Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art, Luxembourg

The Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art, abbreviated to MUDAM, stands on the site of the old Fort Thüngen, in Luxembourg's Clausen quarter.

First proposed in 1989 and championed by then-Prime Minister Jacques Santer, the location of the future museum was much disputed until it was agreed in 1997 to use Dräi Eechelen Park and connect the museum to Fort Thüngen. The building was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I. M. Pei, and cost $100m to build. The museum was inaugurated on 1 July 2006 by Grand Duke Jean, to whom the building is dedicated, and opened to the public the following day.

In its first year being open to the public, the museum had more than 115,000 visitors, which is a record attendance in Luxembourg. As Luxembourg had no public modern art collection and the museum budget did not allow acquiring a modernist collection, the museum focused on contemporary art - its permanent collection includes works by 100 artists, including: Andy Warhol, Bruce Nauman, Julian Schnabel, Thomas Struth, and Daniel Buren, set out on three floors.

Why You Should Visit:
The building, designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei, is gorgeous; there is a ton of natural lighting in the elegant and pleasingly spare interior.
Even if you are not keen on modern art, you will enjoy the atmosphere and feel the attraction for creativity. Even the cafeteria is definitely worth visiting.

Tip:
Take some time to walk the grounds to get spectacular views of the city, especially the old town. If not too hot or cold, you can stretch a towel or blanket and have a picnic.