Visit this spectacular cliffside museum for fantastic views and top-class modern art.
A trip to the Museum of Modern Art Mönchsberg is rewarded in a range of different, but equally satisfying, ways. It houses an excellent collection of cutting-edge contemporary art within a building whose modern architecture befits its contents. The design is by Friedrich Hoff Zwink, a team of German architects who were selected from 45 different competitors in 1998. Opened six years later, the focus of the galleries here is on innovative modern art from the 20th century up to the present day. It is also known as the MdM Mönchsberg, and there is another Museum of Modern Art at MdM Rupertinium in Salzburg Old Town.Cladded in marble from nearby Untersberg Mountain, the museum is very visually striking. This stunning façade combines with sizeable windows offering views over the city and a one-of-a-kind 19th-century water tower that is incorporated into the design of the building, to provide a fascinating home for the museum's collections.The abstracted art and design of artists of the calibre of Christian Hitzinger, Leo Zogmayer and Imi Knoebel are showcased across the four floors of the museum, among the works of many Austrian and international artists. There is a specific concentration on photographic and graphic art within the collections here.Book a table at the fashionable m32 restaurant for a special occasion, or just enjoy nibbles or a cocktail while taking in the city laid out below you. There is also a well-stocked shop with high-quality art books on sale, as well as gifts and souvenirs.MdM Mönchsberg is only a 15-minute walk from the Old Town, and is also easily reachable by bus. It opens from Tuesday to Sunday, with late openings on Wednesday. Guided tours are sometimes available, and are inexpensive – have a look online before your visit.
