Städel Museum (Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie)

The basics

Established by banker Johann Friedrich Städel in 1815, the Städel Museum is Germany’s oldest museum foundation. Its collection of European art spans hundreds of years, from the Old Masters to the modern day; following an expansion in 2012, it has additional, luminous gallery spaces devoted to a contemporary collection. Highlights of its holdings range from paintings by Botticelli, Rembrandt, and Vermeer to works by Picasso, Bacon, Richter, and Klein.

The Städel Museum can be explored on Frankfurt walking tours, and can be glimpsed during river sightseeing trips. It’s also easy to book tickets in advance and explore independently.

Things to know before you go

• Free Wi-Fi is available for all museum visitors.

• The museum’s free app makes it easy to explore its galleries independently.

• Complete audio guides are available from the front desk in English and German, while highlights guides are available in Spanish and French.

• The Städel offers a range of “barrier-free” tours aimed at visitors with visual or auditory impairments.

• The museum is fully accessible to wheelchair users.

How to get there

The Städel Museum is located on Frankfurt’s Museum Embankment. If traveling by public transit, take U-Bahn line U1, U2, U3 or U8 to Schweizer Platz; take tram 15 or 16 to Otto-Hahn-Platzl; or take bus number 46 to Städel. The museum can also be reached on foot, by car, or by bike.

When to get there

The Städel Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from morning to early evening, with later hours on Thursdays. It's closed on Mondays, and is closed each year on December 24 and 31.

Tours and events

In addition to its rotating series of temporary exhibitions, the Städel Museum hosts free, public art talks (in English) on the second Thursday of the month. Guided tours can also be booked in advance in English, German, Italian, Dutch, French, Russian, and Japanese.