For some, it may seem strange to walk away from social environments and may be a little difficult to get used to it. However, this should not prevent you from taking a culture trip. Here are some 17 virtual museums, compiled by the travel website Enuygun, that you can visit from the safety of your living room.
British Museum
The British Museum is home to thousands of historical artifacts and can take up your entire day if you want to physically explore the museum. However, virtual tours offer a way to see important artifacts, such as the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies, without getting up from your sofa.
The Louvre
France's The Louvre is the largest museum in the world. It houses the works of the world's leading artists. It is also is a physical feat to cover in a single day, but you take a virtual tour and see the Apollo Gallery and the Egyptian artifacts.
Iconic Guggenheim Museum
New York's Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, displays some of the most important modern and contemporary artworks. The museum is known for its unique architecture, not just in New York but the world over. Now you can virtually walk on its iconic spiral staircase without moving your legs.
Rahmi M. Koç Museum
With a collection that grows richer with age, Istanbul's Rahmi M. Koç Museum also hosts many events. It is very easy to visit the museum from home and witness the development of industry, transportation and communication throughout history. You can examine historical developments in transportation, communication and industrial areas with a single click.
Musée d'Orsay, an old railway station
You can see the works of impressionist painters Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Paul Cezanne, as well as Francois Auguste Rene Rodin and Paul Gauguin’s sculptures in France's Musee d'Orsay. You can walk around with your fingertips in this famous museum online.
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art, one of the most famous museums in the U.S., has more than 2,000 works. You can tour this museum for free on the internet. The core collection includes major works of art donated by Paul Mellon, Ailsa Mellon Bruce, Lessing J. Rosenwald, Samuel Henry Kress, Rush Harrison Kress, Peter Arrell Browne Widener, Joseph E. Widener and Chester Dale.
Pergamon Museum
While visiting this museum in Berlin, where the works from Turkey's Bergama and Milet are exhibited, you will come across the familiar communities of Anatolia. Now you can see works like the Babylonian Ishtar Gate and the Pergamon Altar virtually.
Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum is one of the most important museums in the Netherlands. Here you can see works by artists of the Dutch Golden Age, including Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn and Jan Vermeer. Having one of the largest collections in the world, the museum is one of an indispensable part of a trip to Amsterdam. You can explore this museum online while your physical body is stuck at home.
Istanbul Toy Museum
Located in Göztepe, Istanbul the Toy Museum appeals to visitors, young and old, and warms the cockles of the heart. You can virtually visit this museum, which houses toys from the Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution.
Van Gogh Museum
Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh produced nearly 2,000 works in just 10 years during his 37-year life. Although his works are now widely admired, Van Gogh could not shake mental illness during his lifetime. After his death, his brother Theo Van Gogh helped collect his works and took the first steps to open this museum. Now you can visit its collection with a single click.
The Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery sheds light on Renaissance Art. The museum is a top tourist destination in Florence, Italy. It displays works by several notable artists, including Sandro Botticelli, Flippo Lippi and Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Don't worry if you haven't had a chance to visit the museum yet. You can catch up online.
Vatican Museum
It can take an entire day to visit the Vatican Museum, the largest museum in the world's smallest country. The museum hosts thousands of tourists every year. It is home to many important sculptures and works of art. You may need to have at least an hour to explore the fine craftsmanship on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Fortunately, now you can easily examine it at your leisure online and without getting a neckache.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The stairs in the front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York – one of the largest art galleries in the world with more than 2 million artworks – is as famous as the museum itself. You can see the museum's collection by artists such as Paul Jackson Pollock and Van Gogh online without stepping outside.
Hermitage Museum
The Russian Museum, which contains about 3 million works of art, is in the Guinness Book of Records for its large collection of paintings. The building is considered one of the best examples of Baroque architecture. You can discover this important with just one click.
Panorama 1453 History Museum
Istanbul's Panorama 1453 History Museum helps you to relive the moment when Mehmed the Conqueror conquered Istanbul. You can now hear the sounds of gun reports, Mehter Marches and Mehmed the Conqueror’s call on his troops on your computer's speakers by visiting the museum's website.
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
Located in Seoul, this is South Korea's most popular modern and contemporary art museum and is home to national artifacts dating back to different eras. Sitting at home, you can examine these special works online almost as if you were actually in the Far East.
Dali Museum
This museum in the U.S. was a municipal theater hall during Dali’s lifetime and hosted the surrealist painter's first exhibition. The museum now hosts Dali’s own collection consisting of 4,000 works, and you guessed it, you can see them online.
