The Pinakothek der Moderne houses one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in Europe. It is probably the largest of the Pinakothek museums, so if you are going to visit, and you want to see the whole place, you’ll need to take a large potion out of your day. This is because the Pinakothek der Moderne can be thought of as four museums in one. The museum is comprised of Munich’s collection of Modern art, the design museum of Munich, the State collection of graphic design, and the Architecture museum of the Technical university of Munich. So, take your pick as to which parts you wish to see as there is a lot on offer. You will find the modern art collection up the staircase. On display here are works by some world famous artists such as Dali, Warhol, and Picasso, as well as some more typically German ones, such as Franz Marc and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Each room displays works from a different artistic movement and you can move through them in any order you choose. Below the floor of modern art are the other three museums. Of particular interest is the design museum, which has very stylish examples of everyday objects such as cars, chairs and vacuum cleaners. This section of the Pinakothek der Moderne pays tribute to the ability of designers to make these objects aesthetically appealing as the objects on display both serve a functional purpose and are beautiful.

Even if you don’t see everything in the museum, make sure that you take the time to explore the building itself, which is certainly as impressive an achievement as anything on display within, and climb up to the highest level of the rotund. The museum also has an exceptional shop with many beautiful books on sale, as well as a very nice cafe.

Pinakothek der Moderne

Barer Str. 40, 80333 Munich