This is the largest collection of old masters in France outside of the Louvre. Some say it is the best fine art collection outside of the Louvre. It was truly stunning. Renoirs, Monets, Manets, Vuillards, Gauguins, the Dutch masters, Degas.

The building itself is art as well, gorgeous stonework, elaborate carvings, sweeping stairways. And, unlike the Paris museums, there was room to breathe! We were able to take our time (and plenty of space) to really study the works we were interested in.

You could easily spend a day, or like we did, study the map and pick out a few areas of interest and spend a few hours. Audio tours are available upon entry for only a few euros in several languages. My only complaint was that I wished they covered more paintings.

The second floor cafe is good. The cafe's large, outdoor balcony seating in good weather is fabulous. It overlooks a beautiful courtyard garden and small fountain. This courtyard is accessible to the public for free - although few tourists seem to know this. It's a quiet, verdant sanctuary in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Presque Isle section of Lyon. There's also a small gift shop.

I'd love to go back to this museum for a day.

Photos taken with iPhone 6s Plus.