Musée d'Art Roger Quilliot Clermont-Ferrand

Housed in an Ursuline convent 3km northeast of central Clermont, the city’s premier gallery takes design cues from NYC’s Guggenheim, its white spiral staircase linking various centuries of European art. Head upstairs for 17th-century European masterworks, or down for the medieval art annexe, packed with religious art relics dating back to the 7th century. Take tram A from place de Jaude. For local insights, don’t skip floor minus two, which showcases a stunning collection of mostly 20th-century art assembled by Clermontois collectors.