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Travel bucket list idea:

Last updated: 26 June, 2023

Munich’s Kunstareal (art district) is one of the world’s great cultural hubs. It’s home (at last count) to over 40 art galleries and 18 museums – three of which rank among the world’s greatest art museums.

The Old (Alte) Pinakothek shows masterworks from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, its forte being old Dutch and German masters such as Rembrandt and Dure. It also has one of the world’s best collections of Rubens.

The New (Neue) Pinakothek has iconic canvases by Romantic and French Impressionist painters – with works by Edouard Manet, Paul Cezanne and Vincent Van Gogh.

The Modern Pinakothek (der Moderne) takes over from the mid-20th century with paintings by artistic giants such as Dali, Picasso and Warhol.

Munich’s world-class art horde is largely thanks to Bavaria’s art-loving monarch King Ludwig I (1786-1868), who passionately collected priceless objets d’art from across the world.

Modern Pinakothek

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

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Bucket List Experience
External view of the front of the building

Der Moderne Pinakothek specialises in mid-20th century art, and is one of the world’s leading modern art institutions. The collection includes more than 20,000 paintings, sculptures, photographs and new media, with paintings by artistic giants such as Dali, Picasso and Warhol.

Adult price: £6

Best for ages 13+

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Old Pinakothek

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

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Bucket List Experience
Old Pinakothek

The Alte Pinakothek showcases masterworks from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, its forte being old Dutch and German masters such as Rembrandt and Dure. It also has one of the world’s best collections of Rubens.

Adult price: £6

Best for ages 13+

Website >
More details >

New Pinakothek

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

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Bucket List Experience
Man admiring a picture by Vincent van Gogh at the Neue Pinakothek, museum of European Art of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Neue Pinakothek holds iconic canvases by Romantic and French Impressionist painters – with works by Edouard Manet, Paul Cezanne and Vincent Van Gogh. Look for one of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1888).

Adult price: £6

Best for ages 13+

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More details >

Brandhorst Museum

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Exterior of the Brandhorst Museum in colourful cube-like building

A more recent addition to the Munich art scene (2009), the Brandhorst specialises in artworks from 1960 onwards, and notably the biggest Andy Warhol collection in Europe. Other featured artists include Damien Hirst and Cy Twombly. Closed Mondays.

Adult price: £10

Best for ages 13+

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More details >
Price from: £5
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Take the U-Bahn to Odeonplatz or Theresienstrasse, or the museum bus line 100 to the Pinakotheken stop.

You can buy a day pass (around €12) which gives you access to the big three, or individual entry prices are around half that.

When to do it

The big three museums are open all year round, Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Monday.

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