into the life of the Kings and Queens of Versaille.

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İstanbul: The City of Dreams

Since we can’t be travelling the world ourselves, one of the ways we can travel virtually is through pictorial representations of faraway lands. But instead of looking at pictures, I prefer to look at art. The Pera Museum, located in Istanbul, Turkey, is an art museum that focuses on Orientalism in 19th-century art. Their collection of ‘Views of İstanbul and Daily Life in the Ottoman‘ will take you on a journey to lavishly decorated apartments and interiors. You’ll study earth-shatteringly beautiful fashions, fascinating customs and even more fantastical feasts!

Question of Identity

The Israel Museum, located in Jerusalem, contains the world’s best collections of art and Holy Land archaeology. Inside you’ll find works dating from prehistory to the present day relating to Jewish art and life. Their current online exhibitions called ‘Questions of Identity‘ is from their costume collection. The virtual art gallery examines how external appearances represent the “constant tension between segregation and integration that has always characterized Jewish existence in the Diaspora.”

Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

In London, England, the Museum of Brands has been amassing objects and packaging, which help tell the story of how brands shaped our world. As a graphic designer, I am someone who adores studying different packaging when I am travelling. And I love parts of museums where you can observe old ephemeral objects. It’s so interesting to me to see the fantastic packaging techniques employed hundreds of years ago. The Museum of Brand’s online exhibition, ‘Best Thing Since Sliced Bread: Packaging Innovation‘ studies the evolution of packaging design. It’s incredible to see how much some packaging has changed over the years and some hasn’t changed at all!

Hopefully, these fun exhibitions from all over the world give you a brief, fantastical respite from the dull world around you. Let me know if you’ve loved any other online exhibitions, and share with me the ways you are spending your time in lockdown!

Happy (Virtual) Travels, Adventurers

The post 11 of the Most Interesting Virtual Exhibitions You Can Explore Online first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Eileen Aldis 

The travel vlogging world is filled with so many different personalities. But when I tell people I loved watching vloggers, I find sometimes this is met with a raised eyebrow. I think people have a very narrow idea of what a vlogger can be. And for me, Eileen Aldis is the very best of the best. She will put even the most skeptical viewer to rest. Her thoughtful narrations, wonderfully researched and informative videos paired with their incredible cinematography make for a perfect travel video! I find myself absolutely mesmerized throughout as she and her partner travel the world together. Eileen has a fantastic back-catalogue of videos to choose from. She travels to such unique and sometimes lesser travelled locations, making them even more fascinating to watch from your room!

Bald and Bankrupt

Benjamin Rich, better known by his YouTube channel name Bald and Bankrupt, is an English travel vlogger. He is mostly known for his travels to long forgotten states within the former Soviet Union. Most of these places are tiny villages and towns, that most of us would never put on our travel bucket list. But Mr. Bald, as his subscribers call him, sets out to explore them with unencumbered enthusiasm and has us all excited to see what they have in store for him. Rich speaks Russian fluently, which helps him greatly on his travels through these mostly undocumented parts of the world.

Rick Steves’ Europe

My travel guru has always been Rick Steves. When I was 14, I went on my first international trip, and I had his guide book with me like my bible. His voice guided me throughout the city. I will always thank him for such gentle and easy instruction for travelling. Rick Steves’ Europe is a series that Rick began producing for PBS in 2000. Since then, they have made over 129 episodes.! Each episode focuses on a different city in Europe and features Rick’s charming narration leading you through the best things to see and do while in town. Although the show is meant more as a travel planning guide, it is a great way to travel to these cities from the couch during the lockdown! Most of the episodes are now available on Rick Steves’ Youtube Channel.

The Chateau Diaries

The Chateau Diaries focuses on the busy life of Stephanie Jarvis. Jarvis bought the 16th-century “Chateau de Lalande” in the heart of France, 15 years ago. Ever since she has been slowly restoring the castle. A few years ago she opened it up as a B&B to supplement her renovation costs. But when the pandemic hit, all her guests cancelled their reservations and she was left with no monthly income. She had been vlogging periodically over the years but the shutdown inspired her to get serious about it!

But Garvis doesn’t live here alone! Her palace is filled with volunteers, each of whom possesses their own set of artistic skills and camera-ready stories. Her mother and her adopted brother are also two of the most hilarious personalities. This cast of characters makes watching her vlogs feel like you are stepping into her world and you get to know all of them as friends. Her channel has brought so much happiness to people all over the world. The Chateau Diaries were even covered in a recent CNN article! For those of us at home, dreaming of a life outside our four walls, her fairytale existence is just the thing we need to escape (at least virtually)! 

Crash Course

Crash Course is a series of educational videos created by Youtube royalty John and Hank Green. These two real life brothers have been on YouTube almost as long as the platform has been around and their content is some of the best of the site. This series, partnered with PBS Digital Studios, is meant as a literal “crash course” for anyone interested in learning more about world history. While the channel doesn’t physically travel to these faraway destinations, it instead dives deep into their histories and myths. From these videos you can better understand the cultural heritage of your favourite destination or learn a little bit more about someplace you’ve always dreamt of visiting. It’s endlessly fascinating and will keep you entertained for hours and hours! 

This Natasha

When I was planning my first trip to Japan, I sought so many YouTubers’ advice to learn about the country. And Natasha was my #1 resource. Natasha was lucky enough to live in Japan for a few years. Although she has now moved back to London, she has since visited Japan dozens of times and documented it for our viewing pleasure.

Natasha is the perfect resource since she has that comprehensive blend of being both a local and a tourist. Sometimes full-time locals don’t always see their cities in the same magical way that tourists do. Even the most ubiquitous things entertain me endlessly when I’m visiting a new city. And locals can’t tap into that curiosity in the same way. But Natasha has curiosity in spades! She is always investigating things and asking the questions we are dying to know! I love her trips into the country and the beautiful vistas that Japan has hidden away in the villages far away from the big cities.

Abroad in Japan

Abroad in Japan is a channel hosted by Englishman, Chris Broad. Chris is one of the funniest people on Youtube (in my obviously biased opinion). He moved to Japan from the UK in 2012 and has been there ever since. Although he started off in Japan working as an English teacher, his growing audience on Youtube allowed him to make Youtube his full-time gig. His videos focus on Japanese culture, Japanese food and travel in Japan. Since Japan hasn’t seen lockdowns as severe as elsewhere globally, he and his friends could still continue to travel the country. This series filmed during the pandemic is called “Journey Across Japan.” If you’re looking to have a laugh, see Japan from your computer chair and enjoy some exciting anecdotes, then that’s the channel for you.

Jay Swanson

Jay Swanson is an American who moved to Paris for a job and fell in love with the city so much, he has been there ever since! He loves Paris’ rich history, and his vlogs are full of fascinating anecdotes of what life in Paris is really like. Spoiler: it’s not all macaroons and berets! His life-hacks for travelling in Paris are unparalleled. And his wonderful video skills and unique vlog subjects always keep me coming back to watch week after week.

Cecilia Blomdahl

Cecilia Blomdahl is a vlogger who completely blew up this year with her addictive TikToks. Her newly created Youtube channel is all about her life on Svalbard, an arctic island close to the North Pole. Originally from Sweden, she has lived on this otherwordly island for the last 5 years. Svalbard is the northernmost town in the world! During the winter, they experience “polar night,” a phenomenon where the nighttime lasts for more than 24 hours. Conversely, in the summertime, they also have a “polar day” when the sun remains above the horizon for more than 24 hours! Whenever she leaves the house, she must be armed with a gun, in case of polar bear attacks! She is a drone instructor and her drone skills are UNREAL. All of this allows up to peek into life inside this unique village and its artful and historic glaciers that surround it.

Thomas Heaton

If you love travel photography and want to hone your skills during the pandemic, then Thomas Heaton is the channel for you! Heaton is a landscape photographer and travels to some amazingly remote locations to get shots that belong in an art gallery. His on-location videos are full of excellent tips and tricks for landscape and travel photography. Plus his destination vlogs clips take you with him on his photography adventures. His channel also has lots of technical tutorials and how-to videos to help you learn how to be a better photographer. If you find yourself with some spare time, his videos are an excellent resource for training up your skills.

Drew Binsky

Drew Binsky is probably the most well-known YouTuber on this list, but with good reason. His down to earth attitude is a refreshing take compared to many other vloggers and “influences.”. Drew’s goal is to travel to every country on earth, and he was less than 10 countries away from his plan before the pandemic struck. But that just means you have a lot of videos to catch up on! His vlogs are more like mini-documentaries, all about the unique people he meets along the way, the food they eat and the culture that defines them and their country.

I hope these vlogs help with the yearning to get out there and explore! Not only are these videos a great way to get outside your house (virtually), but they can also inspire some future trip planning. We will be back out there one day! Until then, enjoy these charming, binge-able travel vlogs!

Happy (Virtual) Travels, Adventurers

The post 11 Amazing Youtubers to Cure Your Wanderlust During Lockdown first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

It’s incredible how even seeing other people travelling the world and getting a glimpse of what was once “normal” is a great comfort. So I wanted to share with you all some of my favourite TV shows which will quench your thirst for the world outside your bedroom! This is part of my series on virtual travel which will hopefully help your wanderlust during this global pandemic.

Long Way Around, Up & Down

Way back in 2004, I watched pretty much everything that came out on Sky TV in the UK. And one of those shows was Ewan McGregor‘s ‘Long Way Around.‘ The TV series followed film star Ewan McGregor and his best friend Charley Boorman as they rode motorcycles around the world, the “long way around.” They meet amazing people along the journey, see incredible vistas, and even come up with creative ways to solve literal bumps in the road.

I fell in love with this series immediately. I had a teenage crush on Ewan McGregor, but the beauty of the places they went kept me around and has me re-watching the series pretty much once a year. Even though the series wasn’t filmed is super high def, the high-quality friendship between Ewan and his friend Charley makes up for it and presents a series that is far more charming than the slickness of say ‘Planet Earth’.

In 2007 they filmed a follow-up series called the “Long Way Down,” where they took their motorcycles across the continent of Africa. And just in time for lockdowns in 2020, they released their third series called the “Long Way Up.” Luckily they had filmed this in 2019 before any covid restrictions were put in place. This series follows them as they ride ELECTRIC motorcycles up the continent of Central and South America. This new series is filmed in high-def and is the crisp version of the show we all had been waiting for! This would be my #1 recommendation for TV shows to binge right now! I haven’t seen this show on any other list, so trust me, it’s the hidden gem you are looking for!

Where to Watch?

You can watch all three seasons on Amazon Prime or on Apple TV

An Idiot Abroad

During these turbulent times, laughter is one of the best ways to relax. And no one makes me laugh more than Karl Pilkington. I got obsessed with Karl when he popped up as the producer for Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant‘s XFM radio show way back in 2002! When the crew decided to get back together to produce this TV show I was over the moon. An Idiot Abroad follows Karl Pilkington as he travels around the world. But unlike other travel shows, Karl isn’t someone who likes to travel and would rather stay inside his British bubble.

Throughout the series, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (the producers) throw all sorts of curveballs his way and puts him in some amusing situations. His overall dislike of travel and things we typically fawn over is a hilariously refreshing point of view. While the show might revolve around someone who has no interest in seeing the wonders of the world, for those of us who love to travel, it is still a beautiful thing to watch and gives a different perspective on travelling.

Where to Watch?

You can watch An Idiot Abroad on Amazon Prime, Sky TV, and many of the episodes are available on Youtube.

Rick Steves’ Europe

My travel guru has always been Rick Steves. When I was 14, I went on my first international trip, and I had his guide book with me like my bible. His voice guided me throughout the city. I will always thank him for such a gentle and easy instruction to travelling. Rick Steves’ Europe is a series that Rick began producing for PBS in 2000. Since then, they have made over 129 episodes.! Each episode focuses on a different city in Europe and features Rick’s charming narration leading you through the best things to see and do while in town. Although the show is meant more as a travel planning guide, during lockdown it is a great way to travel to these cities from the couch!

Where to Watch?

Most of the episodes are now available on Rick Steves’ Youtube Channel.

Departures

I think that ‘Departures‘ was indeed the inspiration for the flood of Youtube travel vloggers, which exploded in the last five years. The show was initially produced for Canadian television. It was created by the three team members featured on the show, Scott Wilson, Justin Lukach and Andre Dupuis. The three friends filmed the entire show themselves, often turning the camera on “selfie-mode” since they didn’t have a camera crew. This was perhaps the spark that ignited the flame for many youtube travel vloggers to come!

The trio had seen many other travel TV shows over the years and thought they didn’t reflect their youthful experiences. They felt most travel shows were “kind of dry.” Thinking that bureaucratic pre-production and a sizeable crew was perhaps the impediment to depicting the spontaneous and exciting kind of adventures they had, they set out to create Departures. And the show indeed is a “departure” from the typical travel tv show.

Where to Watch?

You can watch Departures on Amazon prime TV or catch some of their episode highlights on youtube.

Dark Tourist 

Dark Tourist is one of those shows I love since I would never experience anything like this! I would never be brave enough to go anywhere or do anything like what this man does in the series. The show follows journalist David Farrier as he explores the scariest, most dangerous, tragic and weirdest places around the world. He is truly fearless and has that straight man comedic timing that brings some lightness and laughter to sometimes dreadful circumstances.

Where to Watch?

Dark Tourist is available to watch on Netflix.

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

I genuinely think that Anthony Bourdain‘s Parts Unknown is the #1 reason we saw such a surge in people getting more and more inspired to go to countries that aren’t just the typical honeymoon destinations. He showed the audience that you can have a culinary experience to rival Michelin star restaurants in Paris in places all over the world! The show premiered in 2013, starring acclaimed chef and personality Anthony Bourdain. Over the next five years, they filmed over 100 episodes visiting places like; Mexico City, Borneo, Beirut and Iran. While the show’s primary focus is on food, their travels through the countries and cities they visit are unique and powerful to watch.

Where to Watch?

All 12 seasons are available to watch on Amazon Prime, you can rent official episodes on Youtube, but many episodes are available for free on Youtube if you search for them.

Tales of Light

Tales of Light feels more like a dream than anything else. It’s tough to believe that the videos you’re watching are of the world you live in! The Australian docu-series follows professional photographers and filmmakers. They each travel worldwide, telling unique and personal stories about the meaningful people and places they visited. It’s very similar to the series ‘Planet Earth‘ in the way in which it is filmed. It’s one of those shows where you don’t need to feel bad about not being able to travel as most of these places are out of your reach anyway (unless you’re a deep-sea diver or can climb to the top of a volcano!) But while you might not be able to top that mountain yourself, you can still enjoy the views on your tv screen.

Where to Watch?

Tales of Light is available to watch on Netflix.

Salt Acid Fat Heat

Salt Fat Acid Heat was a show I fell in love with this past winter. The show is an American cooking documentary featuring the great Samin Nosrat. Many of my favourite travel cooking shows feature men as their host, and it was so refreshing to finally have one starring a woman! Samin Nosrat wrote a book of the same name, which they translate into this heartwarming show. While the book is also a fantastic read, the show makes you drool over the stunning colours and textures which are the four ingredients in the title! The show’s four episodes focus on Nosrat’s elemental ethos for successful cooking which is: salt, fat, acid, and heat. In each episode, Nosrat travels to different locations around the world, which are famous for that particular element. In the country of origin, she learns all about the history, cultural impact and, of course, cusine which that element is responsible for. And at the end of the series, she’ll have you ready to cook like a pro too! Perfect to practice during lockdown!

Where to Watch?

Salt Acid Fat Heat is watchable on Netflix.

Travels with my Father

Travels with My Father is another slapstick adventure featuring comedian Jack Whitehall and his truly hilarious father, Michael Whitehall. While Jack might be the self-proclaimed “comedian”, it’s Michael who almost always steals the show with his dry humour. The first seasons features the pair travelling to South East Asia. Jack felt he never got to experience a “gap year” when he was a young man and is recreating the experience with his dad. While filmed like a documentary, I have a feeling a lot of the funny situations are a bit staged. Still, nevertheless, the duo is ceaselessly amusing to watch and is another beautiful example of a travel show with a different angle to it. Travel shows don’t always have to show off manicured museums and picturesque panoramas. Sometimes travel is more about the person you are with and the ways in which you interact when put into these new and exciting situations.

Where to Watch?

Travels with my Father is available to watch on Netflix.

I hope these TV shows help with the yearning to get out there and explore! Not only are these shows a great way to get outside your house (virtually at least), but they can also inspire some ideas for future trip planning. We will be back out there one day! Until then, enjoy these charming, binge-able Travel TV shows!

Happy Virtual-Travels, Adventurers

The post The 9 Best Wanderlust TV Shows to Watch During Lockdown first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Since we can’t travel right now due to covid restrictions, I wanted to find new ways to ignite that wanderlust. Even from the comfort and safety of our home! So what better way to kick this series off than with my favourite artist: Frida Kahlo. Not only are these virtual tours a great way to entertain yourself at home, but they are also an excellent resource for future trips.

Explore Casa Azul

Truly one of my favourite places I have ever visited is the Casa Azul, in Mexico City. This gorgeous blue house, in the cozy neighbourhood of Coyoacan, is where Frida Kahlo lived as a child. It is also where she spent the better part of the end of her life. In Mexican culture, it is good luck to be born and die and in the same place. The Casa Azul is absolutely teeming with memories, influences, and the real spirit, which was Frida Kahlo. There is genuinely no better place to give you a more intimate exploration into your life than inside the Casa Azul.

During the summer of 2020, the Casa Azul Museum took it upon themselves to capture the Casa Azul in 360 degrees. With this new technology visitors from all over the world could explore the house room by room from their own home!

You can explore the entirety of the house, peeking into her kitchen, bedroom, studio and her absolutely magical garden. The virtual tour doesn’t come with any detailed information, so you can use our self-guided tour and follow along for a complete understanding of the significance of every object, painting and plant inside.

Virtual Walking Tour of Coyoacan

One of the most important places to study Frida Kahlo is in her home town neighbourhood of Coyoacán. Outside the heart of Mexico City, this little village was where Frida was born, grew up, lived, and eventually died. These streets were her playground, her studio and her home. It’s here you can get a glimpse into the life of the great artist. You can read more about Coyoacan here or take a virtual tour online.

Stream ‘Frida’

If you have never seen the 2002 biographical drama ‘Frida‘, starring Salma Hayek and directed by Julie Taymor, I would HIGHLY recommend giving it a watch! While the movie takes some liberties with her life, Julie Taymor went to great lengths to make the film look like it was plucked right out of the mind of Kahlo. Scenes contain such visually evocative sets and effects that they seem more like a moving painting than a film. Since the majority of her life was spent in Mexico, this movie takes you on a journey to the street of Mexico in the 1920s and 30s.

Watch the PBS Documentary

Suppose you are more interested in a documentary about Kahlo rather than a movie? In that case, you can watch this PBS special ‘The life and times of Frida Kahlo‘. While the special is a bit old, the fantastic personal photos they include are an intimate peek into her life and the information is unparalleled.

Explore the Appearances Can Be Deceiving Exhibit

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco hosted an exhibition called ‘Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving‘ in 2020. When the lockdown made it impossible for visitors to see it, they created a virtual tour of the exhibition. This allowed visitors from all over to the world to view the exhibition online.

In 2004, inside the Casa Azul, curators discovered a never before seen collection of Frida’s personal effects. Hidden inside a locked trunk were treasured items from her wardrobe, prosthetics, handmade jewellery, accessories, and also Frida’s personal photographs. The online video was directed by Benjamin Michel, an award-winning filmmaker specializing in cinematography. Because such care was taken in filming the exhibit, you really get an incredible experience of what it would be like to view it yourself.

Since many items found in the trunk were pieces of clothing, the close-up filming lets you see the smallest details and textures of the objects. Frida used clothing and accessories to create her image, which was also her armour. Her image is one of the most iconic things people associate with Frida. Even those who might not know what a painting of Frida’s might look like can easily describe her quintessential appearance.

Dive into the Faces of Frida

Google’s Arts and Culture department has gone to great lengths to create an online resource for art lovers. Although they have been working on these exhibits prior to lockdown, they amped up their curations to allow art lovers to get their gallery fix! Their collection of Frida Kahlo artwork, ephemera, personal objects and more is unmatched! Over 25 different museums collaborated to create this online museum collection. Their website allows the viewer to explore the myths and legends about Frida’s life and zoom in to every inch of her incredible works of art.

One of the exhibits collects both found photographs, sketches and works of art to tell her life’s story. One of my favourite online exhibitions explores Frida’s complicated and painful yet also beautiful, relationship with her body. Frida suffered from polio as a young girl. She then experienced a life-altering bus accident later in her teens, which left her permanently disabled. And yet all this fueled her love of painting as a means to express herself from the confines of a bed. Her pain and suffering throughout her life are one of the central themes of her artwork. Understanding the context of these works is a beautiful way to learn more about art and the artist.

If you have ever been interested in an in-depth guide to her thematic paintings, then check out the stories featured in the online gallery. These do a deep dive into the significance of the smallest aspects of her works of art. Her powerful and somewhat disturbing painting entitled ‘Henry Ford Hospital‘ has long been one of my favourites, and studying every last piece of imagery included gave me some beautiful insights I had never considered before!

Read a Book

Suppose you are interested in learning more about the artist but don’t want to commit to reading a lengthy biography. In that case, I cannot recommend picking up the book ‘Frida Kahlo: The Story of Her Life‘ by Vanna Vinci more! This gorgeously illustrated novel blends facts and history with dreamlike and surreal sequences. Vinci creates Frida’s dramatic, romantic, tragic and painful journey to life on the page unlike ever before. I cried reading this book and was amazed at how powerful it was. The illustrations inside are so evocative you’ll want to read it over and over again. The Mexican imagery makes you feel transported and is an excellent resource for your wanderlust!

Make Frida’s Food

Another great way to allow yourself to feel like you’re somewhere else other than inside your home is through food. If you’re like me, one of your favourite parts of travelling is getting to try traditional cultural cuisine. Frida Kahlo LOVED to cook. She portrayed food consistently throughout her paintings. Her friends and family love to talk about how she adored holding raucous dinner parties inside the Casa Azul. We actually have a lot of knowledge about the kinds of foods Frida cooked. In the book ‘Frida’s Fiestas‘, her stepdaughter created a storylike cookbook. It was made from her memories as well as personal accounts from friends and mementos from Frida’s scrapbooks. This book will take you on a journey through Mexican cuisine and is bound to ignite your inner chef!

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The Art Assignment by PBS Digital Studios has a beautiful video online all about Frida’s cooking. It even takes you through making some of her iconic recipes and explains why food was so important to Frida.

Experience the Wonders of Xochimilco

A place that was sacred to Frida was Xochimilco. Xochimilco and the surrounding Aztec waterways were where Frida and her friends would go to escape the city. A famous photo of Frida on a boat along the Xochimilco canals shows her dipping her hand into the water. She felt at home here, a place to run away from her dramatic marriage, her pain and even perhaps, herself.

Today it’s a vibrant neighbourhood where you can experience the same journey Frida would have taken. There are so many videos online which take you through these wonderfully colourful canals. With a Mezcal in hand at home, you’ll feel like you’re really there!

I hope all these resources gave you a great start to exploring the world of Frida Kahlo from the comfort of your own home. And even if we can’t get out there and travel right now, we can still ignite the spirit of adventure.

Happy At-Home-Travels, Adventurers

The post 9 Amazing At Home Frida Kahlo Travel Experiences first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.