10 must-see museums in Munich

About 1.5 million visitors a year come here to learn more about technology and science, from astronomy to time measurement. The main building of the world's largest technology museum is located on the Museum Island, a former gravel bank of the Isar river.

The most important location for the museums in Munich is the Kunstareal. Among the 16 museums there is the Pinakothek der Moderne. Its collection focuses on 20th and 21st century art. The adjacent houses Alte Pinakothek and Neue Pinakothek show paintings from earlier centuries.

The Lenbachhaus is also part of the Kunstareal. In the former villa of painter Franz von Lenbach and a modern extension, visitors will find works by Munich painters, art by the Blue Rider and the New Objectivity movements.

The Brandhorst Museum is a real eye-catcher. The façade consists of 36,000 ceramic surfaces, which are coated in 23 colors. The building houses the Brandhorst couple's collection and sees itself as a complement to the Pinakothek der Moderne. Here you can admire important works by Andy Warhol and Cy Twombly.

The State Collections of Antiquities on Königsplatz bears witness to the Bavarian rulers' passion for collecting art. King Ludwig I not only commissioned the building in the style of a Corinthian temple, he also had excavation treasures from Greece and Italy brought to Munich.

The Haus der Kunst (Art House) in the English Garden does not house any permanent collections, but serves as an exhibition venue for contemporary and modern art. The neoclassical landmark building was erected by Adolf Hitler between 1933 and 1937 and was one of the first major building projects of the National Socialists.

The youngest museum in Munich is the Documentation Center, which opened in 2015. Until it was destroyed in World War II, the Brown House, the party headquarters of the Nazi party, NSDAP, was located on the same site. The Documentation Center is primarily concerned with Munich's role in the rise of the National Socialists.

The Jewish Museum (left) is next to the central synagogue (right), located in the Jewish Center in Munich's Old Town. In addition to the permanent exhibition on the history of Jews in Munich, there are also temporary exhibitions on topics such as looted art and encounters with witnesses who survived the Holocaust.

Opposite the Jewish Museum you will find the Munich Stadtmuseum (City Museum) in the former armory (left). The three-story museum provides information from Henry the Lion to the Allianz Arena soccer stadium. The Film Museum (right) is also part of the Stadtmuseum, which regularly screens classic movies.

And because Munich is also an important location for carmaking in Germany, it has a dedicated museum. At BMW Welt (BMW World), the Bayerische Motorenwerke display vehicles from their current range, from the Mini to the Rolls-Royce. In the adjacent museum there is a permanent exhibition devoted to 100 years of BMW history.