Best Museums in Munich

Munich is a vibrant German city with a rich historical, cultural and artistic heritage. Its streets are home to a wide variety of museums, catering to all tastes and ages. You'll find everything from ancient art to contemporary innovation.

Among the things to see and do in Munich, a visit to a few museums is a must. You can check out the Glyptothek Museum, with its Greco-Roman art; the FC Bayern Erlebniswelt Museum, dedicated to the Bayern football club; the BMW Museum, with the history of this emblematic brand and many others that I will list below.

In the city of Munich you will find the FC Bayern Erlebniswelt Museum, whose exhibits are dedicated to the famous local football club, Bayern. Its history, achievements and impact on the sporting world.

The exhibition area of this museum is over 3,000 square metres, where you will see all the trophies and awards the club has managed to accumulate since its foundation in 1900, including the UEFA Champions League, the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal. Also, the evolution of the dressing room and the equipment worn by the players.

In the museum rooms you will also have access to photographs and interesting multimedia and interactive content. You will enjoy a life-size projection in which you will meet the legends of German football such as Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller. Also, the current line-up.

Afterwards, you can take the opportunity to visit the home of FC Bayern, the Allianz Arena stadium. This footballing temple is about two minutes away from the museum, so if you are a fan of the club, you could plan a guided tour of the FC Bayern stadium.

Some useful information

• Admission: from €12 per person. The stadium tour is not included with the ticket.
• Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 18:00.
• Location: Werner Heisenberg Allee 25 80939 Munich. Germany.

With an area of about 5,000 square metres and a stunning circular architecture, the BMW Museum shows the evolution of automotive design and technology of this important German brand. An ideal destination if you love engines, cars and motorbikes.

The museum has interesting permanent exhibits that will take you deep into the history of BMW. You'll see some of the brand's treasures: the first engine they made for the aircraft (1916), the first motorbike (1923) and the first car (1928). You will also find a room with advertising elements: advertisements, posters, etc.

Another attraction of the museum is the impressive collection of the BMW series, from the classic BMW 3 Series to the BMW M and motorbikes from the last 80 years. In addition, there is the virtual reality area. You can experience the unique experience of driving a BMW car or motorbike.

The MRW Museum is well connected to the city centre, so you can easily reach it in just 20 minutes by car. In addition, this destination is included in the route and stops of the Munich sightseeing bus.

Useful information

• Admission: approximately €10 per person.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
• Location: Am Olympiapark 2, 80809 Munich, Germany.

Another of Munich's top museums is the Glyptothek, built by Leo von Klenze between 1816 and 1830 on the orders of Ludwig I of Bavaria. This impressive neoclassical building, reminiscent of the Athens of Greece, exhibits an impressive Greco-Roman collection: sculptures, mosaics and reliefs.

In the German Athens, as this museum is known, you will have the opportunity to discover an extensive collection of sculptures dating from 650 BC to 550 AD. You will see a portrait of Homer, the Kuros of Munich, the Medusa of Rondanini, among others. There is also an exhibition of Roman busts.

If you are a lover of both Greek and Roman art, and plan to be in Munich for more than two days, the Glyptothek is a place that can be visited in a minimum time of one hour, so you will have time to enjoy other activities throughout the day, perhaps joining a guided tour of Munich, visiting the Viktualienmarkt, etc.

Useful information

• Admission: the cost starts at around €6 per person.
• Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (10:00 to 20:00). Tuesdays and Thursdays (10am-5pm).
• Location: Konigsplatz 3 80333 Munich. Germany.

The Pinakothek Moderne in Munich is a museum opened in 1992, characterised by its impressive collections, ranging from modern art to graphic art. In its rooms you will find paintings, sculptures, models, photographs and many other art treasures. The museum houses more than 4,000 works of art.

The museum is housed in a five-storey building, which stands out for its concrete and glass façade. Inside you will find several areas organised by theme, starting with the modern art collection. This shows the main artistic movements of the 20th century such as Pop Art, Cubism, Surrealism, etc.

You can also see a collection of contemporary art, with pieces dating from 1960 onwards; thedesign collection**,** dedicated to the decorative arts with more than 70,000 objects; the collection of works on paper, which exhibits works by German, Italian and Dutch artists.

At the end of your visit, you can continue to discover the city. There are many places of interest nearby, such as the Nymphenburg Castle(10 minutes), considered one of the best castles in Munich. You can also connect with a bicycle tour of Munich, take a ride on the sightseeing buses, etc.

Useful information

• Admission: the price is about €10 per person.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday (10:00 to 18:00), closing time on Thursdays is extended to 20:00.
• Location: Barer Str. 40, 80333 Munich. Germany.

The Bavarian National Museum, founded in 1858 by order of King Maximilian II of Bavaria, is a place that exhibits everything related to the art of southern Germany. The museum houses important collections with paintings, sculptures and objects that will take you on a journey through 11 centuries, starting from the Middle Ages.

The museum has three floors spread over 13,000 square metres. Its rooms display a variety of items from the 18th and 19th centuries. You will see the collection of Gothic sculptures by Riemenschneider from Würzburg. There are also Baroque and Renaissance works, a series of silver pieces, musical instruments, armour, costumes and furniture.

There is also an exhibition of approximately 1,600 nativity scenes, handmade between the 15th and 19th centuries. Access to these rooms is available all year round, but they are certainly not to be missed if you visit this Munich museum at Christmas.

Useful information

• Admission: the cost is around €12 per person.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday (10am-5pm), Thursdays until 8pm.
• Location: Prinzregentenstraße 3, 80538 Munich. Germany.

Inaugurated in 1903, the Deutsches Museum stands out as another must-see in Munich. Its halls are dedicated to technology and science, offering a collection of over 100,000 objects, permanent exhibitions, a range of interactive exhibits for all ages, science shows and laboratories.

The building is located on an island in the Isar River (city centre) and its interior is divided into some 35 sections. You'll see interactive models showing technological and scientific development; physics and astronomy exhibits, with telescopes, some discoveries and experiments.

The museum also houses exhibits on maritime exploration, including historic ships, a U1 submarine, etc.; natural science exhibits, focusing on biology and ecology. Ideal if you are in Munich with children, as they can learn about the environment in an entertaining way.

Useful information

• Admission: the cost is approximately €15 per person.
• Opening hours: daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Location: Museumsinsel 1 80538 Munich. Germany.

The Old Pinakothek in Munich dates back to the 16th century as a royal collection and is now one of the most important museums in Germany. Its halls display an extensive collection of paintings, ranging from the medieval period to the early 20th century.

Over the years, the museum's collection, initiated by King Ludwig I of Bavaria, has been enriched. Today, it houses approximately 8000 works of art, of which at least 700 are on display.

During your tour of the Old Picture Gallery in Munich you will see an astonishing display of old paintings of Spanish, Italian and French origin , chronologically arranged from the 16th to the 18th century. You will also have the opportunity to discover interesting works by some German and Flemish masters.

A curious fact about this museum is that it is the only one in Germany that has a work by the Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is the Virgin of the Carnation, painted between 1478 and 1480. You can delight in contemplating this painting, which is 62 centimetres high and 47.5 centimetres wide.

Useful information

• Admission: the price is around €9 per person.
• Opening hours: Tuesday and Wednesday (10am-6pm), Thursday to Sunday (10am-6pm). Closed every Monday.
• Location: Barer Str. 27, 80333 Munich. Germany.

The Brandhorst Museum has been in the city since 2009 and was founded on the initiative of private collectors Udo Fritz-Hermann and Anette Brandhorst. Although it is a fairly young museum, its rooms offer more than 700 valuable works of contemporary art from the end of the 20th century.

The building has a picturesque façade, clad with some 26,000 tiles in 23 different colours . All of them are joined together vertically, creating an amazing chromatic effect.

Inside the museum, there are three exhibition halls spread over a space of at least 3,200 square metres. You can see a selection of important artists such as Andy Warhol, Sigmar Polke, Joseph Beuys, Mario Merz, John Chamberlain, among others.

It is worth mentioning that the work of the artist Cy Twombly occupies an entire room in the museum. It is an exhibition comprising 12 large-format paintings, which is the basis of the style of this American abstract painter.

Useful information

• Admission: approximately €7 per person.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday (10:00 to 18:00) Thursday (10:00 to 20:00). Closed every Monday.
• Location: Theresienstraße 35 Munich. Germany.

If you are enthusiastic about Egyptian culture, then the State Museum of Egyptian Art in the city of Munich is the place for you. There, you will discover an amazing collection of statues, reliefs and paintings spanning an extensive period, from the pre-dynastic to the dynastic.

In the museum's rooms you can see the so-called Munich State Collection of Egyptian Art, which originates from the Bavarian princes of the Renaissance. They made important acquisitions of sarcophagi, papyri and other pieces for their personal collections. Today, these relics are brought together in the same building.

Throughout the rooms you will see a large collection of Egyptian statues, considered to be the most important in Europe. There are also reliefs, textiles, cult objects, clay vessels, models, sarcophagi, amulets, ancient artefacts and much more. In total, there are more than 8,000 exhibits.

No matter whether you visit Munich in winter, summer or any other time of the year. If you are interested in ancient Middle Eastern art, the Museum of Egyptian Art is a good choice to incorporate into your museum tour of the city.

Useful information

• Admission: the price is around €7 per person.
• Opening hours: Tuesday (10am-8pm), Wednesday to Sunday (10am-6pm). Closed every Monday.
• Location: Gabelsbergerstraße 35 80333 Munich. Germany.

Built on the site of the former Nazi Party headquarters in Munich, the Braunes Haus, today stands a modern building, home to the National Socialist Documentation Centre. It is a museum that shows the different aspects of the Nazi regime in the city and its effect on society.

Exploring the museum you will find an interesting permanent exhibition consisting of a number of original photographs and documents, propaganda and some objects from the period, which perfectly illustrate the ideology of Nazism. You will see all this material arranged chronologically in the rooms, which makes it easy to walk through and understand.

You will have the opportunity to learn about the origins of the Nazi party in the city up to the arrival of democracy, including the development of the regime during the Second World War and its inevitable fall. In addition, the museum has a library with multimedia tables and a wealth of information, so you can delve deeper into the subject of National Socialism.

In fact, if you are passionate about this historical subject and the timing of your itinerary allows it. During your stay you could join one of the best World War II tours in Munich.

Useful information

• Admission: free of charge.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday (10:00 to 19:00). Closed on Mondays.
• Location: Max Mannheimer Platz 1 80333 Munich. Germany.