On the trail of Pablo Picasso's travels

Pablo Picasso spent the last decades of his life in the south of France. He is buried in the garden of Vauvenargues Castle, near the town of Aix-en-Provence. Today, the castle is privately owned — like many of Picasso's former residences — and cannot be visited. But there are plenty of other places in France and Spain where you can get close to the life and work of the famous artist.

Picasso was born in the vibrant city of Malaga, Spain in 1881. He spent the first 10 years of his life in this southern coastal city. This is also where he received his first drawing lessons from his father, a freelance painter and art teacher.

The bronze statue of Picasso is a popular photo spot. It stands in front of his birthplace in Malaga, which is now a small museum. In the museum, you can see original items such as family photos, toys, the outfit he was baptized in — even the shoes the artist wore as a baby. No one could have predicted he would grow up to change the art world.

Less than a five-minute walk from the house where the artist was born is the Museo Picasso. The museum is located in an old city palace and holds over 230 works of art by the painter, most of which were donated by his descendants. It was Picasso's wish that his works should be on display in the city where he was born.

Picasso was 14 years old when he passed the entrance examination to the renowned art school La Llotja in Barcelona in 1895. He often frequented the artists' cafe Els 4 Gats (The Four Cats), where he befriended other artists and even exhibited some of his first works. The cafe still exists today and is an important spot in Barcelona for Picasso fans.

The Museu Picasso in Barcelona provides a comprehensive overview of Picasso's early creative period — specifically the years 1895 to 1904. There are more than 4,250 of his works on display spread across five medieval palaces on Montcada Street in the La Ribera neighborhood. The museum opened in 1963 when Picasso was still alive.

In 1900, the 18-year-old Picasso came to Paris for the first time — unknown and penniless. Just a few years later he was one of the leading representatives of the Cubist movement. He lived and worked in various places in the French capital. One of them was the Bateau-Lavoir, a run-down house with numerous artists' studios in Montmartre (pictured). Today, it's still home to artists' studios.

After Picasso's death in 1973, his heirs gave many of his works to the French state in order to pay off their inheritance tax. To date, France's collection has grown to more than 5,000 works, making it one of the largest Picasso collections in the world. It can be seen in the Musee Picasso Paris, which is located in an elegant palace in the Marais district.

Picasso loved the sunlight of southern France and the beauty of Provence and the Cote d'Azur. Therefore, it was no surprise that the artist made this part of France his second home. He often moved around the region, and lived and worked in various places, including Sorgues, Arles and Antibes, just to name a few. They are all part of the Picasso route.

In 1946, Picasso came to the town of Antibes in the south of France and used part of the Grimaldi Castle, which belonged to the city, as his studio. In return, he decorated it with his artwork. Initially, the castle held 23 paintings and 44 drawings by the master artist. Over the years, the collection grew until it opened as the Musee Picasso in 1966. It was the first museum dedicated to Picasso.

Picasso lived in Vallauris, a small town with a long ceramics tradition on the Cote d'Azur, for seven years. Although he was well into his 60s, he learned the craft and created works in his unique style. Many of his ceramics can be seen in the Vallauris Museum. Picasso's sculpture "Man with Sheep" stands in a central square and was the first of his works to be installed in a public space.

Picasso spent the last 12 years of his life in Mougins, a small town near Cannes. He lived there with his last wife and muse, Jacqueline Roque. Pablo Picasso died on April 8, 1973, at the age of 91.