The best free museums and galleries in Europe

萝莉射区

Museum-mooching can be a pricey pursuit, but there鈥檚 no need to dust the cobwebs off your wallet to enjoy these esteemed collections. This extract from Lonely Planet's new edition of tells you where to see world-class art and ancient artifacts in Europe without spending a penny.

The Prado 鈥� Spain

Formerly a royal collection, this feast of fine art is now free every evening. One of the world鈥檚 greatest galleries, it boasts paintings by Goya, Raphael, Rubens and more.

; Paseo del Prado, Madrid, Spain; free evenings Mon-Sun.

A shot downwards of a long hallway lined with paintings — See historic paintings for free in the Civic Guard Gallery, or Shuttersgalerij, in Amsterdam 漏 Martin Moos / Lonely Planet

Schuttersgalerij 鈥� Netherlands

One of the world鈥檚 only "museum streets", the walk-through Civic Guard Gallery at the Amsterdam Museum mixes historic portraits with a sprinkling of Dutch Masters, some amusing modern artwork and a 350-year-old statue of Goliath.

; Kalverstraat 92, Amsterdam, Netherlands; free.

A close-up of a section of wall which gives way to a series of metal supports embedded in the ground — The open-air Berlin Wall Memorial is a moving insight into the realities of life in war-time Berlin 漏 Torval Mork / Shutterstock

Berlin Wall Memorial 鈥� Germany

This poignant museum preserves the last surviving piece of the Berlin Wall, tells the story of the ghost station of Nordbahnhof S-Bahn, and relates tales of horror, heroism and hope on Bernauer Strasse.

; Bernauer Strasse 119, Berlin, Germany; free.

Graffiti on a wall of a man looking out of a window with a woman standing behind him. A naked man dangles from the window ledge — You'll spot many murals and artworks on a stroll around Bristol's streets 漏 1000 Words / Shutterstock

Bristol Street Art 鈥� England

Free-range chinstrokers can enjoy some of the world鈥檚 best modern street art in Bristol. In Banksy鈥檚 home town, the al-fresco scene is sensational, with public spaces splattered with murals and installations by guerrilla artists.

; Bristol, England; free.

A room with walls painted with murals of woodland and birds, with an ornate table and two chairs in the center — The Mus茅e Carnavalet reopened in 2021 after a five-year renovation 漏 Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images

Mus茅e Carnavalet 鈥� France

History meets art in this peculiarly , where 100 Tardis-like rooms transport visitors through time, via paintings and artifacts from the City of Light鈥檚 illuminating past.

; 16 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, Paris, France; closed Mon; free.

British Museum 鈥� England

London鈥檚 full of famous freebies, but this , packed with souvenirs accumulated during Britain's years of colonization, is top. You鈥檒l never get around in one day 鈥� just come back.

; Great Russell St, London, England; free.

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This article was originally published on August 1, 2016.