Museum sights in Bavaria
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Deutsches Museum
You could spend days exploring the Deutsches Museum, said to be the world's largest science and technology collection. This vast museum occupies its own island southeast of Isartor (Isar Gate) and features just about anything ever invented. Interactive displays (including glass blowing and paper making), model coal and salt mines, and wonderful sections on musical instruments, caves, geodesy, micro-electronics and astronomy are just some of the delights on offer. Demonstrations take place throughout the day; a popular one is in the power hall where a staff member is raised in the insulated Faraday Cage and zapped with a 220,000V bolt of lightning. There is also a fascinat…
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Verkehrsmuseum
Nuremberg's Verkehrsmuseum combines two major exhibits under one roof: the Deutsche Bahn Museum (German Railway Museum) and the Museum für Kommunikation (Museum of Telecommunications). The former explores the origins and history of Germany's legendary railway system; the latter showcases development in telecommunications, including historic telephones dating back over 100 years.
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Nuremberg Trials Courthouse
Nazis were tried for crimes against peace and humanity in the Schwurgerichtssaal 600 (Courtroom 600). The Allies chose Nuremberg for obvious symbolic reasons. The building was also easily accessible and one of few such complexes to survive the war intact. Held between 1945 and 1946, 22 leaders and 150 underlings were convicted; dozens were executed.
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Reichsparteitagsgelände
Nuremberg's role during the Third Reich is emblazoned in minds around the world through the images of rapturous Nazi supporters thronging the city's streets to salute their Führer. The rallies at the Reichsparteitagsgelände were part of an orchestrated propaganda campaign that began as early as 1927 to garner support for the NSDAP, which had a strong following in Nuremberg. In 1933, the party planned a ridiculously large purpose-built complex in the southeastern Luitpoldhain suburb.
In doing this Nazi leaders hoped to establish a metaphorical link between Nuremberg's illustrious past as Reichstagstadt (where parliament met during the Holy Roman Empire) and the Third Rei…
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Münchner Stadtmuseum
You could spend hours roaming through the collections of the rambling Münchner Stadtmuseum, making it a perfect rainy day destination.
Historical exhibits help you understand how the royal residence evolved into today's modern metropolis, but the main artistic draw is the ensemble of Erasmus Grasser's 10 spritelike Morris Dancers (1480), medieval travelling entertainers who performed at court and on market squares. The late Gothic figures originally adorned the ballroom of the Altes Rathaus.
Also of special note is the small but powerful section on Munich during the Third Reich that forms an enlightening complement to the nearby Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum). Set in a …
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Altes Rathaus
The eastern side of Marienplatz is dominated by the Altes Rathaus. Lightning got the better of the medieval original in 1460 and WWII bombs levelled its successor, so what you see is really the third incarnation of the building designed by Jörg von Halspach of Frauenkirche fame. On 9 November 1938 Joseph Goebbels gave a hate-filled speech here that launched the nationwide Kristallnacht pogroms.
Today it houses the adorable Spielzeugmuseum (Toy Museum) with its huge collection of rare and precious toys from throughout Europe and the US. Also, on the old town hall's south side you can pay your respects to Romeo's heart-throb Juliet, a beautiful bronze sculpture that was a …
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Germanisches Nationalmuseum
One of the most important museums of German culture with over 1.3 million items (not all of which are displayed), the Germanisches Nationalmuseum is strangely underrated and undervisited. It features an archaeological collection, arms and armour, musical and scientific instruments and toys - but the jewel in its crown is the art section. This varied exhibit not only boasts exquisite paintings, but also sculpture, historical garments, porcelain and glass objects. Long-running renovation work at the museum means some sections may be closed.
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Passauer Glasmuseum
Passauer Glasmuseum is the largest museum of Czech glass and crystal in the world and a magnet for Slavic cross-border raiders. Even if you charge through this amazing collection of over 30,000 pieces displayed in 380 cases, you'll need an hour to view the 36 rooms filled with baroque, classical, art nouveau and art-deco pieces. There's a luxury bedroom chamber right in the museum that's let to visiting VIPs as part of the adjacent Hotel Wilder Mann. Be sure to pick up a floor plan as it's easy to get lost.
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Altes Rathaus
The seat of the Reichstag (parliament) from 1663 to 1803, Altes Rathaus is now home to Regensburg's three mayors, the tourist office and the Reichstagsmuseum. Tours take in the richly decorated Reichssaal (Imperial Hall) where the delegates convened, and also the stomach-turning torture chamber in the basement. Walk into the old holding cell and look down to the dungeon before entering the interrogation room which bristles with scary tools of the trade. Kids will either love it or freak out.
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Paläontologisches Museum
The curatorial concept of the Paläontologisches Museum could use a little dusting up but otherwise this archaeological trove of prehistoric skulls and bones is anything but stuffy. The most famous resident is a fossilised archaeopteryx, the creature that forms the evolutionary link between reptile and bird. Dino fans can check out the wicked horns on a triceratops skull or the delicate bone structure of a plateosaurus. Admission is free, so why not pop in for your Jurassic fix?
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Kurfürstenzimmer
Upstairs and only accessible in the morning are the Kurfürstenzimmer (Elector's Rooms) with some stunning Italian portraits and a passage lined with two dozen views of Italy, painted by local romantic artist Carl Rottmann.
Also up here, and accessible all day, are François Cuvilliés' Reiche Zimmer (Rich Rooms), a six-room extravaganza of exuberant rococo carried out by the top stucco and fresco artists of the day; they're a definite museum highlight.
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Veste Oberhaus
A 13th-century defensive fortress, built by the prince-bishops, Veste Oberhaus towers over Passau with patriarchal pomp. Not surprisingly, views of the city and into Austria are superb from up here. Inside the bastion is the Oberhausmuseum, a regional history museum where you can uncover the mysteries of medieval cathedral building, learn what it took to become a knight and explore Passau's period as a centre of the salt trade. Displays are labelled in English.
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St-Anna-Kirche
Founded as a Carmelite monastery in 1321, St-Anna-Kirche hosted Martin Luther during his stay in 1518. His rooms have been turned into the Lutherstiege, a small museum about the Reformation. There's a portrait of Luther by Lucas Cranach the Elder in the eastern choir, while at the opposite end is the Fuggerkapelle, the chapel where Jakob Fugger and his brothers are buried. Also pop into the lavishly frescoed Goldschmiedekapelle (Goldsmiths' Chapel; 1420).
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ETA-Hoffmann-Haus
The 18th-century writer and composer Ernst Theodor Amadeus (ETA) Hoffmann (1776-1822) is best known for using the fantastical and supernatural to probe the complexity of human experience. Hoffmann came to Bamberg in 1808 as the local theatre's music director, but lost his job after a disastrous first performance. He nevertheless stayed in town until 1813, working as a tutor and writer. His former home, ETA-Hoffmann-Haus, is now a small museum.
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Museum im Kulturspeicher
In a born-again historic granary right on the Main River you'll find the Museum im Kulturspeicher. This fascinating museum has choice artworks from the 19th to the 21st centuries, with an emphasis on German Impressionism, neo-realism and contemporary art. It also houses the post-1945 constructivist works of the Peter C Ruppert Collection, a challenging assembly of computer art, sculpture, paintings and photographs.
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Dokumentationszentrum
A visit to the Dokumentationszentrum in the north wing of the Kongresshalle helps to put the grounds into some historical context. A stunning walkway of glass cuts diagonally through the complex, ending with an interior view of the congress hall. Inside, the exhibit Fascination and Terror examines the rise of the NSDAP, the Hitler cult, the party rallies and the Nuremberg Trials. Don't miss it.
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Stadtmuseum Fembohaus
Set in an ornate 16th-century merchant house, the Stadtmuseum Fembohaus provides an entertaining overview of Nuremberg's 950-year history against the backdrop of the restored historic rooms of this 16th-century merchant house. The most innovative part of the museum, a flashy multimedia show called 'Noricama', is a both dramatic and witty 52-minute dash through the main events that have shaped the city.
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BMW Museum
Redesigned from scratch and reopened in 2008, the BMW Museum is like no other car museum on the planet. The seven themed 'houses' examine the development of BMW's product line and include sections on motorcycles and motor racing. However, the interior design of this truly unique building, with its curvy retro feel, futuristic bridges, squares and huge backlit wall screens, almost upstages the exhibits.
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Stadtmuseum
To mark the city's 850th birthday in 2008, the Stadtmuseum restructured its collections to create the 'Typisch München' (Typically Munich) exhibition. This condenses Munich's tangled past into five easily digestible periods, with a chronological walking route leading through the rambling building. Exhibits in each section represent what is most typical for the time, and explain why.
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Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde
A bonanza of art and objects from Africa, India, the Americas, the Middle East and Polynesia, the Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde has one of the most prestigious and complete ethnological collections anywhere. Sculpture from West and Central Africa is particularly impressive, as are Peruvian ceramics, Indian jewellery, mummy parts, and artefacts from the days of Captain Cook.
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Verkehrszentrum
Sheltered in an historic trade fair complex, the Verkehrszentrum features some fascinating exhibits, with hands-on displays about pioneering research and famous inventions, plus cars, boats and trains, and the history of car racing. Another section shows off the Deutsche Museum's entire vehicle collection, ranging from the first motorcars to high-speed ICE trains.
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Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum
Pose with a bronze boar, admire a rococo hunting sledge or examine prehistoric fishing tackle at the old-school Deutsches Jagd und Fischereimuseum, spread across three floors of a former Augustinian church. There are plenty of stuffed critters and dioramas alongside trophies, weapons, paintings and porcelain embellished with hunting motifs. Creepy or captivating? Up to you.
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Glasmuseum
A splendid collection of more than 30,000 examples of Bohemian glasswork and crystal from over 250 years. If that doesn't do it for the transparently inclined, there's 36 rooms of baroque, classical, Art Nouveau and Art Deco pieces. Sneak a peek at the luxury chamber let to visiting VIPs of the Hotel Wilder Mann. And pick up a floor plan or you'll get lost.
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Neues Museum
Housed in a spectacularly incongruous building with an all-glass facade, the Neues Museum has the panache of a museum devoted to art and design. The upper floor displays contemporary art (mostly abstracts) while the lower showcases major developments in design since 1945. For a free peek at the exhibits, just stand in the courtyard outside.
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Schatzkammer Der Residenz
Schatzkammer der Residenz shares the Residenzmuseum's entrance. It exhibits an Aladdin's cave of baubles and precious objects. Included among the mind-boggling treasures are portable altars, the pearl-studded golden cross of Queen Gisela of Hungary, the Bavarian crown jewels, and 'exotic handicrafts' from Turkey, Iran, Mexico and India.
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