Fishink in Munich Part 4. Pinakothek der Moderne Design Museum and Mittenwald.

Designed by German architect Stephan Braunfels, the Pinakothek der Moderne was finished in September 2002 after seven years of construction. The $120 million, 22,000-square-metre building took a decade to finish because of bureaucratic objections to design and cost. It was worth the wait as the style and design of the building is truly stunning.

I liked the idea behind the Museum, there isn’t a lot to read, just the name of the designer, perhaps the year the item was created and the rest is left for you to view and appreciate. Some amazing views from room to room, as well as the collection itself.

Even the staff have passed the design test, I’m sure this Jo Brand look-a-like was supporting a Minnie Mouse hairdo, superbly styled. The spacing between the items and their simplistic layout worked so well, giving you time to breathe and appreciate the beautiful design, whether a piece of furniture, ceramic, or perhaps a mode of transport.

Some of these shapes, colours and styles of course appealed to the mid-century designer in me. Beautiful wooden seats and a very early version of flat pack shelving… those Swedes !

There was a whole room dedicated to jewellery alone.

Whilst walking around the Museum, I was constantly struck by it’s wonderful construction. The uncluttered, and often colossal viewing perspectives and the number of design-led devotees that it attracted.

From the new to the old and an secondly in the blog today an amazing trip to Mittenwald, well known for it’s manufacture of violins, violas and cellos, which began in the mid-17th century.

It was the first real sight of snow during my trip to Munich and viewing the Bavarian Chalets nestled together with the Alps forming a striking backdrop was quite a stirring sight. The centre is elaborately decorated with religious themed frescos. I loved the way that they made quite ordinary windows appear so grandiose, simply through the use of a painted surrounding frame.

The Churches looked more like something you might find in Russia, than Germany, and the clean white walls and painted beams gave them a simplistic beauty of their own.

Elsewhere in the surrounding area, the creative wooden sculptures and self made christmas decorations, continued to catch and delight my eyes.

They do have some rather odd local species tho and the most bizarre soup I’ve ever had, consisting of a watery base, strips of pancake and meat with a cake like sponge in the bottom. Three courses in one bowl !

Walking a little further out of the centre, we discovered a beautiful track leading up through a snowy forest trail. We we’re so lucky to spot this deer and even luckier that it stopped and posed for long enough for me to get a photo of it … how kind.

The path turned into a metal trackway and spanned across the ice blue, watery canyon below. It was a little spooky moving on the walkways as you could see right through them, and (more importantly) down to the bottom of the valley, hundreds of meters below… gulp. The views however were worth risking our necks for.

The Alps looked amazing captured in the frosty sunlight, Mittenwald was a definite highlight of the whole trip for me and well worth the picturesque hour and a half from Munich to get there.

Images from the Munich Toy Museum and Folklore Museum to follow soon.