Munich is considered the capital of design, as not only do many designers live and work here, the city also offers great museums, shops and design hotels. We have collected some exciting addresses for design fans - for staying overnight, experiencing art, shopping, strolling and discovering.
- Museums in Munich for design fans
- Events in Munich for design fans
- Munich shopping tips for design fans
- Hotel tips in Munich for design fans
- Other places and attractions for design fans
Munich's museum landscape is extensive, and the Kunstareal in Maxvorstadt is particularly well known internationally with its 18 museums and exhibition spaces as well as over 20 galleries. Those interested can also book a group tour of the Kunstareal. If you are interested in design, you should definitely pay a visit to the Pinakothek der Moderne. It houses four museums under one roof: the Sammlung Moderne Kunst, the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung München, the Architekturmuseum der TU and Die Neue Sammlung, the largest design collection in the world.
The approximately 120,000 exhibits from the last hundred years take visitors on a journey through the history of design. On display are objects from industrial design, graphic design and arts and crafts, but also from smaller areas of the collection such as computer culture. The Neue Sammlung was founded in 1925 and moved to the basement of the museum when the Pinakothek der Moderne opened in 2002 - today you can marvel at furniture, textiles, jewellery, ceramics, everyday objects and even cars.
Right next door is the Museum Brandhorst, which also delights design fans with its exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. And the museum is a real highlight from the outside alone, as the façade consists of 36,000 colourful ceramic rods. Inside, the focus is on contemporary art and photography from the 1960s onwards. The entire upper floor of the museum is dedicated to the American artist Cy Twombly. The Pinakothek der Moderne also exhibits the largest Andy Warhol collection in Europe.
In the Neue Sammlung (New Collection), around 120,000 exhibits from the last hundred years take visitors on a journey through the history of design. Objects from industrial design, graphic design and arts and crafts are on display.
The Deutsches Museum also offers exciting exhibits under the heading of design: Cameras from the last 200 years can be marvelled at in the ‘Photography and Film’ section, historic aircraft and rockets are on display in the ‘Traffic, Mobility, Transport’ department - and the ‘Robotics Exhibition’ takes you into the future. Speaking of space travel: one of the many highlights at the Deutsches Museum is Max Valier's rocket car from 1930, which the Austrian astronomer used to carry out the first rocket propulsion tests on the frozen Eibsee lake. Also exciting for design fans is the Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886, the world's first functioning computer and Kempelen's speaking apparatus from 1800, one of the forerunners of today's speech programmes.
People who are interested in design often also like arts and crafts. And there is plenty of it in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (Bavarian National Museum), one of the largest museums in Germany. European works of art from the Middle Ages to Art Nouveau are on display here, with a large part of the collection dating back to the Wittelsbach dynasty. On display are sculptures and paintings, as well as goldsmithery and ivory carvings. In addition to porcelain, textiles and furniture, there are exciting everyday objects on display.
The Kunsthalle München is known for its changing, comprehensive exhibitions - sometimes it's all about flowers, then Goethe's Faust or Art Nouveau. The exhibition centre in Munich's pedestrian zone has also focused on fashion designers such as Viktor & Rolf, Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier.
Anyone interested in cars and design should definitely not miss the BMW Museum. Here you can discover the hundred-year history of the famous German car brand, as well as historic and modern vehicles and prototypes.
Anyone interested in cars and design should definitely not miss the BMW Museum. In the museum at the Olympic Centre, you can discover the hundred-year history of the famous German car brand. There are also historic and modern vehicles and prototypes on display. Young galleries and art venues in Munich - such as the Kunstlabor in Maxvorstadt, Lothringer13 in Haidhausen or The Space in Westend - are also exciting for design connoisseurs.
There are various design events in Munich every year; websites such as Designer in Action or Eventbrite provide an up-to-date overview. Some series of events are already an integral part of the cultural scene - such as the Munich Creative Business Week, Germany's largest design event, which has been taking place in Munich for over ten years. More detailed information on the date, programme and venues can be found on the website. The Munich Design Days on the Praterinsel since 2025, on the other hand, are quite new! Events in Munich for design fansYoung galleries and art venues
The Kunst & Design Markt (Art & Design Market), which takes place twice a year at the MVG Museum, is the perfect place to shop, browse and discover. Here, over 150 exhibitors present many beautiful, handmade and unique items. From fashion to furniture, from ceramics to stationery, the stands offer everything that makes a designer's heart beat faster. Another exciting event is DIVE'25 at the Fat Cat, a design day with over 80 leading minds from a wide range of industries. This is where design meets politics, business and society!
Whether you are looking for interior design or fashion design - you are sure to find what you are looking for in Munich! You can find unusual furniture and home accessories at Bolia, Smow, Room to Dream, Bo Concept, Magazin or Ligne Roset, for example. If you are looking for something handmade in Munich, take a look at Anton Doll's Holzmanufaktur or Frohraum. In the Glockenbach district, for example, there is a HAY store, the Danish interior label Kaerly and One House, where Dutch design meets German craftsmanship. Munich also boasts some cool concept stores such as Reibold in Haidhausen, Moss in the Schlachthofviertel, the Grapes concept store on Gärtnerplatz and Weißglut, which has three shops in Munich.
In terms of fashion, it is also concentrated in the Schwabing, city centre and Glockenbach districts - some designers have their shops with adjoining studios to work in around Gärtnerplatz. For example, Katharina Weber and Theresa Reiter with their label WE.RE or Anna Karsch and Michaela Wunderl-Strojny with Akjumii. Textile designer Stephanie Kahnau does much the same with her Hier Store in Haidhausen. Names such as Ayzit Bostan and Saskia Diez are now even known internationally, as is the Munich label A Kind Of Guise, which sells its fashion all over the world. The label's new shop is located in the Luitpoldblock in good company next to Aesop and Aspesi.
As a design fan, you naturally like to stay where it's most beautiful. If you look at the number of design hotels in Munich, you really are spoilt for choice: The Flushing Meadows near Gärtnerplatz opened a few years ago, some of the rooms were designed by renowned artists and are therefore absolutely unique. The rooftop bar with a view over the city is also great! The two Locke hotels in Munich are affordable yet design-orientated: The Schwan Locke in the lively central station district and the Wunderlocke in the quieter Obersendling neighbourhood. The BOLD hotels are also highly recommended - one is in Giesing, one on Lindwurmstraße and both offer a great night's sleep at a reasonable price.
A few years ago, The Flushing Meadows opened near Gärtnerplatz. Some of the rooms were designed by renowned artists and are therefore absolutely unique. The rooftop bar with a view over the city is also great!
Music fans are sure to feel at home at the Jams Music Hotel on Rosenheimer Platz, as instruments, vinyl and record players are part of the décor at this design hotel. Those who value sustainability and design are in good hands at the Scandic München Macherei - from Fairtrade coffee to environmental labelling, here attention is paid to a more sustainable stay in all areas. The Hotel Mio by Amano in Sendlinger Straße and the 25hours at Munich Central Station, right next to the Ruby Rosi, are also great places to stay. This also includes the Ruby Lilly on Stiglmaierplatz. A stay at the Hotel Mariandl on Beethovenplatz feels like travelling back in time: The Belle Époque hotel from 1900 boasts antiques and old rooms, piano music is played in the in-house café and the ‘Zimmerfrei’ exhibition takes place once a year.
Luxury and design are combined in Munich's four- and five-star addresses such as the Louis Hotel next to the Viktualienmarkt, the Charles Hotel in Maxvorstadt and the Cortiina in the historic city centre. The Andaz Hotel am Schwabinger Tor is also very popular with locals, with the highest rooftop bar in Munich and a large spa area. The Rosewood Munich was added in 2024: the historic premises in the former state bank were converted into 132 beautiful rooms and suites. The Bar Montez and the Brasserie Cuvilliés also impress both visually and in terms of flavour. Another architectural highlight is the newly opened Koenigshof am Stachus!
After a good night's sleep, it's time for a stroll through Munich: If you are interested in design, there are plenty of attractions to discover outside the museums. Ólafur Elíasson's ‘endless staircase’, for example, is one of the most famous works of art in public spaces. Officially called ‘Umschreibung’, the work by the Icelandic-Danish artist has been located in the inner courtyard at Ganghoferstraße 29 in the Westend since 2004. Another highlight is the bronze statue of ‘Monaco Franze’ in Café Münchner Freiheit, played by Helmut Fischer in the TV series. Like several other well-known bronze statues, this one was cast by the Kunstgießerei München foundry.
The Munich Olympic Park, which was built for the 1972 Olympic Games and is now a prime example of successful re-use, is very popular. From the tower to the stadium, the Olympic mountain and the Olympic village - all of these are architectural highlights that can be discovered on a tour. The Olympic Park also offers guided tours, including the popular tent roof tour. Right next door is BMW Welt, which is impressive from the outside alone. Inside, you can marvel at the latest models from the Bavarian car brand and admission is free.
Exciting architectural highlights of Munich can be discovered on the ‘Modern Architecture’ tour. And sometimes the journey there is already the destination: many underground stations in the city are designed by artists - such as the Westfriedhof and the new Münchner Freiheit with light installations by Ingo Maurer or the colourful Candidplatz, named after the artist Peter Candid, who helped design the Residenz, among other things. The flower motifs at the Moosach station were photographed by Munich photographer Martin Fengel.
