Old Masters Picture Gallery

The Old Masters Picture Gallery (Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister) in Dresden is one of the great art museums of the world. Housed in the Semper Building at the Zwinger palace complex, it displays around 700 masterpieces from the 15th to the 18th century, led by Raphael's Sistine Madonna, the painting with the two famous daydreaming cherubs. If you love European painting, this gallery alone justifies a trip to Dresden.

History of the collection

The roots go back to the electoral Kunstkammer founded in 1560, but serious collecting began in the 18th century under Augustus the Strong and his son Frederick Augustus II. In 1746, Saxony bought the 100 finest paintings of the Duke of Modena's collection, and in 1754 the Sistine Madonna arrived from Italy.

Architect Gottfried Semper designed the gallery building that closes off the Zwinger courtyard; it opened in 1855. During World War II the paintings were evacuated; some were lost, and most were taken to the Soviet Union, from where about 1,240 works returned in 1955. After a seven-year renovation, the gallery fully reopened in February 2020.

Highlights not to miss

• Raphael, Sistine Madonna: the centerpiece, with its world-famous cherubs.
• Giorgione, Sleeping Venus: a landmark of Renaissance painting.
• Vermeer, Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window: since its restoration, completed in 2021, the long-hidden painting of Cupid on the back wall is visible again.
• Titian, The Tribute Money, and Correggio, The Holy Night.
• Rembrandt, Ganymede.
• Canaletto's views of Dresden, painted by Bernardo Bellotto and so accurate they guided the city's postwar reconstruction.
• Liotard, The Chocolate Girl, and the world's largest collection of works by Lucas Cranach.

Until January 10, 2027, the special exhibition "Correggio" is also on view.

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, according to the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD):

• Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Mondays.
• Zwinger ticket: €18 (reduced €13.50; students under 20 €2; children under school age free), covering the Old Masters, the sculpture collection, the Mathematics and Physics Salon, and the Porcelain Collection.
• Combined ticket with the Correggio exhibition: €23.
• The Porcelain Collection is expected to stay closed until October 30, 2026.

Planning tip: Dresden Castle closes on Tuesdays and the Zwinger museums on Mondays, so Wednesday through Sunday works best for seeing both.

How to get there

Dresden is about 2 hours by train from Berlin and around 2.5 hours from Prague. The entrance is at Theaterplatz 1, opposite the Semperoper. From Dresden Hauptbahnhof (main station), walk about 20 minutes or take a tram to Theaterplatz or Postplatz. The SKD lists step-free access from Theaterplatz.

Is it worth visiting?

Without question. Plan at least two hours, arrive at opening time, and head straight to the Sistine Madonna before tour groups arrive. The café in the bright sculpture hall is a good place for a break.

Since the 2020 reopening, paintings and sculptures have been displayed together, with classical statues from the sculpture collection placed among the canvases and in the long hall on the ground floor. Kids can turn the visit into a treasure hunt: find the two cherubs, Rembrandt's eagle, and the Chocolate Girl with her tray.

Nearby

The gallery forms one side of the Zwinger, whose Baroque courtyard is free to walk through. The Semperoper, the Court Church, Dresden Castle with the Green Vault, and the Procession of Princes are all within a few minutes, and Brühl's Terrace and the Frauenkirche are about ten minutes away on foot.