Artsy picnic
Posted on 06 June 2012 by citymag
It looks like a film set or an impressionist painting: a picnic, complete with a tastefully filled basket and a perfect-looking blanket spread out in an idyllic garden. However, you’ll find all of this in the middle of the city, at the Villa Vauban. The grounds of the city’s museum of fine arts will be open for luncheons on the grass all summer, be it romantic picnics, midday breaks with colleagues and friends or entertaining moments with the kids (games for children are available on site).
The concept is straightforward: you order your food by phone (26 89 77 36) or online on www.altrimenti.lu (this can be done up to 10 a.m. the same day) and when you’re ready to eat, you simply go and pick up your picnic basket (and a blanket) at the Villa Vauban and find the best spot to settle down in the garden. On top of this, a free admission to the museum is included, in case you feel like taking a little artsy stroll after your meal (which we strongly recommend – the Trésors de la collection Brukenthal exhibit is totally worth it!).
The Italian-style picnic basket is available every day from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. except on Tuesdays and Sundays. In addition, on Fridays, it’s also possible to have an after hours picnic from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. And there’s no need to worry about the weather. If grey clouds suddenly appear, a special picnic area has been installed inside the Villa Vauban so you can eat without getting wet. “The purpose at these picnics is to get people to come and enjoy the garden so they’re not afraid of going into the museum afterwards – especially as some aren’t aware that it is a museum!” says Boris Fuge of les 2 Musées de la Ville de Luxembourg.
Since it reopened two years ago, the Villa Vauban has strived to show its collection of classic art in a more appealing and easily approachable way. This also transpires in the museum’s new magazine: La Villa which is now published to coincide with every new exhibition. “We wanted to offer a medium containing everything on display, something to take home and look through calmly. In addition to all the photos and texts from the exhibition, you’ll also find articles to go a bit further down the discovery lane.”
