On a budget, Musée de l'Orangerie still earns its price.
€12.50 (free under 18 / EU under 26)
Two elliptical galleries wrap you in Monet's life-size Water Lilies, lit by daylight from above — it's a quiet, almost meditative ten minutes that the Louvre can't offer. Downstairs adds a tight, top-tier Impressionist collection.