Städel Museum

The Städel Museum in Frankfurt is one of Germany's most important art museums and the star of the city's Museum Embankment along the Main River. Its collection spans some 700 years of European art, from medieval altarpieces and Botticelli to Vermeer, Rembrandt, Monet and contemporary works. Founded by a private citizen rather than a royal court, it is a rewarding stop for anyone interested in art, and an easy add-on to a Frankfurt layover or business trip.

A museum founded by a citizen

Banker and merchant Johann Friedrich Städel left his art collection, house and fortune to the people of Frankfurt in a will dated March 15, 1815. The museum moved into its grand Neo-Renaissance building on the Schaumainkai in 1878. A modern wing followed in 1990, and in 2012 the underground Garden Halls opened beneath the museum lawn, adding around 3,000 square meters for contemporary art. Their round skylights dotting the grass have become a landmark in their own right.

What to see

The collection holds around 3,100 paintings plus more than 100,000 drawings and prints. Look out for:

• Goethe in the Roman Campagna by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, Germany's most famous portrait of its national poet
• The Geographer by Johannes Vermeer (1669)
• Botticelli's Ideal Portrait of a Woman
• Rembrandt's dramatic Blinding of Samson
• Monet's The Luncheon and German Expressionists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

In fall 2026, special exhibitions include "Mary Magdalene. Sin. Pray. Love." and Elmgreen & Dragset's "Still Life with Vegetables," both running until January 17, 2027. Don't miss the Städel rooftop terrace, opened in 2024, with views of the skyline.

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, according to the museum (prices in EUR):

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday–Sunday: 10 am–6 pm
• Thursday: 10 am–9 pm
• Monday: closed
• Adults €19, reduced €17, families €30, children under 12 free
• Tuesday special: €10 for everything from 3 pm to 6 pm

Buy tickets online to skip the line. The museum is closed on December 24 and 31. The free "Städel Highlights" audio guide app covers key works; check the museum's website for available languages.

How to get there

The Städel sits on the south bank of the Main in the Sachsenhausen district, facing downtown. From Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, it is a pleasant walk of about 15 to 20 minutes, or take subway lines U1, U2, U3 or U8 to Schweizer Platz, or trams 15 or 16 to Otto-Hahn-Platz. From the old town, cross the Holbeinsteg footbridge, which lands right at the museum's door. From Frankfurt Airport, the S-Bahn reaches the city center in around 15 minutes. All local transit is covered by the Deutschlandticket.

Is it worth visiting?

Definitely, if you enjoy art. Plan two to three hours for the collection, longer with a special exhibition. Thursday evenings, when the museum stays open until 9 pm, are perfect after a day of meetings. The cloakroom is free, but large bags, backpacks and umbrellas must be checked, and suitcases are not accepted, so leave luggage at the main station lockers. There is an elevator at the main entrance; the rooftop terrace, however, is reached only by a spiral staircase. Afterward, stroll along the Museum Embankment or head into Sachsenhausen for a glass of Frankfurt's famous apple wine.