Outside of Paris, the best art museums in France are located on the Southern French coast. The South of France has been home to a wide range of famous artists throughout history - from Picasso to Van Gogh and Cézanne to Renoir. Towns such as Mougins, Arles, Collioure and Ceret all boast an impressive art heritage. Here we highlight the 10 best art museums to visit in the South of France.

Pablo Picasso lived for the last 12 years of his life in the village of Mougins, South France and this is where he died in 1973 at the age of 91. Picasso was buried close to Aix-en-Provence. Picasso had first visited Mougins in 1953 and his time in the village coincided with some important works from his 'later period'.

The Marc Chagall Museum in Nice, France, was set up under the terms of the artists will. Marc Chagall lived in St Paul de Vence near Nice, France, for a large part of his later life and he bequeathed to the city 17 separate works which make up his 'Biblical Message'.

It is quite extraordinary that the village the size of Mougins in South France has a world class Art museum to rival any National collection. But there again, there are not many villages that happen to have a multi-millionaire art collector like Christian Levett living nearby. The Mougins Classic Art Museum (MACM), was established in 2008 and is essentially a private collection open to the public. 

If you are visiting Nice this summer, then one place worth checking out is the National Sports Museum. Even if you are not a regular museum visitor, you cannot be bored with this museum in Nice. The museum of sport in Nice features some amazing sporting artefacts and memorabilia.

Musee Riguad in Perpignan is one of the most interesting Art Museums in Southern France. This old 17th century Palace, was originally the workshop of the artist Hyacinthe Rigaud, a favourite of the court of Louis XIV. But it later served as a studio for a range of famous artists such as Picasso, Dufy, Maillol and Cocteau.

The modern art museum ( the Carre d'Art), in the city of Nimes, South France, is a stunning piece of modern architecture designed by English architect, Norman Foster. The museum was built in 1993 and quickly established itself as one of the best museums of contemporary art in South France. Musee Carré d'Art hosts a number of visiting modern art exhibitions.

Within the charming framework of the village of Bouzigues (see Bouzigues), the Musee de L'Etang de Thau provides an interesting exposition of the ancient skill of shell-fish raising as well as traditional fishing techniques.

The little Languedoc coastal town of Serignan, just south of Beziers, is home to not only a modern art gallery, but also a popular contemporary theatre. In the centre of Serignan, a small hard working old Languedoc wine town, you will find a modern art gallery housed in a disused wine warehouse.

The beautiful coastal town of Collioure in Southern France, has been home to an impressive array of artistic talent, including Matisse, Picasso, Dufy, Derain, Charles Rennie McIntosh and Maillol - all of whom were attracted by attracted by Collioure's "special light". With over thirty galleries, a Modern Art Museum and many resident artists still working in and around the town, Collioure is right to proclaim itself the "Town of Artists".

Montpellier's famed Modern Art Museum, Musee Fabre, has just completed a Euros 62m facelift. The museum has added a new wing and constructed a new walkway up to Musee Fabre. If you are looking for things to do in Montpellier, France, then a visit to this excellent art museum is well worth the entry price

If you are a lover of history then you are in luck in the South of France. There are some excellent Languedoc museums covering a range of historical periods from the Dinosaurs through to the local resistance movement of the Second World War. Here is just a selection of our favourite 5 Languedoc museums.

I reckon that Musee de l'Arles Antique, located in the city of Arles, is one of the best modern buildings I have seen. Arles' archaeology museum, was designed by Henri Ciriani and looks brilliant. The museum features a range of artefacts from the Roman period, including a scale model of the original Roman town of Arles.

Situated in a small valley, insulated from the outside world, lies the Abbey of Fontfroide. This is one of largest Cistercian monasteries in France and a popular Languedoc site.

Close to Nimes, you will find this wonderfully exotic garden, perfect for spending a day out in Languedoc. Created in 1855, La Bambouseraie was the first collection of bamboo plants seen in Europe.

The excellent Villa Loupian Site Gallo-Romain museum of a Roman settlement in Languedoc provides an excellent day out for you and the children.

Vincent van Gogh is linked to two main places in the South of France: Arles and Saint Remy de Provence. He had initially travelled to the South of France from Paris in the hope of improving his health. It has been estimated that the combined value of his work from his 15 month period in the South of France, is well over $1.5 billion.

If you are a lover of history then you are in luck in the South of France. There are some excellent South France museums covering a range of historical periods from the Dinosaurs through to the local resistance movement of the Second World War. Here is just a selection of our favourite 5 South of France museums.

The South of France has been home to a wide range of famous artists throughout history. Towns such as Arles, Montpellier, Toulouse, Collioure and Ceret all boastan impressive art heritage. Van Gogh, Gaughin, Picasso, Lautrec, Chagall, Miro, the Fauvist movement, and the Cubists group of painters have all come to work in the South of Francefor the "special light" and create some fantastic art and paintings. Go Languedoc! selects the best art galleries and sites to visit in the South of France.