Pinakothek der Moderne

The Pinakothek der Moderne houses four distinct collections under Stephan Braunfels' concrete and glass roof: 20th century art (Picasso, Klee, German Expressionists), design (Bauhaus furniture, Eames chairs, early Apple computers), architecture (original drawings and models), and rotating graphic arts exhibitions. You'll spend most of your time with paintings and sculptures on the upper floors, but the design collection on the ground level consistently surprises visitors who came expecting only fine art. The building itself feels spacious and bright, with natural light flooding the central rotunda.

You enter through the main hall where a curved staircase spirals upward toward the art galleries. The flow works well: start upstairs with classics like Kandinsky and Picasso, then work down to the design floor where you'll find everything from 1920s Bauhaus prototypes to the evolution of the computer mouse. Tuesday evenings after 6 PM offer the quietest experience, when most tour groups have departed. The architecture section appeals mainly to specialists, but Le Corbusier's original sketches are genuinely fascinating.

Most visitors underestimate how engaging the design collection becomes. Skip the architecture section unless you're genuinely interested in technical drawings, and don't feel obligated to see every painting upstairs. At EUR 10 (just EUR 1 on Sundays), it's reasonable value, though the Alte Pinakothek next door offers more masterpieces per euro. Plan two hours if you want to see everything properly.