Picasso x Paul Smith in Paris
Picasso may have been Spanish, but it’s France that has one of the best collections of his work. The Musée Picasso is marking 50 years since the artist’s death with a unique prospect: a collaboration with designer Paul Smith. The exhibition runs until August 27, and celebrates the two creatives’ shared love of punchy colour. Nearby, contemporary Centre Pompidou has its own appeal, with exhibitions on post-war sculptor Germaine Richier and British architect Norman Foster (from May 10). Or head to the recently restored Petit Palais for a 400-work exhibition themed around 19th-century actress Sarah Bernhardt. It opens on April 14.
Beyond the art: The streets of the Marais, by Musée Picasso, are stuffed with indie boutiques; try Koshka for ethical clothing or Dominique Dahan for jewellery.
Stay: At Hôtel Madame Rêve (madamereve.com, from £723), a reimagined former post office, peruse 800 pieces of mail-themed art. You can book a package that includes entry to the Louvre – just a few minutes’ walk away.
Richter in Berlin
German artist Gerhard Richter is A Big Deal in contemporary art, with a striking body of work spanning from photorealism to abstract expressionism. From April 1 the New National Gallery, near Berlin’s Tiergarten park, is showcasing 100 of the 91-year-old’s works – including Holocaust commentary cycle ‘Birkenau’, made in 2014. Elsewhere in the city, politically driven US artist Martin Wong has an extensive exhibition at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, and from April 28-30 the annual Gallery Weekend Berlin showcases work from 80 artists across 50 different city venues.
Beyond the art: Wander the leafy Tiergarten towards Brandenburg Gate, stopping off at alfresco beer gardens for a cooling pilsner.
Stay: Set in the southwest of Tiergarten, funky 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin (25hours-hotels.com, from £163) has a 10th-floor Monkey Bar perched above the city and jungle-themed rooms with hammocks.
Rainbows in Milan
Who doesn’t love a rainbow? Factory-turned-chic-art-space Mudec puts rainbow joy in art, design, science and everyday life at the forefront until July 2. Meanwhile at royal palace-cum-museum Palazzo Reale video art star Bill Viola has an exhibit until June 25 showcasing over a dozen engaging works. While it doesn’t start until October 13, this year also sees an epic medieval El Greco exhibit hit Palazzo Reale too – in the meantime you can get your old masters fix at lauded Ambrosiana, a celebrated centre for fine art. Or at Santa Maria delle Grazie: home to a little painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, called ‘The Last Supper’. Perhaps you’ve heard of it.
Beyond the art: Milan’s famous Duomo cathedral is a piece of art in itself, with an elaborate white façade giving way to an interior dripping in pink and grey marble. Or if you have time, expand out your exploration to other Italian cities – Art History Abroad runs group and individual tailor-made trips themed around the country’s rich art heritage.
Stay: Just-opened Casa Baglioni (baglionihotels.com, from £705) is set in arts and design district Brera, and has a restaurant by Michelin-rated chef Claudio Sadler.
Gardens in Basel
When in Basel, art lovers flock to Vitra Campus – and its Design Museum, Piet Oudolf garden and architectural gems by the likes of Zaha Hadid and Sir Nicholas Grimshaw (no, not Grimmy). And it’s just got even better with the opening of Vitra Garden House, designed by Japanese architect Tsuyoshi Tane; twinned with a Garden Futures exhibition lasting until October. Elsewhere, annual fair Art Basel takes place June 15-18 and brings together work by 4,000 artists from five continents. Renzo Piano-designed Fondation Beyeler has a Picasso exhibition; and Kunstmuseum Basel is showcasing 49 pieces from Ukraine’s Kyiv National Art Gallery.
Beyond the art: Get outdoors and wander through Basel’s charming Altstadt – all pretty squares and fountains, spired churches and cobbled alleyways.
Stay: Two historic townhouses were knocked together to form Der Teufelhof Basel (teufelhof.com, from about £132), a funky hotel where nine rooms have been decorated – sometimes dramatically so – by artists.
Monet in Monaco
The reasoning for its staging is tenuous – the 140th anniversary of Monet’s first visit to Monte Carlo – but so what? The ‘Monet in Full Light’ exhibition at Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum will showcase around a hundred of the Impressionist painter’s works, and it’s bound to be fabulous. It’s one of the largest exhibitions on the painter in a decade and will follow his work on the Riviera, including a never-seen-before piece, from July 8 until September 3. For contemporary visuals instead, visit the recently launched Monaco branch of Brit gallery Hauser & Wirth or Carré Doré.
Beyond the art; Despite its compact footprint, Monaco is packed with sights. Wander succulent-studded gardens before exploring prehistoric caves at the Jardin Exotique or see tropical fish at the vast Oceanographic Museum.
Stay: This is Monaco, after all, so pull out all the stops; the glamourous Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo (metropole.com, from £422) has been styled by Karl Lagerfeld and Didier Gomez and has a new restaurant by chef Christophe Cussac.
Photography in Stockholm
What’s more thrilling for a gallery lover than a new gallery space? Just-opened Picture This is among Scandinavia’s largest spaces for photo art, set in a historic building on Södermalm island. Kicking the exhibition rota off is Swedish photographer Helena Blomqvist’s ‘On the Ending of Species’ – a thoughtful look at the plight of endangered animals. Meanwhile agenda-setting modern gallery Bonniers Konsthall is exhibiting more Swedish talent – for example, identity-based works by Tarik Kiswanson – and until October 1 Artipelag hosts a retrospective on a century of Nordic art.
Beyond the art: Contrast all that contemporary art with Stockholm’s old-school side; tour Skansen, an open-air museum with historic houses, or shop the boutiques of Gamla Stan (old town). If you still want art, check out the metro system – nearly a hundred stations feature paintings, mosaics and sculpture from different artists.
Stay: Continue the Nordic art theme at Diplomat Hotel (diplomathotel.com, from £279). It has its own onsite gallery showing Swedish talent, such as photographer Denise Grünstein and visual artist Maria Friberg.
Installations in Normandy
It’s not just Europe’s cities that have a packed exhibition calendar. The Orne department of Normandy is pushing the boat out with a fresh summer programme of contemporary art, with artist installations cropping up from June through to September. Set in everything from castles to chapels and woodlands, each one interacts with its space in a unique way. Ready for some more trad art? You’re spoiled for choice in the wider Normandy region, with the Museum of Impressionisms at Monet’s old stomping ground in Giverny and that world-famous tapestry in Bayeux.
Beyond the art: Poking around Normandy’s seaside towns like Honfleur, Cabourg, Deauville and Trouville is dreamy. Stop off for a platter of fruits de mer and look out to bobbing boats.
Stay: With its old stone frontage and beamed ceilings, cosy Ferme de la Rançonnière (ranconniere.fr, from £113) oozes atmospheric Normandy charm, pretty as a painting.
Sorolla in Valencia
Spain’s Valencia was home to portrait and landscape pro Joaquín Sorolla, and now – 100 years after his death – the seaside city is celebrating his creative contribution with a dedicated Year of Sorolla. With exhibitions, guided walks and even a themed food experience on the cards, it’s chance to get to know the place that inspired his masterful work from a new perspective. What’s more, new contemporary hotspot Hortensia Herrero Art Centre will open later this year, housing everything from Anisha Kapoors to Georg Baselitzs – a good addition to a city art scene that already holds vast Museu de Belles Artes.
Beyond the art: If the sun’s out (and it probably will be), hit the beach – the city lays claim to nearly 20km of golden sands, perfect for swimming or surfing.
Stay: Cheerful and thrifty, art-themed Casual de las Artes Valencia (casualhoteles.com, from £47) has replicas of world-famous masterpieces – like a monochrome version of Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’ – hung in its rooms.
Belvedere birthday in Vienna
It’s one big celebration at Vienna’s landmark Belvedere this year as the museum blows the candles out on its 300th birthday cake. It’s celebrating in style, with an exhibition on painter Gustav Klimt, and his contemporaries and influences (until May 29). Compiled in conjunction with Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, it features a star-studded selection of 90 works from the likes of Van Gogh, Matisse, Rodin and Whistler – and Klimt himself. Meanwhile the Albertina is also in party mode, marking the 20th anniversary of its reopening with exhibitions on printmaking. Andy Warhols and Damien Hirsts are on show until July 23.
Beyond the art: After all that walking around Vienna’s vast museums, there’s zero guilt when indulging in a chocolatey slice of the city’s signature Sacher-Torte at Café Sacher.
Stay: With rooms overlooking the Albertina, The Guesthouse Vienna (theguesthouse.at, from £242) has sleek design and striking photography lining the walls.
