BMW Welt & BMW Museum — Munich

At the foot of BMW's famous "four-cylinder" headquarters tower in Munich sit two of the city's most-visited attractions. BMW Welt is a swooping steel-and-glass showroom, event space and new-car delivery centre — free to enter, and as much a piece of architecture as a car dealership, its double-cone facade and cloud-like roof a landmark in its own right. Across a footbridge, the bowl-shaped BMW Museum tells the story of the company from aero-engines and motorcycles to the cars that made its name. ## What to see The museum threads visitors through interconnected "houses" and themed exhibits displaying around 125 of the most significant vehicles BMW has built. Highlights include the elegant pre-war roadsters, the trend-setting 1970s BMW 2002 and the first 3 Series, the mid-engined M1 supercar, Art Cars painted by the likes of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, and a hall of gleaming motorcycles. A dramatic multimedia installation of suspended, kinetic metal balls mapping a car's silhouette is a favourite. Over in BMW Welt, current models, M cars and electric i models can be sat in and admired, with a premium lounge upstairs where buyers collect their new cars on a turntable stage. ## Know before you go BMW Welt is free and open daily; the neighbouring museum charges admission and closes on Mondays. Together they easily fill two to three hours, more for a genuine enthusiast. The site is right by the Olympiapark and its tower, reachable directly on the U3 to Olympiazentrum, so a visit pairs naturally with the 1972 Olympic grounds. Note that museum tickets are card- or app-payment only; cash is not accepted.