Museum Funf Kontinente (Five Continents Museum), Munich

Founded in 1862 as the Royal Ethnographic Collection for the purpose of displaying non-European artworks and objects, the Five Continents Museum's outstanding historical and contemporary collections show the uniqueness and diversity of cultures from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, the Orient, Oceania, and Europe.

With a collection of over 200,000 objects and an exhibition area of 4,500 square meters, this is the second largest museum in Germany, outnumbered only by Berlin. Though founded in 1868, the collection's history started much earlier with the Wittelsbach dynasty that ruled Bavaria for over 600 years. It was, arguably, however, the purchase of a large collection from India and Oceania by King Ludwig I in 1830 that provided the catalyst for placing exhibits in the present building, originally intended for the Bavarian National Museum and designed in the Perpendicular English Gothic architectural style.

Head trophies from Brazil, colorful Indian deities, and the oldest surviving North American kayak are all on display here, but in many cases the exhibits include artifacts from contemporary cultures as well – such as African masks made out of discarded items. It's lovely to get such an in-depth insight into other parts of the world. This museum is for all ages!