Rodin Museum

The Musee Rodin in the 7th arrondissement of Paris is given over almost entirely to the sculptor Auguste Rodin, installed in the Hotel Biron, a rococo town palace from the 1730s on Rue de Varenne. Rodin himself rented rooms here from 1908 and in 1916 donated his entire collection to the French state on condition the house become his museum; it opened in 1919, three years after his death. Inside hang marble and bronze originals such as The Kiss and The Burghers of Calais, alongside works by Camille Claudel; outside, the three-hectare formal garden holds The Thinker, The Gates of Hell and a fragrant rose garden along the gravelled walks. Many visitors buy the cheaper garden-only ticket; the Invalides dome is a ten-minute walk away.