Not Paris, not Rome: According to Tourlane, the most culturally rich city in the world in 2026 is Mexico City. The metropolis impresses with almost 200 museums and galleries - a number that speaks for itself.
Experience art, understand history, discover science; art and culture have a decisive influence on the travel experience. "Tourlane" has evaluated 50 important art and cultural metropolises worldwide and shows which cities are a must-visit in the coming year. The leader in terms of museums and art: Mexico City is the most exciting cultural metropolis in 2026.
The online travel platform examined the institutional diversity of 50 cities - the interplay of art, history and science museums and galleries - the quality of the collections and financial accessibility through free museums and regular free admission windows. Finally, the calculation of the ranking points (full score: 100) put the density of cultural institutions in a city in relation to their visitor numbers.
1st Mexico City, Mexico (final score in the ranking: 100/100)
44 art museums | 110 galleries | 19 history museums | 14 science museums
Visitor favorite: Museo Nacional de Antropología (National Museum of Anthropology), 1.5 million annual visitors
For art and museum lovers, there is no way around Mexico City in the coming year: the metropolis combines big names, important collections and a lively scene.
In the Palacio de Bellas Artes, monumental murals by Diego Rivera tell the story of modern Mexico, while Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul offers intimate insights into the life of the icon. The futuristic Museo Soumaya presents European classics from Rodin to Dalí. The MUAC and Museo Tamayo show modern and experimental works. As the most visited museum in the country, the Museo Nacional de Antropología opens up the world of pre-Columbian cultures - from the Maya to the Aztecs.
Museum Day: Last Wednesday of each month, 6-10 p.m.
Special interest tip: El Modo - Museum of everyday objects
2nd London, Great Britain (final score in the ranking: 91.9/100)
72 art museums | 591 galleries | 73 history museums | 22 science museums
Visitor favorite: British Museum, 4.1 million annual visitors
There are few cities in the world where art history comes as alive as in London; the density of iconic original works is extraordinary. Two paintings hang in the National Gallery that have shaped our collective visual memory - Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" and Claude Monet's "The Water Lily Pond". The British Museum, which attracts over four million visitors a year, preserves Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa", one of the world's most popular motifs. The Tate Modern spans the arc into modernity: Andy Warhol's "Marilyn Diptych" stands here alongside Pop Art classics by Roy Lichtenstein and works by Henri Matisse.
Museum Day: The majority of London's major state museums are free of charge
Special interest tip: Museum of Brands - Museum of Consumer Culture
3rd Basel, Switzerland (final score in the ranking: 71.6/100)
6 art museums | 11 galleries | 6 history museums | 2 science museums
Visitor favorite: Fondation Beyeler, 300,000 annual visitors
Basel combines in a very small space what other major cities require long distances for; many museums are just a few steps away from each other here - from the renowned Kunstmuseum Basel, the oldest public art collection in the world, to the Fondation Beyeler, which exhibits masterpieces by Monet, Rothko and Giacometti. There are also innovative museums such as the Museum Tinguely, which shows kinetic art in motion.
Special events: Museum Night Basel on January 26, 2026, Art Basel art fair June 18-21, 2026
Special interest tip: Basel Tram Museum
4th Dublin (final score in the ranking: 67.4/100)
Visitor favorite: National Gallery of Ireland
5th Edinburgh (final score in the ranking: 65.7/100)
Visitor favorite: Scottish National Museum
6th Cape Town (final score in the ranking: 64.9/100)
Visitor favorite: Robben Island Museum
7th Berlin (final score in the ranking: 64.4/100)
Visitor favorite: Humboldt Forum
8th Seoul (final score in the ranking: 64.1/100)
Visitor favorite: Korean National Museum
9th Warsaw (final score in the ranking: 61.5/100)
Visitor favorite: Warsaw Royal Castle
10th Paris (final score in the ranking: 61.5/100)
Visitor favorite: Louvre
