Museum Duo

CP001

Tuesday, June 8 and Friday, June 18

This summer’s museum series is centered on the Impressionist movement. In conjunction with the day trip to Monet’s Giverny, these visits are an excellent way to learn about Impressionism, and to see Paris’ various Impressionist collections.

These afternoon visits will be given by the museums’ professional guides, and the start times will be confirmed to students upon arrival at AUP.

Maximum: 20 students

Cost: €30 for both visits

Cost includes entrance fees, guided visits, and VAT.

Musée Marmottan

This museum, located off the quiet Ranelagh Gardens, houses the private collection of the 19th-century industrialist Jules Marmottan, and his son Paul. Upon Paul’s death, the collection, together with the family home, was left to the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Among the paintings are numerous works by Monet and other Impressionists, forming a collection second only to that of the Musée d'Orsay.

Musée de l’Orangerie

In 1920, Claude Monet donated his series of water lily paintings called the Nymphéas to the French Republic and this museum, located in the Tuileries Garden, was chosen to house them. The galleries upstairs were all specially renovated to exhibit the Nymphéas, while the lower level exhibits works by other famous painters such as Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley.

Giverny Day Trip

CP002

Saturday, June 12

The serene landscape and constantly changing patterns of light along the Seine were a major source of inspiration for the many 19th-century artists drawn to this region. In the morning, travel by bus from Paris to Giverny to start with a guided tour of the new Musée des Impressionnismes (formerly the Musée d’Art Américain). After lunch in the museum’s terrace-café, stroll down the road to the Fondation Monet and visit the residence where Claude Monet lived for over forty years. The world-famous gardens, restored to their original glory, were Monet's passion. See the setting for the famous Water Lily paintings and visit the artist's home, where an impressive collection of Japanese prints is on display.

Minimum: 18 students | Maximum: 30 students

Cost: €100

Cost includes private coach transportation, lunch, entrance fees, guided visits, and VAT.

Champagne Region Day Trip

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Saturday, June 26

Champagne, the region between Lorraine and Paris, is the only internationally recognized source of real champagne. Learn about the rigorous méthode champenoise that makes this wine so special that it has come to symbolize the essence of celebration the world over. The drive will take you through the region’s rolling hills to Reims where you will have a guided tour of a champagne cellar. Lunch will be served in a nearby country inn and will be followed by a visit to a smaller, family-owned cellar for a private tasting. You will return to Paris in the evening.

Minimum: 15 students | Maximum: 25 students

Cost: €125

Cost includes private coach transportation, lunch, entrance fees, guided visits, and VAT.

Provence Excursion

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Friday, July 2 – Sunday, July 4

Discover the history, gastronomy, and natural beauty of the south of France during this weekend excursion. After arriving in Avignon Friday afternoon by high-speed train, learn more about the city’s famous bridge and Papal Palace during a guided walking tour of the old town. Saturday morning, after breakfast at the hotel, depart by bus to visit the winemaking village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a cellar visit and wine tasting. Dine at a Provençal restaurant for lunch, and afterwards the driver will take you to the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct and UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit the on-site museum to learn about the construction of the bridge, and then take some time to explore the site on your own. On Sunday, spend the morning exploring the markets of Avignon, and return to Paris by train late that afternoon.

Minimum: 10 students | Maximum: 16 students

Cost: €385

Cost includes round-trip train transportation, hotel accommodations with breakfast, on-site coach transportation, guided visits, entrance fees, one lunch and VAT.

Fête de la Musique

Monday, June 21

Join the French as they dance in the streets, celebrating all forms of music. Free outdoor concerts are held throughout the city from the afternoon until the wee hours of the morning. AUP will compile a list of the main activities to help you choose how to best spend your day and evening.

Bastille Day Festivities

Wednesday, July 14

The 14th of July begins with the annual parade down the Champs Elysées and continues with abundant festivities on this exciting national holiday. At night, you can dance at the firemen’s ball and take in the fireworks. AUP will compile a list of the main activities to help you choose how to best spend the day.

Paris Underground: Visits below Street Level

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Friday afternoons June 4 and 25

The Cultural Programs Office presents a two-visit series this summer to see what lies beneath the streets of Paris. The Catacombes and the Egouts, or sewers, are the two underground spaces in Paris which are open to public visits.

These afternoon visits will be given by the museums professional guides or by AUP professors, and the start times will be confirmed to students upon arrival at AUP.

Cost: €30 for both visits

Cost includes entrance fees, guided visits, and VAT.

Les Catacombes

As part of Paris’ underground quarry system, the Catacombes were used to empty out the city’s central cemeteries in the 18th and 19th centuries. About 65 feet below ground and one mile long, the part of the Catacombes open to visitors houses human bones which have been organized and stacked by body part.

Les Egouts de Paris

Every modern metropolitan city has a complex sewer system, and Paris is no different. In the early 20th century, visitors to Paris’ sewers could ride through on suspended carts, and later, in boats. The boats and carts are now gone, but you can still get a glimpse of the sewers from the Musée des Egouts.

Cultural Program: AH 224 Study Trip to London

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TBD