Museum Ludwig

Excellent collection of 20th century art—especially strong in German expressionism and American pop art and minimalism. The restaurant looked nice too—I only had a coffee there but it seemed busy and the vibe and view toward the river/bridge were nice.

A lovely museum of contemporary art and there are quite a few masterpieces. A great drop in after visiting Cologne Cathedral. Two or three hours will do as it is nothing overwhelming, and mostly gives a light and joyful vibe.

Its collection focused on modern and contemporary art is already very strong, but for me it has a special place especially because of its Picasso works. Being able to see original Picasso paintings from different periods so closely, and examine them down to the brushstrokes, is a truly impressive experience. They don’t just remain as paintings hanging on the wall – you find yourself wanting to stand in front of them for a long time and think. Alongside that, the pop art and other modern works make the museum even richer. Even if you only have a slight interest in art, it’s a place you should definitely make time for and one that shouldn’t be missed on a visit to Cologne.

Huge collections of paintings! I saw so many of Picasso’s art works and so many of Warhol’s. The normal ticket was 11 Euros. The place has a nice terrace as well with good view.

Absolutely top-tier museum. The scale of the exhibition is impressive, the curation is excellent, and everything feels well-organized and thoughtfully presented. You’ll find a huge variety of styles and genres - not only paintings, but also sculptures and larger installations. The Surrealism area was a personal highlight for me - truly inspiring. Honestly, one day is not enough to properly see everything and enjoy it without rushing. Also worth mentioning: the staff is friendly and professional, and even the museum shop is amazing - great selection of souvenirs, art books and magazines. If you get tired, there’s a restaurant inside which makes the visit even more comfortable. I will definitely come back again.

Very large museum and honestly a bit tiring to cover. There are plenty of strong works and the collection is impressive, but the curation and spatial flow felt weak to me, which made parts of the visit slightly monotonous. Still worth going if you’re in Cologne.

We were on a Christmas Market Cruise and this museum was next to the Cologne Christmas Market. We were here on a Saturday and it was super crowded, not only with tourists but locals also. After the bustle of the market shopping, it was rather relaxing to visit this museum. It has an eclectic collection of modern art and is definitely worth a visit. Bonus was that it was holding an exhibit of Jasper Johns which I particularly enjoyed. No need to pre-purchase the tickets and was not too crowded.

I think this is one of the most important museums in Cologne and one of the main art museums in Germany. You can easily spend 2-3 hours there: it ranges from a very important modern art section with John Cage and "Five Friends" to important expressionist painters, local and international impressionists, and even some Picassos. Everything is stunning, four floors of pure art. There may be lines.

Interesting modern art museum near the cathedral in Cologne. It's worth seeing if you are visiting the city and have time to see a museum. They have a lot of Picasso pieces and an interesting exhibit on Ukrainian art.

To me this is just about the perfect size for a museum, as opposed to something like the Louvre that's just overwhelming. This was a great place to spend a couple of hours looking at modern art. It's cheap, conveniently located, and has a great selection of art with something for everybody.

Well worth a visit. A variety of great pieces. Reasonably priced admission as well. Recommended.

This museum is huge! Make sure you have time to check out all sections. I spent like an hour just on one of the floors. The art pieces they have are breath taking! You have to pay to get in, but it was only 12 euros per ticket.

I dragged my husband and brother here against their will and then I had to drag them out! Great museum where you can easily spend a few hours.

YES! ART FTW! I visited Museum Ludwig for the first time in December 2010, and although my companions and I spent a couple hours in there, I easily could have spent the whole day looking at art. Among the exhibits we saw were: Russian Avant-Garde, Suchan Kinoshita, Picasso and Cubism, Pop Art, Bauhaus and De Stijl, Photographs from 19th Century Japan and China and La Bohème: The Staging of the Artists in19th and 20th Century Photography. All of them were relatively interesting, and I saw some Magrittes, which was rad. Also loved the top floor and the more modern (postmodern?) art. The bookstore/gift shop has a lot of cool stuff in it as well. Could have done without the nit-picky employees who kept yelling at people for taking photos which weren't even of the art, nor with flash. But I suppose that's to be expected.

This is basically the modern art museum, so if you don't like modern art then it is probably a pretty good idea to give this place a miss. However, I didn't mind it, though since it does focus entirely on 20th Century art it can get to you after a while. However, as it turned out, there was some Warhol in the museum, though I sort of stumbled around actually trying to find it, and almost walked out without seeing it. Fortunately I noticed that there was a part of the gallery that I had missed, and that was where the Warhol was to be found. The gallery itself is okay, however you really do have to appreciate modern art to appreciate this museum.

This is definitely one of my favorite art museums around. Take some time to get a good view of the building; it's really cool. Inside, you'll find what seems to be a never ending collection of modern art. I'd carve out at least three hours for this museum, though you could easily spend an entire day here. Oh, and wear comfortable shoes. *BONUS: Visit the terrace(s) for great views of the cathedral*

I liked this museum when I visited Kolon. It is very big and holds a lot of art. I think that the museum is very strict though. No small tripods to take pictures and the security didn't look friendly enough to ask to take a picture. Because I was traveling alone and didn't have anyone to take pictures of me with the art, I left kind of frustrated.

The museum fell short of my expectations with the art in the gallery. The Picasso room is absolutely breathtaking, along with other art throughout the museum, but I lost interest when I saw a piece of bread as artwork.

The "Ludwig Goes Pop" exhibition is small yet nice, but beyond that, I found Museum Ludwig to be absolutely awful. The permanent collection doesn't seem to have any recent work, the interior feels incredibly dated, and it's very hard to find your way around. But the worst were the staff. Upstairs there were two staff women walking around having a loud conversation. Just chit-chat, not work related. They just kept walking in loops, talking talking talking. I don't know if this is a weird German thing, but WTF IT"S A F***CKING MUSEUM - WHISPER - IF YOU MUST!! And for employees to not know this!! After putting up with this for quite some time I actually went up to them, and I said, "Would you mind being quiet because I'm trying to enjoy the art?" They looked at each other, looked back at me, and were like "Who, us?" (As though I shouldn't be questioning them, they work there!) I said, "Yes, you guys, I would appreciate you not talking." They obliged... But I felt tense afterwards... I shouldn't have to ask about these things... Then, downstairs in the Pop exhibition, there was another employee who for some reason was crushing his half-empty water bottle and getting water all over the floor. Then after he had crushed it enough (Like, we're talking 10 minutes here), he put it in his pocket. I am not making this up, it was very strange and distracting. OK, so maybe I just "lucked out" by running across these folks... But still, I didn't feel the Ludwig was worth the time. Big city contemporary art museums have better collections and exhibitions, and since I travel to those also, I should have skipped this and done more Cologne-y things outside.

If you are a fan of Picasso (and other modern artists), this museum is for you. We were here for a day on a Viking cruise, so we made the short walk from the river to the museum and enjoyed a couple of hours viewing the exhibits. We especially enjoyed the extensive permanent Picasso section on the upper floor. Our recommendation: don't miss the small room presenting a documentary that shows Picasso actually creating his artwork (it's easy to miss as it is off the side around a corner). It provides excellent examples of his layering technique and there is a convenient seating area.

This is probably my second favorite museum we visited in Europe, after the Pompidou Centre. I prefer modern art over classical, and this place has it in spades. All kinds of quirky, avant-garde paintings, sculptures, installation pieces, film exhibits...Ludwig was also right across the Dom Square from our hotel, which made it oh-so-accessible and wonderful - as well as one of the reasons Cologne is one of Europe's best cities, imho.

Great collections, especially the pop art section. Interesting exhibitions, easy to follow. Plus it has an excellent restaurantfor either a light meal or a coffee.