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Museum Ludwig

Museum Ludwig

Museum Ludwig
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
This art museum houses a diverse collection that includes everything from Dali to Warhol to one of the world's largest Picasso collections. Open Tuesday to Sunday (including public holidays) from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., every first Thursday of the month until 10 p.m.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Top ways to experience Museum Ludwig and nearby attractions

The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Altstadt-Nord
How to get there
  • Koln Central Station • 4 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • Anne M
    Canberra, Australia570 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Incredible permanent collection
    We didn’t know about this Museum as all emphasis is on Koln Cathedral. I highly recommend this gem of a find as we enjoyed every floor, room and rooftop views. We timed our visit for a special Ukrainian exhibition. Quite moving and a must see. The rooftop views provided a chance to see the Koln Cathedral from a different viewpoint. The architecture inside was just as exciting to see as the artworks. I’m a lover of both and even my husband was impressed with its permanent collection. We highly recommend this museum as a must do in your top 3 things to do in Cologne.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 21 October 2023
  • Jonathan G
    19 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Unexpected find
    We were in Cologne on a rainy Sunday, and our tour guide mentioned the Ludwig, which is right behnd the Cathedral and next to the train station. It was quite an unexpected find! There was an impressive collection of world-renowned modern artists, including Picasso, Lichtenstein, Warhol, Segal, and Modrian, among others. So glad we heard about it!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 14 November 2023
  • Drumraine
    Dublin, Ireland313 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not to Be Missed
    We can’t say enough about experience here. Great use of space; every piece on display was within its own area. Not crowded, ala The Louvre. We came especially for the Picasso/Cubist display and were not disappointed! Good signage. Clear explanations in German and English. Views of the river from the roof terrace were spectacular!
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 2 December 2023
  • tim b
    Bude, United Kingdom55 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great museum attached to a crap restaurant
    A wonderful museum offering great space and light. Perfect for those who,prefer a more modern approach. But if you want the surliest and rudest people in Cologne then look no further than the restaurant. A worse collection of miserably terse people would be difficult to find. And they can curse in English too
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 14 December 2023
  • Karen M
    58 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very enjoyable visit if you have any interest in modern art
    We debated between 4 or 5 stars. Enjoyed our visit, there is plenty to see with a wide range of modern art including Picasso. Lovely spacious building. Centrally located near the Cathedral. Cafe experience was a bit disappointing.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 15 December 2023
  • Johnny19039
    2,350 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Highly recommended!
    We had a great time at the Ludwig Museum in Cologne. It's a wonderful place to see some of the most amazing works of modern art. We especially enjoyed the paintings by Picasso, Warhol and Lichtenstein. The museum is very spacious and well-organized, and the staff are friendly and helpful. The audio guide was very informative and easy to use. I learned a lot about the history and context of the artworks. The museum also has a nice cafe and a gift shop where you can buy some souvenirs. I would definitely recommend the Ludwig Museum to anyone who loves modern art. However, if you are not into this kind of art, you might find it boring or confusing. It's not a museum for everyone, but for those who appreciate it, it's a fantastic experience.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 21 January 2024
  • Auzziegirl123
    Kefalonia, Greece57 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don’t miss the opportunity to visit
    This was one of the best galleries I have visited. The exhibits are fabulously explained, it’s spacious and the big white walls makes enjoying finer details ever better. Tying the arts to history, politics and movements was a joy to learn. Congratulations to this team for their amazing presentations. Particularly loved Picasso & the Pop Art.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 14 September 2024
  • LotusEaterNewZealand
    178 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Pop Art collection
    The museum is just a few minutes from the main Cologne railway station and is well worth a visit. It is a good size with plenty to see but not so large that it’s overwhelming. There are some impressive Pop Art pieces by people like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, everything is well laid out, and there are some outdoor terraces where you can site and relax while admiring the view of the cathedral.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 21 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,806 reviews
Excellent
1,033
Very good
534
Average
170
Poor
41
Terrible
28

Jan_from_Atlanta
Atlanta, GA1,263 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Located close to the train station and cathedral, the Ludwig holds a rich collection of modern and pop art, including one of the largest collections of Pablo Picasso works in the world. The museum is very pleasant and roomy but is not massive, which makes for a very enjoyable visit. Admission is 12 Euros. There is a restaurant as well but I would suggest take a very short walk to The Fruh (over 100 years old) for a nice German meal at reasonable prices.
Written 18 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ash2089
Ashford, UK26 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
International Women's Day meant my wife got in for free but I paid €11. Worth every penny in my opinion. We stayed for nearly two hours but could've stayed for even longer had we not booked a walking tour.

Toilets are clean and the gift shop was wicked too.

I'd definitely visit again!!
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul S
Zurich, Switzerland161 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This is a very bright and open museum and while it busy it was still easy to see the exhibits. There are some great impressionists such as Kandinsky, Klee, and to our surprise and delight some Picasso works. There was pop art and different genres to please everyone
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dan K
The Hague, The Netherlands8,919 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
After having spend about 15 minutes in Tate Modern in London, I decided to give contemporary art another chance in Cologne. What can I say? I just don't like it and prefer classical art. If i see a work of art I don't want to get the feeling that I could easily have made it myself, whereas classical art are true master pieces by themselves. Where I draw the line is the works of Mondrian, Picasso (still mixed feelins about his work, which I saw in his birth place museum in Malaga), Dali and Gaudí. The latter, not being on display in Cologne. The others, luckily, were.

I got the suggestion not to miss the Gare du Perpignan painting by Dali. Wonderful, indeed. Interesting to learn more about the Cologne artist scene in the beginning of the 1900s.

So all in all it wasn't a bad visit. I just didn;t like most of the works on display.

The building itself is beautiful. Staff could be a bit more friendly., though.
Written 27 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

graeme A
kuala lumpur273 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Museum Ludwig has some interesting and different art styles. The museum is divided into many small sections which allows the visitor to concentrate on the style in that section. Thoroughly enjoyed the Picasso pieces. The modern art section has one thinking about the pieces whether they are sculpture, painting or pop expressionism. You need to take your time to enjoy the museum and wonder as to what the artist was thinking. The staff are helpful and polite and the lockers are great to deposit your heavy coats etc.
Written 20 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CCL-Family
Amesbury, UK37 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
This building is Tardis like because you have no idea about how big it is or how many works of art are in it.
The museum is right in the middle of the city by the main railway station and underground and a stones throw from the cathedral.
The building is full of floors going left and right and up and down with little nooks and crannies full of sculpture and paintings we were there for 21/2 hours but could have stayed longer I am never sure that we saw everything.
We especially loved the pop art floor and all the different works.
There is also a cafe that we did not go into but looked good.
Written 24 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

WingsOfFireAndIron
Quinte West, Canada17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019 • Business
There are so many different rooms and style at this museum/gallery. In addition to painting, sculpture and photography there are a few installations and film exhibits to experience. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of art galleries, I’m confident that everyone will find something they enjoy seeing. Clean and easy to navigate. Lockers available to store personal items.
Written 17 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

FerrisXL
Amsterdam, The Netherlands406 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Friends
Nice modern art museum, one of the better known museums in Cologne. Especially liked the temporary Isamu Noguchi exhibition on the ground floor that took place when we visited (entrance to the temporary exhibition was included in the regular ticket price).
The regular collection is quite broad with a limited number of pieces per artist. Well-known masterpieces are rare. E.g. Picasso- there are a number of paintings, sculptures and ceramics at display but none of his best known work.
Written 19 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Neil K
Liverpool, UK828,901 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
Although I never ventured into the museum as I have very little interest in this form of the arts I must admit that I quite enjoyed the look of the museum/ gallery.
A modern building, a cubist look,modern,eye catching and in a wonderful location being very close to the magnificent Dom and the huge and impressive Cologne Central Train Station.
The museum building makes for some great photographic opportunities and is easy to locate along Bischofsgartenstraße and is most definitely well worth checking out.
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Francis D
Montreal, Canada1,806 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021
I have to admit right off the start: I am NOT a modern art lover. In fact, I dislike most of the pieces of art of the genre.

That being said, I entered Ludwig museum with an open mind... and I was rewarded for it.
Don't be fooled by the flea market look of the building from the outside, the inside stuff is definitely worth the visit.

At the time of visit, there was a special exhibit re: Picasso.
To be fair, this special exhibit was ok, but nothing spectacular.
The most interesting thing in this special offering, in my opinion, was the paintings which do not look like it was Picasso's artwork.

Funny thing is, there is already a part of the permanent exhibit containing some Picasso's... which are great pieces.

We spent about 2.5 hours in the museum and we skipped / walked by several sections. Someone who's more into this art genre could easily spend 3+ hours in there.
Written 20 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MUSEUM LUDWIG (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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