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Best Military Museums in Europe
Here are the very best museums in Europe for the army’s historical past.
1. Museum of the Second World War
Address: plac Władysława Bartoszewskiego 1, 80-862 Gdańsk, Poland The Museum of the Second World War is a state cultural establishment and museum established in 2008 in Gdańsk, Poland which is dedicated to the Second World War. With displays that opened in 2017, the Museum has turned into one of Poland’s hottest vacationer locations. The Museum is dedicated to the historical past of the Second World War with a concentrate on the Polish expertise. The Museum’s collections embody over 100,000 artifacts, paperwork, and artworks. The Museum construction was designed by the Kwadrat architectural crew and is positioned in Gdańsk, Poland.
2. Les Invalides
Address: 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris, France Les Invalides is a gaggle of buildings in Paris that served as an army hospital and retirement residence for wounded troopers, and now home museums and monuments referring to the army historical past of France. The website was initially constructed below the orders of King Louis XIV, as a hospital and retirement residence for wounded and retired troopers. It was the primary of its sort on this planet and was expanded on by Napoleon Bonaparte. Today, Les Invalides is residence to the Musée de l’Armée (the Army Museum), the Musée des Plans-Reliefs (the Museum of Military Models), and the Musée d’Histoire Contemporaine (the Museum of Contemporary History) and Napoleon’s Tomb. If you have an interest in the army’s historical past in France, then it is best to visit Les Invalides.
3. Imperial War Museum
Address: Lambeth Rd, London SE1 6HZ, United Kingdom The Imperial War Museum is a British nationwide museum devoted to the documentation of the historical past of recent warfare and battle. It was based because the Imperial War Museum in 1917 and opened in 1920 after the tip of the First World War. After the tip of World War I, the main focus of the museum’s mission was modified to incorporate all worldwide conflicts wherein British or Commonwealth forces have been concerned since 1914. Archives of private and official papers, pictures, movies, and video recordings, in addition to oral historical past recordings, are a part of the Imperial War Museum’s holdings. It’s one of the important collections from each world war in the complete world. The museum additionally has a library and archive for researchers. Exhibitions on matters similar to life within the trenches throughout World War I and common traditions throughout World War II are mounted periodically. The Imperial War Museum is positioned in London and is free to enter.
4. Deutsches Historisches Museum
Address: Unter den Linden 2, 10117 Berlin, Germany The Deutsches Historisches Museum (DHM or the German Historical Museum) is a museum in Berlin dedicated to German historical past and tradition. It was established in 1987 as a successor to the sooner Deutsches Museum in Munich. The DHM is likely one of the largest museums in Germany, with a group of over three million objects from all durations of the German historical past. The museum is positioned within the former Prussian Palace on Unter den Linden, close to the Brandenburg Gate. The DHM tells the history of Germany by way of its assortment of artifacts, paperwork, work, and different historic objects. The museum covers a variety of matters, from the early historical past of the German individuals to the nation’s latest previous. One of the highlights of the DHM is its exhibition on the Cold War. This exhibit tells the story of Germany’s division into East and West in the course of the Cold War and contains gadgets similar to paintings from East German artists and on a regular basis objects from each Germany. If you’re taken with studying Germany’s wealthy historical past, then a go to to the Deutsches Historisches Museum is a should. Admission to the museum is free, so there’s no excuse to not go
5. Warsaw Uprising Museum
Address: Grzybowska 79, 00-844 Warszawa, Poland Warsaw’s Wola district is the residence of the Warsaw Uprising Museum, which paperwork and shows the historical past of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. The museum opened on the sixtieth anniversary of the rebellion and accommodates lots of artifacts from these concerns, together with weapons and love letters. The museum’s major targets are to teach and analyze the historical past of the rebellion, in addition to creating an archive of data for future generations. The Warsaw Uprising Museum provides a complete view of one of the necessary moments in Warsaw’s historical past, making it a must-see for any traveler to town.
6. The Tank Museum
Address: Linsay Rd, Bovington Camp, Wareham BH20 6JG, UK The British invented the tank and altered the face of recent warfare without end. The Tank Museum is a British charity museum that preserves and shows tanks and different armored combating automobiles. The Tank Museum homes one of many world’s largest collections of tanks and armored automobiles positioned close to the British Army’s tank coaching grounds at Bovington. The Tank Museum is the successor of the Tank Corps Museum, which was established to protect the primary tanks utilized in World War I. There are nearly 300 automobiles on show from 26 nations, making it the world’s third-biggest assortment. The Tank Museum is a good place to study in regards to the historical past of tanks and different armored automobiles. The museum has an intensive assortment of tanks and armored automobiles from all around the world. The museum additionally has quite a lot of interactive displays, making it an awesome place for each adult and youngsters to study in regards to the historical past of tanks and armored automobiles. The Tank Museum is a must-see for anybody taken with studying in regards to the historical past of tanks and different armored automobiles.
7. Churchill War Rooms
Address: Clive Steps, King Charles St, London SW1A 2AQ, United Kingdom The Churchill War Rooms is a novel museum in London that gives guests the possibility to step again in time and expertise what it was like throughout World War II. The museum includes the Cabinet War Rooms, which have been utilized by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his authorities as a command heart in the course of the struggle, and the Churchill Museum, which explores Churchill’s life and legacy. The War Rooms have been in operation all through the struggle and remained deserted till they have been restored within the late twentieth century. Today, the Churchill War Rooms supply guests with immersive expertise that brings the historical past to life. If you’re taken with studying extra about Churchill and World War II, the Churchill War Rooms is a must-visit vacation spot.
8. Casa de la Guerra
Address: Plaça de Sant Felip Neri, 5, 08002 Barcelona, Spain Casa de la Guerra, or “House of War,” is a must-see for vacationers to the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. The 14th Century construction was the seat of the Spanish Inquisition in Barcelona, and at the moment it homes a museum that tells the story of the town’s lengthy and sophisticated historical past. Visitors can explore the museum’s exhibitions on the historical past of Barcelona, the Inquisition, and the Catalan Revolution, and see firsthand a number of the strategies utilized by the Spanish Inquisition to torture its victims. Casa de la Guerra is an interesting window into Barcelona’s previous, and a must-visit for anybody within the metropolis’s historical past.
9. Mémorial de Caen
Address: Esp. Général Eisenhower, 14050 Caen, France Mémorial de Caen is a must-see for anybody taken with twentieth Century historical past, notably the fragility of peace. Located in Caen, Normandy, Mémorial de Caen commemorates World War II and the bloody Battle for Caen. Mémorial de Caen was based in 1988 by President François Mitterrand and Prime Minister Jacques Chirac. Mémorial de Caen’s goal is “pay homage to the martyr metropolis of liberation” in addition to behaving as “a warning towards forgetting and reconciling the current with the previous.” Mémorial de Caen covers a variety of matters associated with World War II and its aftermath. Mémorial de Caen is a wonderful useful resource for anybody taken with studies extra about this era of historical past. It opened on the sixth of June 1988, the forty-fourth anniversary of the D-Day landings. The Mémorial de Caen is likely one of the hottest vacationer points of interest in Normandy, receiving greater than 400,000 guests every year.
10. The Museum of Military History
Address: Arsenal 1, 1030 Wien, Austria The Museum of Military History, Military History Institute in Vienna, is a crucial museum for the Austrian Armed Forces. It covers the Austrian army’s historical past by way of quite a lot of shows together with weapons, armors, tanks, airplanes, uniforms, flags, work, medals and badges of honor, pictures, battleship fashions, and papers. The Museum’s collections hint at the historical past of the Austrian Army from the sixteenth century to the current day. The Museum can be residence to a library and archive, which maintain a wealth of fabric on the Austrian army. guests can study Austria’s army previously by way of quite a lot of interactive displays. The Museum additionally provides numerous short-term exhibitions on numerous points of the Austrian army. The Museum is a wonderful useful resource for those taken with studying Austria’s army heritage.
11. Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History
Address: Parc du Cinquantenaire, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History is an army museum positioned in Brussels, Belgium’s Cinquantenaire Park. The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History is bordered by Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat, which continues from the tip of Brussels’ Park earlier than the Royal Palace to the tip of Wetstraat. The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History is devoted to preserving and displaying army artifacts and memorabilia from Belgium’s historical past. The museum provides a variety of everlasting displays on the Belgian army’s historical past, in addition to a library and analysis heart. Visitors also can discover the park’s intensive gardens and go to the close by Royal Palace.
12. Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam – Museum of WWII Resistance
Address: Plantage Kerklaan 61, 1018 CX Amsterdam, Netherlands Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam (Dutch Resistance Museum) is a must-see for those within the Dutch resistance to Nazi, Germany throughout World War II. The museum does a wonderful job of exploring the varied points of the resistance, from intelligence gathering to home sabotage. Visitors also can study in regards to the people who bravely sheltered over 300,000 individuals from German authorities in the autumn of 1944, in the course of the ill-fated Operation Market Garden. The museum is positioned in a former resistance headquarters, and lots of the unique artifacts are on show. Be certain to permit no less than two hours to discover the Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam.
13. Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra
Address: Piazza Castello, 1, 37012 Bardolino VR, Italy The Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra, or “Historical Museum of Italian War” is an army historical past museum positioned within the Castle of Bardolino on the shores of Lake Garda within the province of Verona, Italy. The museum was based in 1961 and is likely one of the largest museums of its sort in Europe. The museum covers the historical past of Italian army campaigns from historic instances to the current day. The Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra is open Tuesday by way of Sunday from 9:00 am to five:00 pm. Admission to the museum is €10 for adults and €5 for kids below 18. There are additional reductions for seniors, college students, and teams.
14. Army Museum (Brasov)
Address: Strada General Traian Mosoiu 24, 500068 Brașov, Romania The Army Museum in Brașov is a must-see for any historical past fanatic or traveler to Romania. The museum was based in 1923 and homes collections that cowl the Romanian army’s historical past from the Middle Ages to the current day. The Army Museum can be residence to the nation’s largest assortment of army uniforms, weapons, and gear. guests can get an up-close take a look at how the Romanian military has developed over the centuries. Guided excursions can be found in each Romanian and English, making it straightforward for everybody to get pleasure from this distinctive museum. So whether or not you’re taken with studying extra in regards to the historical past of the Romanian army or simply wish to discover one among Brașov’s hottest vacationer points of interest, remember to add the Army Museum to your itinerary.
Address: HM Naval Base (PP66), HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3NH, United Kingdom The National Museum of the Royal Navy was created in early 2009 to behave as a single non-departmental public physique for the museums of the Royal Navy highlighting the United Kingdom’s important naval historical past. Here, you’ll see how Britannia dominated the waves and constructed an empire. With venues throughout the United Kingdom, the museum’s element the historical past of the Royal Navy working on (and below) the ocean, on land through the legendary Royal Marines, and through their air power, the Fleet Air Arm. The foremost hub is in Portsmouth and you could find numerous sensational museums and historic ships right here.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy’s collections focuses on maritime historical past, science, artwork, and social historical past referring to naval life and battle from the sixteenth century to the current day. It’s one of the important collections from each world war in Europe. If you’re taken with exploring extra British naval historical past, remember to try the close-by Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. There you’ll discover the Mary Rose, a Tudor warship, which sank in 1545 and was raised from the waters and preserved in 1982. The website can be residence to Admiral Horatio Nelson’s legendary flagship HMS Victory. This huge ship can be a floating museum, the flagship of Britain’s First Sea Lord, and the oldest naval ship on this planet nonetheless in service!
16. Anne Frank House
Address: Westermarkt 20, 1016 GV Amsterdam The Anne Frank House is likely one of the hottest vacationer locations in Amsterdam, and for good purpose. This holocaust memorial is likely one of the most necessary World War II websites in the complete world. This isn’t strictly an army museum however stays one of the well-preserved and most impactful private tales from World War II. The home was used as a hiding place for Anne Frank and her household in the course of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in World War II. The home was subsequently a museum after the struggle and accommodates lots of Anne’s private belongings in addition to gadgets that belonged to the opposite individuals who hid in the home. The Anne Frank House is open each day from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, and tickets may be bought online upfront or on the museum itself. Be certain to permit no less than an hour to discover this monument to the Jewish individuals and study this necessary second in the historical past.
17. National Army Museum
Address: Royal Hospital Rd, London SW3 4HT, United Kingdom While nearly each present and historic British Army corps and regiment have its personal museum, the National Army Museum represents the complete British Army’s historical past and achievements. Located in ever-trendy Chelsea in central London, it’s proper subsequent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea (the British model of Les Invalides), the house of the cherished Chelsea Pensioners. This excellent museum focuses on the British Army, from its basis after the Acts of Union, to its position in constructing the British Empire as an army superpower, as much as the military’s newest campaigns all over the world. Its displays cowl a number of flooring and vary from dioramas large and small to uniforms and even automobiles. As nicely as having a present store and restaurant, the museum options talk about army issues. It’s open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am to five:30 pm – and it’s utterly free!
18. HMS Belfast
Address: The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2JH, United Kingdom The former Royal Navy town-class gentle cruiser HMS Belfast is now one of the well-known museum ships on this planet. Docked on the River Thames, this museum ship has been open to the general public since 1971. Walking by way of the ship, you’ll be capable of studying what life was like for British sailors throughout World War II and the Cold War. You’ll additionally study Belfast’s time as a flagship and her position in sinking the German battleship, Scharnhorst. Among its most spectacular options is exploring the within of Belfast’s turrets and getting a novel view of London from the bridge. This unbelievable, walkable, explorable everlasting exhibit is open each day from 10:00 am with closing entry at 5:00 pm. Entry is £23.60 however children below 5 get free entry.
19. IWM Duxford
Address: Duxford Airfield, Building 425, Cambridge CB22 4QR, United Kingdom Imperial War Museum Duxford is likely one of the most prestigious army plane museums in the complete world and the most important air museum in Europe. It’s residence to quite a few airshows and festivals all year long, fixed restoration efforts to convey outdated warbirds again to life, and numerous well-known everlasting displays, which might be museums in their very own proper. Top favorites embody the unbelievable American Air Museum, the Land Warfare exhibit, and the air hose. If that weren’t sufficient, there are additionally three completely different eating places to select from, play areas for younger children, a number of reward outlets, and it’s a lively civilian airfield you’ll be able to fly into through a gentle plane. It additionally sees the occasional army flight cease. The last time I used to be there, a pair of British Army Apache gunships stopped off for refueling!
What to anticipate at every museum
When visiting any of the museums on our record, you’ll be able to anticipate to see quite a lot of displays on matters such because the historical past of warfare, the experiences of troopers and civilians throughout wartime, and the expertise utilized in battle. In addition, lots of the museums supply interactive displays and academic applications for kids, making them perfect locations for households.
Tips for touring with children
If you’re planning on visiting any of the museums on our record together with your kids, we suggest doing a little analysis upfront to verify they are going to be within the matters lined. In addition, lots of the museums supply interactive everlasting displays and academic applications for kids, making them perfect locations for households.
