BMW Welt and BMW Museum

For car lovers, and for many people who would never call themselves that, BMW's home ground in the north of Munich is one of the city's most rewarding visits. It is really two sites facing each other across Lerchenauer Strasse, next to the company's headquarters, the famous four-cylinder tower, built in the early 1970s alongside the Olympic Park for the 1972 Games. BMW Welt, opened in 2007, is a huge showroom and brand centre under a swooping steel-and-glass roof shaped like a cloud, with a double cone at one end. It is free to enter and open long hours every day, and inside you can sit in the newest models, see motorcycles and electric cars, browse the shops, and watch customers collecting their new cars from a stage. The BMW Museum, in the silver bowl beside the tower, tells the story of the company from its beginnings as an aircraft engine maker through its motorcycles, the Isetta bubble car, the classic sedans and sports cars, racing and the electric present, in a sequence of houses and ramps that spiral through the building. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, with last admission at 5:30pm, and is closed on Mondays. In 2026 a single ticket costs seventeen euros, with reduced tickets at nine and a family ticket for two adults and up to three children at thirty-eight; tickets are valid for five hours, and cash is not accepted. The museum's temporary displays to the end of 2026 include an exhibition called Belle Macchine and a replica of the BMW M3 GTR from the Need for Speed Most Wanted video game. Guided tours of BMW Welt, the museum and the nearby BMW plant can be booked separately, and the plant tours, which show car production, are popular and should be reserved well ahead.

How to plan your visit: start in BMW Welt, which is free, then cross the bridge to the museum. The museum needs about two hours for a good look, and three for enthusiasts. Most of the exhibits are displayed as art objects rather than in rows, with good English labels, and some of the most memorable pieces are the early motorcycles, the 1930s racing cars, the 507 roadster and the art cars painted by famous artists, when they are on display. BMW Welt is free and open long hours, from early morning until late evening, so it fits around other plans; the vehicle showroom has staff on hand during the day.

Combining with the Olympic Park: BMW Welt sits right beside the Olympiapark, the site of the 1972 Summer Olympics, with its tent-like roofs, its lake and the Olympic Tower, whose observation deck is closed for renovation until about October 2027; for now, climb the free Olympic Hill for views over the city and, on clear days, the Alps. The park is a lovely place for a walk after the museum, and the Olympic Stadium can often be visited on non-event days. Together, BMW and the Olympic Park make a satisfying half-day in the north of the city, a short ride on the U3 underground to the Olympiazentrum station.

Practical notes: the museum's last entry is half an hour before closing, and it can close early for events, so check the calendar. BMW Welt is closed on 24, 25 and 26 December and on 31 December and 1 January. There are restaurants and cafes inside BMW Welt, and parking in the garage is paid by the hour. Children under fourteen must be accompanied by an adult in the museum, and the family ticket is excellent value. If you are short of time, BMW Welt alone, which is free, gives a good taste of the brand in under an hour, and the view of the four-cylinder tower and the museum bowl from the bridge between them is the classic photograph.