The Islamic Orient hall
Arab, Persian and Ottoman heritage carefully shown in central Munich.
Burkhard Mücke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Burkhard Mücke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ricardalovesmonuments — CC BY 4.0 · GFreihalter — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Museum Five Continents is Munich's museum of the world's cultures beyond Europe, and Germany's oldest of its kind (1862). In its grand palace on Maximilianstrasse, halls of Africa, native America, the Pacific and East Asia stand side by side — and most relevantly for our readers: the Islamic Orient gallery. The Islamic section holds carpets, ceramics, manuscripts, inlaid arms and pieces from Persia, the Arab world and the Ottoman lands — a meeting with heritage in the heart of Bavaria. The Pacific and Americas halls carry objects gathered by nineteenth-century expeditions from worlds since utterly changed. The museum sits quietly outside the crowded circuits, its ticket is cheap, and its address on Munich's most elegant street makes it a cultural stop amid a shopping walk.
Arab, Persian and Ottoman heritage carefully shown in central Munich.
Boats and masks from islands whose worlds have wholly changed since these were gathered.
A grand nineteenth-century building on the city's finest street.
Maximilianstrasse 42, 80538 Munich
The MaxmonumentA bronze monument in the middle of Munich's Maximilianstraße, raised between 1852 minutes walk4.7
IsartorThe Isartor is the eastern gate of Munich's medieval wall, built in 1337 and the5 minutes walk4.6
The Valentin-Karlstadt MusaeumThis museum sits inside the Isartor — one of the surviving gates of Munich's med5 minutes walk4.7
The KabelstegA pedestrian bridge over the Isar in Munich, linking the Lehel bank to the Museu6 minutes walk4.8
Beer and Oktoberfest MuseumThe Beer and Oktoberfest Museum is a small museum in one of Munich's oldest hous6 minutes walk4.4With one museum day, the Pinakotheks or the Blue Rider come first. But if you are on Maximilianstrasse anyway, want a cheap quiet hour away from the crowds — or are curious how our culture is presented in Europe — it earns its stop.
The boat and mask halls work well, and distances are short. It is not a modern interactive museum, so it suits children who can enjoy a classic one for an hour.
Ninety minutes for a full unhurried round, or 45 for the Islamic hall plus two galleries of your choice. The quiet café closes the visit nicely.