Europe is known for its ornate classical architecture and grand galleries - think the Hermitage or the Louvre - but there are countless unique, niche, under-the-radar museums that offer fascinating, unexpected cultural experiences with fewer crowds. The guides on ToursbyLocals know all the hotspots and hidden gems, and can also help you to skip the line or dodge the masses around the city, so your experience is free from distraction, and rich in learning.
Let’s take a look at a few of of the most unique and unexpectedly delightful museums in Europe that you may not have heard of yet.
STRAAT, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Vibrant and captivating, STRAAT is the museum for graffiti and street art in Amsterdam. It explores the significant impact that street art has had on art, fashion, design, advertising, and culture at large, showcasing some of the biggest names and upcoming talent from around the world. Set in a former shipyard in Amsterdam Noord, this dynamic museum is an enlightening and inspiring way to spend your afternoon. Explore the trendy and inspiring city with one of our local
Amsterdam tours.
Belgian Comic Strip Center, Brussels, Belgium
Did you know that Belgium has more comic strip artists per square kilometre than any other country in the world? This cultural obsession is showcased in a museum in Brussels. Located in a beautiful Art Nouveau building in the heart of the city, the Belgian Comic Strip Center showcases Belgium’s comic strip heroes like Tintin, Spirou, Bob and Bobette, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Blake and Mortimer, Marsupilami. Take a tour such as
Highlights of Brussels with a private local guide to learn more about the Belgian’s obsession with comics and other fascinating aspects of this country’s culture and history.
Churchill's War Rooms, England
You’ve probably been to the British Museum, the V&A and the National Portrait Gallery. Now duck into 20th century history and walk in the footsteps of Britain’s national hero, Winston Churchill. Serving as Prime Minister during World War II, Churchill’s underground base during the war is now a museum to be visited on tours such as the
Private Churchill Walking Tour of London and
Westminster Abbey-Changing of the Guard-Buckingham Palace-Churchill War Rooms-Private Guided 7 hour Tour. You will see Churchill’s secret underground control centre, where he lived and worked, and learn how this bunker became the centre of wartime Britain’s fight against fascism.
German Spy Museum, Berlin, Germany
If you are fascinated by espionage, step into the German Spy Museum in Berlin to crack secret codes, negotiate a laser maze, hack into websites, and test your sneaky skills in other ways. The museum features interactive exhibits where visitors can use multimedia technology to detect the strange and savvy methods of agents and secret services. This museum is a great addition to a day trip with an expert
Berlin tour guide.
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain
While it’s not exactly under the radar, the Guggenheim Museum is an absolutely groundbreaking and astonishing piece of 20th-century architecture. Designed by influential Canadian architect Frank Gehry, the spectacular space never fails to impress visitors with its unique features such as curved volumes, glass curtain walls, and a spiral lamp leading up to a domed skylight. Explore this modern masterpiece with the knowledge of a local guide on the
Bilbao & Guggenheim Museum tour.
Edward Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway
Take a look at the life and work of iconic Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, who spearheaded the expressionist movement at the end of the 19th century. Most widely known for his pre-Expressionist painting “The Scream”, which was sold at an auction in New York in 2012 for more than $100 million, his art is deep and meaningful, and visiting the Evard Munch Museum is sure to evoke strong emotions. Allow a ToursbyLocals guide to enhance your experience on a tour that explores
The new Edvard Munch museum, the Opera, the library and the Bjoervika water front.
Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands
Admirers of Van Gogh don’t need to face the tourist mobs and lines of Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, as a day trip will take you to an amazing collection of the artist’s work at about one-fifth of the crowds of the Van Gogh Museum. The Kröller-Müller Museum features almost 11,500 art pieces and the second largest collection of Van Gogh’s work in the world. Set about an hour’s drive from Amsterdam, this is a perfect addition to your itinerary of a tour such as
100% Tailor made: Day Trips from Amsterdam.
Albertina Museum, Vienna, Austria
Step into the former mansion of an aristocratic couple and explore their lavish private apartments that are adorned with a picture gallery featuring European artists from Monet to Picasso. Join up with a ToursbyLocals guide on the
2,5 hour private guided tour of the Albertina palace & museum, led by the sister of an academic painter, and discuss Impressionism, Pointillism and Cubism as you explore this scene of European culture.
Muzeum Karykatury, Warsaw
In 1978, Eryk Lipiński, a Polish journalist, cartoonist and satirist, founded the Museum of Caricature in Warsaw. It’s a small place with a big collection: more than 20,000 pieces by cartoon artists from around the world. The museum is smart and funny, and gives an insight into the tastes, humour and graphic styles of cartoonists from as far back as the 17th century up to the present day. See it as part of a
private tour of Warsaw.
