Top art destinations and cultural hubs
Top art destinations and cultural hubs
Top art destinations and museums for travelers
For many travelers, standing in front of a painting they have only ever seen in books is one of the best moments of a trip, and it often feels very different from what they expected.
Some people plan whole vacations around big museums, like the Uffizi in Florence or the Louvre in Paris, where you could easily spend days and still not see everything. Others prefer art that is part of daily life, such as the murals of Mexico City or the street art that covers whole neighborhoods in Berlin and Melbourne. There are also places like Naoshima in Japan, a small island where modern art, architecture and the sea come together in a way that is hard to find anywhere else.
Big museums get busy, so booking a timed ticket and going early in the morning or late in the day makes a visit much more enjoyable.
Lists by region
Island in Japan
Naoshima
Art museums on a Seto Inland Sea island
Naoshima transformed from a quiet fishing island into an open-air contemporary art destination. A Japanese company began commissioning museums and installations across the island in the 1990s. Visitors can explore underground galleries or wander sculptures scattered along the coast. Nearby islands have since added their own art installations and museums.
City in Germany
Dresden
Baroque Elbe city rebuilt from the ruins
Dresden's art collections survived centuries of royal patronage before wartime bombing destroyed much of the city. Restoration efforts rebuilt the historic Zwinger palace to house the recovered treasures. Visitors can view Old Masters paintings within the palace's restored galleries. Nearby, the rebuilt Frauenkirche stands as a symbol of the city's postwar recovery.
City in Japan
Tokyo
Japan's capital of temples, towers and food
TeamLab Borderless creates immersive digital art installations that respond to visitor movement. A collective of artists and engineers designed the projections to shift constantly across rooms. Visitors can walk through rooms of shifting light, color and projected imagery. Nearby, the Mori Art Museum offers more traditional contemporary exhibitions with skyline views.
City
New York City
Five boroughs of skyline, food and museums
The Guggenheim Museum's spiral ramp was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, completed in 1959. Wright intended visitors to ride an elevator up and walk down the winding gallery. Visitors can view art along the museum's continuous spiral interior. Nearby, Central Park offers green space just across the street.
City in Germany
Berlin
Wall history, Museum Island and all-night clubs
Museum Island in Berlin gathers five major museums onto a single river island. UNESCO recognized the complex for its concentration of significant collections and architecture. Visitors can move between museums covering ancient, classical and modern art. Nearby, the East Side Gallery displays murals painted directly on the former Berlin Wall.
City in Germany
Düsseldorf
Rhine promenade, Altbier and Königsallee
Dusseldorf's art academy has trained influential German artists since the 1700s. Painters associated with the school helped shape movements from Romanticism to contemporary conceptual art. Visitors can tour K20 and K21, museums holding major twentieth-century collections. Nearby, galleries along a converted harbor district display newer contemporary work.
City in Japan
Kyoto
Temples, geisha districts and kaiseki dining
Kinkaku-ji's golden pavilion reflects perfectly in the pond surrounding it. Monks rebuilt the temple after a 1950 fire, recreating its gold-leaf exterior exactly. Visitors can walk garden paths for classic views of the shimmering structure. Nearby, hundreds of traditional workshops still practice crafts passed down over centuries.
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