Awesome Modern Art Museums in Europe: Best Bets for the Artsy Traveler
Some of the best modern art museums in the world are located in Europe.
In this post, I’ve chosen mostly large museums that feature a variety of artists. My focus is on modern art so you won’t find museums like the Prado and Louvre in this post.
Another option for getting your modern art fix in Europe is to seek out single-artist museums. I’ve compiled a list of seven of my favorites in Seven Super Single-Artist Museums in Europe You Should Visit.
As a life-long lover of modern art (check out my husband Gregg Simpson’s art and you’ll see why!), I’m a bit of a kid in a candy store when it comes to finding awesome modern art museums in Europe. You’ll be spoiled for choice!
Check for Exhibitions
Before you set off for Europe, take some time to check for special exhibitions in the places you’re visiting. Many times, I’ve changed my itinerary on the fly to catch an exhibition before it closes or to take in one at its start.
One of the great pleasures of traveling is switching gears halfway through a trip—to zig when you planned to zag. Stay open to possibilities when you travel. Often, you’ll meet someone who’ll tell you about a must-see art museum that you’ve never heard of.
On a recent trip to Porto, we were told about a special exhibition of the work of M. C. Escher. What a treat! We never would have known about it because of its location in an exhibition space rather than a museum.
Chat with servers at dinner and strike up a conversation with other travelers you meet on the train or at your hotel. People love to share recommendations!
Modern Art Focus
As I mentioned earlier, in this post, I’m focusing only on museums with significant and varied modern art collections.
What do I mean by modern art? I’m a huge fan of 20th-century art from about the turn of the century to the 1960s. I also appreciate some (not all) of the contemporary art created post-1960.
Most of the best modern art museums covered in this post primarily exhibit traditional modern art. That sounds like an oxymoron, but if you’re an art fan, you’ll know what I mean!
Modern art—as distinct from contemporary art—encompasses the work of a slew of big names. These include Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Henri Matisse, Georgia O’Keeffe, Rene Magritte… the list goes on and on and on.
What’s Included in This Post
Most of the modern art museums listed here include works by modern masters in their permanent collections or feature them in major exhibitions. I fondly remember seeing a major retrospective of the work of Salvador Dali at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. It was an amazing curatorial triumph, although, truth be told, I’m not a big Dali fan.
Shhh – don’t tell anyone!
I’ve also included a selection of novels inspired by modern art that are listed on my sister website, Art In Fiction. Quite a few of the big names in 20th-century art have sparked the imaginations of authors.
So, without further preamble, let’s get to it. Drum roll, please!
Map of Modern Art Museums in Europe
Here are the locations of all the modern art museums covered in the post–from Bilbao (#1) in Spain to the Tate St. Ives (#12) in Cornwall, England.
Bilbao, Spain: The Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (#1 on the map) is worth the hype and worth the trip. Located in the Basque region of northeast Spain, Bilbao isn’t on the beaten tourist path.
But please, if you’re in Spain and within striking distance of Bilbao, find the time to spend a night there.
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was built to revive the failing industrial city. How marvelous that the city bigwigs used art to pull their city out of the economic doldrums and place it firmly on the world cultural map.
The move was bold, even audacious, but it’s paid off spectacularly, thanks to Frank Gehry’s awesome structure. Now the Guggenheim Bilbao shows up in just about every Top Ten list of modern art museums worldwide.
Exterior of the Guggenheim Bilbao
The exterior of the Guggenheim Bilbao plays a major role in its spectacular appeal to art lovers. Stroll around outside the building to see the many amazing sculptures. Most notable are Tall Trees and The Eye by Anish Kapoor, the massive spider Maman by Louise Bourgeois, and the wildly popular Puppy by Jeff Koons.
I defy anyone to stand in front of Puppy and not smile. He is adorable, if a 43-foot tall, flower-encrusted West Highland Terrier can be called adorable.
Inside the Guggenheim Bilbao
The museum’s interior is as compelling as its exterior.
On one of our visits, we were lucky to catch a major exhibition of recent landscapes by David Hockney. The massive galleries and thoughtful curatorial choices made the exhibition one of our favorites, which is saying something.
We were also taken with the massive installations by Frank Serra.
The whole Guggenheim complex with its gorgeous setting on the Nervion River really is miraculous. The museum attracts over 20 million visitors annually.
Now, that’s an art success story!
Exhibitions at the Guggenheim Bilbao change frequently so check what’s on and then plan your visit accordingly. You won’t regret devoting time to exploring the Basque region of Spain.
For more information about Bilbao and suggestions for accommodations, see these posts:
- Exploring Northern Spain & Basque Country
- Where to Stay in Spain: My Best Picks
- Visiting Spain: My Best Tips for Enjoying an Artsy Trip
Bratislava, Slovakia: Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum
Situated on the Danube as the name suggests and about 20 kilometers from Bratislava in the Slovak Republic, the Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum is billed as “one of the most romantic museums of modern art in Europe”.
The museum, opened in 2000, was founded by Gerard Meulensteen of Eindhoven, a Dutch collector and art patron, and Slovak gallerist Vincent Polakovič.
The collection includes works by artists from the experimental CoBrA group in the Netherlands, such as Karel Appel and Eugen Brands . Also included are works by Sam Francis, Christo, Corneille, Pierre Alechinsky, and others.
Plenty of quirky and colorful outdoor sculptures along with the dramatic setting on the Danube make this museum a must-see if you’re traveling to Bratislava.
London, England: Tate Modern
I’ve visited the Tate Modern a few times and have mixed feelings about it, to be honest! It’s a monumental place and a huge accomplishment from an architectural perspective.
I mean, seriously—a power station?
It’s pretty darned amazing that Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron could convert the Bankside power station into a gallery and still keep much of the building’s original character.
I can’t say I loved—or even liked—all the art exhibited in the Tate Modern. Several exhibits comprise contemporary and installation art, most of which was kind of hit or miss, in my opinion.
However, the special exhibitions can be spectacular. I’ve seen a wonderful retrospective of the work of American artist Georgia O’Keeffe on one visit, and an exhibition of international surrealism on another visit. My husband, Gregg Simpson, was honored to be included in the catalog for the latter exhibition.
Location of the Tate Modern
The location of the Tate Modern on the south side of the Thames, right across the new Millennium Bridge from St. Paul’s Cathedral, is a selling point. You can see the Tate Modern in the morning and then stroll across the bridge and visit St. Paul’s and the City in the afternoon.
You can also take in two Tates in a day. A good strategy is to start at the Tate Britain upriver. Check out the paintings by William Blake and some of the best works by the pre-Raphaelites. Then, hop on the Tate Boat at Millbank Pier and sail downriver to Bankside Pier to see the Tate Modern.
The Tate Boat runs every twenty to thirty minutes along the Thames. For more about the Tate Modern and London in general, check out these posts:
And if you happen be down in St. Ives in Cornwall, don’t miss the Tate St. Ives. See the end of this post for more information.
Madrid, Spain: Reina Sofia
The Reina Sofia is home to one of the most famous paintings of the 20th century—Guernica by Pablo Picasso.
You’ve likely seen Guernica many times in reproduction. However, seeing the “real thing” is a different story.
The massive mural has pride of place in a room of its own. You can sense how enraged Picasso must have felt as he painted it. Its graphic depiction of the bombing of the old Basque city of Gernika in April 1937 has become an iconic image of the brutality of war.
The Reina Sofia is a beautifully designed gallery that combines a modern area with the arched hallways and barred windows of an old hospital. In several rooms, films representing specific 20th-century periods are running. Most are silent-era films, which makes following them a lot easier if your Spanish is minimal.
Included in the Reina Sofia are masterpieces by Salvador Dali, Joan Miró, and Juan Gris, as well as a collection of over 22,400 works divided into three sections titled: The Irruption of the 20th Century: Utopia and Conflict (1900-1945), Is the War Over? Art in a Divided World (1945-1968), and From Revolt to Postmodernity (1962-1982).
Visiting the Reina Sofia
The museum is located on the Art Walk (Paseo del Arte)—a one-kilometer stretch that also includes the must-see Prado Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
For more information about Madrid and suggestions for accommodations, see these posts:
- Exploring the Heart of Spain
- Where to Stay in Spain: My Best Picks
- Visiting Spain: My Best Tips for an Artsy Trip
Munich, Germany: Pinakothek der Moderne
The Pinakothek der Modern in central Munich is one of three Pinakotheks in Munich’s Kunstareal (art district).
The museum features an excellent collection of the works of German Expressionist artists.
In addition, you’ll find works by modern masters, including Picasso, Miró, Kandinsky, Klee, and Marc.
Other exhibits are related to form and function in a section that features modern industrial design and manufacture, furniture, and appliances.
On Sundays, the admission price is significantly discounted—at least it was when I visited. After strolling through the galleries, stop by the café.
For more information about Munich and suggestions for accommodations, see these posts:
Otterlo, Netherlands: Kröller-Müller Museum
I was 18 years old and traveling on my own for the first time in Europe when I visited the Kröller-Müller Museum. Located in the fantastically unexpected Dutch National Park (Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe) outside Otterlo and not far from Arnhem, this museum is a must-see
To say that the Kröller-Müller blew me away that first visit would be an understatement. Fresh off the plane from North America, I’d seen nothing like it in my North-American life.
The Kröller-Müller Museum is light, airy, and filled with famous works by van Gogh and a load of other great painters.
Even better, the museum is smack in the middle of the Dutch National Park. This amazing park teems with deer, rolling sand hills, intriguing forests, and miles of bike paths.
Visiting the Kröller-Müller Museum
When I revisited the museum with Gregg recently, I was thrilled to discover that the Kröller-Müller and the park are as awesome as I remembered.
Everything about the place is perfect!
The museum includes dozens of paintings by van Gogh, room after room of other greats from the 19th and early 20th centuries, a massive sculpture garden, and even a bustling outdoor café with excellent food.
The word that comes to mind when touring the sculpture garden is serendipity. The sculptures are modern and diverse and often positioned in unexpected places.
Every turn of a pathway through forests and across green clipped lawns reveals yet another vista and another sculpture—stone or wood or marble, some moving, some static, some aesthetically stunning, some quirky, a few ugly, and yet all perfect.
Getting to the Kröller-Müller Museum
If you’re a fan of van Gogh and modern sculpture but haven’t visited the Kröller-Müller, then go.
Take a day tour from Amsterdam, or better, drive and stay a few days in the area. We combined our visit to the Kröller-Müller with a bike ride around a portion of the 55-square-kilometer national park.
Explore a remarkably varied landscape that includes stunningly beautiful forests, heathlands, and sand dunes. You’ll spot impressively antlered deer, wild boar, foxes, sheep, and more.
For more information about the Netherlands and suggestions for accommodations, see Visiting the Netherlands: My Top Tips for an Artsy Trip
Paris, France: Centre Pompidou
My most recent experience with the Pompidou Center (one of my absolute favorite modern art museums in Europe) was fraught with pure terror.
Gregg and I were trying to find an art gallery on an obscure side street that even Google Maps couldn’t find. The gallery was hosting an exhibition of Gregg’s work, so finding it was a matter of some urgency.
I directed Gregg to turn down what I trusted was the right street. He drove a short block over cobblestones to emerge into a wide, pedestrian-only space that butted up against the back end of the massive Pompidou Center.
Mon Dieu!
I looked up at the crazy exoskeleton of pipes and glass that had horrified Parisians when it was first built and yelled a few choice curses into my phone. The Google Maps lady was not impressed. She continued to insist that we drive across the square.
Luckily, the space was relatively empty of people (a rare event) so Gregg was able to execute a hasty U-turn and head smartly down the correct street. The only problem was that the street was one-way, and we were barreling down it the wrong way.
Fortunately, we found the gallery without having a head-on collision. A few hours later, after unloading the paintings and hanging the show, we were swanning about the vernissage (the opening), champagne glasses in hand.
Phew!
Visiting the Centre Pompidou
Every time we visit Paris, we make a beeline for the Pompidou. Its special exhibitions are almost always excellent.
Check what’s on before coming to Paris and adjust your dates accordingly. One of our favorite special exhibitions featured the work of Gerhard Richter way back in 2012. I was impressed both by the range and styles of Richter’s work and the thoughtful way in which the exhibit was curated.
No matter when you go to the Pompidou, you’ll always have the legendary fourth floor to wander through. This floor features the museum’s permanent collection and is a veritable “who’s who” of early 20th-century modern art.
All the most famous names are represented. Enjoy strolling through the rooms picking out your favorites and reveling in the glorious mishmash of colors and forms that characterizes 20th-century modern art.
After sighing your way around the art, take the escalator to the rooftop to relish one of the best views of the Paris skyline.
For information about other art museums in Paris, check out Paris for Art Lovers: Nine of the Best Small Museums in Paris and Love Among the Recipes: Paris Sights & Bistro Dishes. For more about Paris and France in general, see Visiting France: My Best Tips for Enjoying an Artsy Trip.
Rome, Italy: National Gallery of Modern Art
Rome’s National Gallery of Modern Art (Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna) is conveniently located on the edge of the Borghese Gardens, surely one of Europe’s most beguiling parks.
The gallery features an excellent collection of 20th-century Italian painters, including Giorgio de Chirico (a particular favorite), Amedeo Modigliani, Antonio Canova, Giacomo Balla, and Giorgio Morandi. You’ll also find works by Rodin, Degas, van Gogh, Monet, Duchamp, Man Ray, and Pollock.
Unlike the Vatican and the other Renaissance and ancient Roman attractions of Rome, the gallery is sparsely attended and therefore extremely pleasant.
After your visit, stroll along the shaded pathways of the Borghese Gardens.
For more information about Rome, Italy and where to stay, see these posts:
Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France: Fondation Maeght
The Fondation Maeght makes just about every list of must-see art museums in Europe. While not the largest modern art museum in Europe, the Maeght is one of the most respected and also the most beautifully situated.
The Maeght is near the charming village of Saint Paul-de-Vence, not far from Cannes and Nice in the south of France.
I can’t say that every exhibition we’ve seen at the Fondation Maeght has been great. However, you still ought to visit if you’re in the area. When the exhibitions are good, they are extremely good.
The Fondation Maeght is a private foundation that was conceived and funded by Aimé and Marguerite Maeght to exhibit modern art. The Maeghts had several artist friends, including Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Alberto Giacometti, Fernand Léger, and Joan Miró, who from the get-go donated or sold their work to the Foundation.
As Miró emphasized, the Fondation Maeght “…must before all be a place for art that remains alive.”
Visiting the Fondation Maeght
We first visited the Fondation Maeght in the 1990s during our first family trip to Europe with our young daughter. It was love at first sight!
Highlights include the giant sculptures by so many of the great 20th-century modern artists, including Miró, Giacometti, Arp, and Calder; spectacular views across the hills of the Riviera to the turquoise Mediterranean; and an airy modernist gallery.
You can visit the Fondation Maeght on a tour, but you’d be best off spending at least a few nights exploring the area and visiting the Maeght for a few hours at the beginning or end of the day when the light is best for photography.
For more about traveling in France, check out 17 Must-See Places to Visit in France You Should Know About.
Venice, Italy: Peggy Guggenheim Collection
If I were to pick a favorite modern art museum from this Must-See list, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice would rank in the top three.
Located right smack on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro district of magical Venice between Santa Maria della Salute and the Gallerie dell’Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection just makes me smile. I can’t visit it often enough!
Guggenheim Museum in Venice.
The museum houses Peggy Guggenheim’s personal collection of 20th-century art, including masterpieces of cubism, surrealism, and abstract expressionism.
Gregg is a huge fan of Max Ernst, to whom Peggy was married for a time. Several of Ernst’s marvelous paintings are featured in the collection. Other artists in the permanent collection include Picasso, Kandinsky, Miró, Braque, Giacometti, Klee, Magritte, Dali, Pollock, de Chirico, Brancusi, Braque, Duchamp, and Mondrian. It really is an embarrassment of 20th-century riches.
If you’re in Venice, take a break from the Renaissance and cross the canal to visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Wander the cool halls of her renovated palazzo to view the paintings and sculptures, then descend the steps to the edge of the canal and watch the boats go by.
Find more information about Venice, Italy, and where to stay in these posts:
- Venice in Three Days for the Artsy Traveler
- Recommended Places to Stay in Italy That Will Make Great Memories
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Near Copenhagen, Denmark
The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (#11 on the map at the top of this post) is about a 30-minute train ride north of Copenhagen. It’s world-renowned as one of Europe’s best modern art museums, and therefore a must-visit for the Artsy Traveler!
Check what exhibitions are on, but even if they don’t appeal, visit the museum anyway. It makes for a lovely morning out from Copenhagen. You reach it by train (covered by the Copenhagen Card) followed by a pleasant 20-minute stroll along a suburban road to the museum.
After visiting the exhibitions, head outside where the real stars of the museum are located.
For more information about the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, check out my post: A Trio of Must-See Museums in Copenhagen.
Tate St. Ives in Cornwall, England
The Tate St. Ives (#12) is a delightfully compact and easy-to-tour museum overlooking the sea in lovely little St. Ives. I visited on a recent trip to Cornwall, and was lucky to sit in on two curator talks about local artist Robert Lanyon. Here’s one of his pieces.
For more about my visit to the Tate St. Ives, check out Get the Best Out of Southwest England on a Rabbie’s Small Group Tour.
Novels Inspired by Modern Art on Art In Fiction
Modern art is still under-served by authors, at least compared to that of the Renaissance. Fortunately, my sister site, Art In Fiction, includes a selection of modern-art inspired novels.
Get your modern art hit with these novels.
Modern Art by Evelyn Toynton – The life of Jackson Pollock’s widow Lee Krasner provides the raw material for this strong, assured debut novel (Publisher’s Weekly).
The Season of Migration by Nellie Hermann – A profoundly imaginative, original, and heartbreaking vision of the early years of Vincent van Gogh, before he became the artist we know today.
Abstract Aliases by Ritter Ames – Book 3 in The Bodies of Art mystery series presents abstract clues that lead to new questions that turn to “dead” ends. It’s an action-packed romp that’s impossible to put down.
Costalegre by Courtney Maum – Set in 1937 in the haute-bohemian circles of Austria, Germany, and Paris, this novel is heavily inspired by the real-life relationship between the heiress Peggy Guggenheim and her daughter, Pegeen.
Cooking for Picasso by Camille Aubray: a touching story of the choices that men and women make as they seek a path toward love, success, and joie de vivre.
Sightseeing Tips
I’ve included links in this post to purchase fast track or skip-the-line tickets from Tiqets.com.
I highly recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time when you’re traveling in Europe. Major art museums are increasingly crowded, with long lines that sap your sightseeing energy. Who can enjoy art after standing for an hour under the hot sun waiting to buy tickets?
Purchase your tickets well in advance of your visit or even the night before from your hotel room. Then enjoy a leisurely breakfast before strolling straight into the museum past the long lines of tourists who did not book ahead. You’ll be sighing in front of some of the world’s great masterpieces in no time!
I prefer to use one website to book all my tickets so I can easily keep track of which venue I’m seeing on which day. You can also book directly with most of the venues; however, you sometimes need to print the tickets, which can be awkward when you’re traveling. I keep all my tickets easily available on my phone which is why I use Tiqets.com.
Have you been to any of the modern art museums covered in this post? What did you think? Share your impressions and recommendations with other artsy travelers in the Comments section below.