Meet the superstars of the art world
Five museums in Germany that you really should visit if you want to be able to join in a conversation about art.
Museum Island Berlin
Why you should go: Museum Island, an ensemble of five museums on an island in the River Spree, is one of the highlights of European cultural tourism.
Be sure not to miss out: Visit Nefertiti at Neues Museum. The bust is considered the world’s most beautiful sculpture of a woman. Take a look for yourself. The Pergamonmuseum is closed to visitors until 2027 due to renovations. But there’s a special exhibition on at “Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama”. This temporary exhibition building houses a 360° panorama of ancient Pergamon by Yadegar Asisi.
A little extra: Enjoy coffee and cake at the café under the dome of the Bode Museum, where you can look down at the “Great Elector” on horseback.
Pinakothek Museums in Munich
Why you should go: The Maxvorstadt district is the best place for art lovers in Munich. This area is home to the three magnificent Pinakothek galleries and other art museums.
Don’t miss: Take a look at “The Great Last Judgement” in the Rubens collection at the Alte Pinakothek. At over six metres high, this is the artist’s biggest painting. Make sure not to miss Leonardo da Vinci’s early work “Madonna of the Carnation”, either. The Pinakothek der Moderne is home to twentieth century artists such as Paul Klee, Franz Marc and Max Ernst.
Extra tip: Come on a Sunday when any museum can be visited for just one euro.
Städel in Frankfurt
Why you should go: The Städel Museum on the museum embankment in Frankfurt am Main has a collection of over 3,000 European masterpieces encompassing 700 years, from Lucas Cranach and Sandro Botticelli to Gerhard Richter and Wolfgang Tillmans.
Don’t miss: The best-known painting of Germany’s prince of poets is a favourite with visitors: Goethe in the Roman Campagna by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein. Did you know that Andy Warhol also did a screen printing of Goethe? It can also be found in the Städel Museum.
A little extra: from the visitors’ terrace on the roof of the Städel, you have a wonderful view of the Frankfurt skyline and the banks of the River Main.
Museum Ludwig in Cologne
Why you should go: This is a must for fans of pop art and Picasso. The Museum Ludwig close to Cologne Cathedral is home to the largest collection of American pop art outside the US. It also boasts the world’s third-largest Picasso collection.
Don’t miss: Take a look at one of the icons of pop art in the original: Roy Lichtenstein’s “M-Maybe”.
Extra tip: Give free rein to your own creativity – in the POP LAB on the first floor.
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden
Why you should go: The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister at the Zwinger in Dresden promises that “every work is a masterpiece”.
Don’t miss: Dresden’s “Mona Lisa” is Raphael’s “Sistine Madonna”. Look closely at the angels at the bottom of the painting. Do they look familiar? They are one of the best-known motifs in art history.
Extra tip: Is there room on a cherry stone for 185 faces? Pop in to the New Green Vault and be astonished by Dresden’s most curious artwork.
