The Folkwang Museum is an awesome place with a moving history and some unique art on display…read more Perfect for an autumn day.

(my visit was in September 2015)…read more Oh, I am so conflicted about the museum. I appreciate art, I worked in the arts, and I want it to flourish and be shared with as many people as possible, but the curation was so poor. Let's start with the good: there's no admission charge for the permanent collection. Now to the bad: There are some great, fantastic pieces on exhibition, but the low quality displays are so distracting. Artwork is encased in plastic or glass that is slightly opaque and reflects a glare, so it's incredibly difficult to see the pieces in their full glory. The lighting is inconsistent and absolutely awful in some rooms. The museum benefits from beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows that let in so much light, but then you turn a corner and enter a room with fluorescent lights 40 or 60 ft up on the ceiling, casting shadows that shroud the pieces. At the time I went, there was a special exhibit area showcasing a piece of installation art that was fantastic. The staging in the room was done properly: let the artwork be the focus and configure the room and setting around the art. And don't expect too much from the gift shop. I was hoping to pick up a few postcards or souvenirs to send home but was sadly disappointed with just books and knick-knacks. It's no MoMA or Met.

If you can plan a trip visit when they have an event going on, there is really so much going on and…read moremuch to see. Their website states that this is the largest private collection in Germany, about 120 pieces of rolling stock. Not all of the pieces are stored and a number are covered by canvas awaiting restoration. The collection includes a few rarities such as the only remaining DB clss 66, 66-002, 1955 by Henschel. One other point, none of the placards are in English. Enjoy the three structures containing the wonderfully preserved rolling stock.

From the owner: "Klein aber fein": Im Herzen der Hattinger Altstadt liegt das "Museum im Bügeleisenhaus (MiBEH)"…read more Schon das sehenswerte Fachwerkhaus aus dem 17. Jahrhundert ist einen Besuch wert: Volutenknaggen und Balkenköpfe mit Maskenschnitzereien zieren die Fassade des Gebäudes, und auch das Innenleben hält mit dem originalen Giebel von 1611, einem funktionsfähigen Hausbrunnen und einem Gewölbekeller für Besucher viel Interessantes bereit.