Munich is the city that takes culture seriously without making you feel it. The museum quarter — three Pinakothek buildings, the Brandhorst, and the Lenbachhaus within walking distance of each other — is one of the most concentrated collections in Europe. The English Garden is larger than Central Park and operates on a different sense of time entirely.
Museum culture and the discipline of the Pinakothek.
The Pinakothek der Moderne by Stephan Braunfels is one of the best art museum buildings in Germany — a generous, well-lit concrete structure. The Lenbachhaus's extension by Foster Partners handles the transition between the historical and contemporary with intelligence. The Maximilianstrasse holds neogothic civic architecture at urban scale. The Allianz Arena by Herzog & de Meuron — its ETFE cushion panels capable of glowing white, red, or blue — is one of the most architecturally significant sports venues in the world, visible from the northern autobahn approach long before the city itself.
Munich takes culture seriously without performing it. The best hours are Tuesday mornings in the Alte Pinakothek, when the Rubens rooms are almost empty.
December is austere and correct: the Christmas market is on Marienplatz and the museums are quiet. October is too loud. March is when the city reopens.
Maxvorstadt (Museum Quarter): Three Pinakothek museums, the Brandhorst, and the Lenbachhaus within 800 metres of each other. One of the most concentrated cultural quarters in Europe.
Schwabing: The artist neighbourhood north of the university. Bookshops, galleries, and a pace that resists the city's tendency toward efficiency.
Haidhausen: East of the Isar river. Independent cafés, a village-scale market, and the Gasteig cultural centre.