Musee Unterlinden (Unterlinden Museum), Colmar (must see)
Matthias Gr眉newald didn鈥檛 leave behind a vast portfolio-just ten paintings and thirty-five drawings survived him. The rest vanished in the 17th century, taken as war booty by the Swedish army and lost at sea. His great survivor, the Isenheim Altarpiece of 1516, avoided that fate and now resides in Colmar鈥檚 Unterlinden Museum, the kind of 鈥渇orever home鈥� most masterpieces can only dream about.
The museum opened in 1849 inside a 13th-century Dominican convent, a building that had been abandoned after the French Revolution and rescued two years earlier. Across the street, a public bath from 1906 eventually became part of the complex, and by 2015 the two buildings were joined, creating 86,000 square feet of exhibition space-proof that history can expand without losing its roots.
The early collection leaned heavily on Roman mosaics unearthed in nearby Bergheim and sculptures loaned from the Louvre. Then, in 1852, Gr眉newald鈥檚 Altarpiece arrived, setting the tone for a museum that would grow into one of Alsace鈥檚 cultural heavyweights. By 1853, the doors opened to the public, the old convent halls now echoing with centuries of art instead of monastic prayers.
Today, the Unterlinden houses a deep trove of Rhenish medieval and Renaissance works. Martin Schongauer is here in strength, with altarpieces, engravings, and woodcuts. Nearby hang pieces by Albrecht D眉rer, Lucas Cranach and Hans Holbein. Anonymous German, Alsatian, and Swiss masters fill in the gaps, including the enigmatic Master of the Stauffenberg Altarpiece.
Not everything is painting and parchment-sections dedicated to archaeology, Baroque sculpture, stained glass, historic weapons, musical instruments, and even toys widen the view. And with future expansions on the horizon, the Unterlinden seems set on proving that a museum with one foot in the Middle Ages can still keep moving forward.
The museum opened in 1849 inside a 13th-century Dominican convent, a building that had been abandoned after the French Revolution and rescued two years earlier. Across the street, a public bath from 1906 eventually became part of the complex, and by 2015 the two buildings were joined, creating 86,000 square feet of exhibition space-proof that history can expand without losing its roots.
The early collection leaned heavily on Roman mosaics unearthed in nearby Bergheim and sculptures loaned from the Louvre. Then, in 1852, Gr眉newald鈥檚 Altarpiece arrived, setting the tone for a museum that would grow into one of Alsace鈥檚 cultural heavyweights. By 1853, the doors opened to the public, the old convent halls now echoing with centuries of art instead of monastic prayers.
Today, the Unterlinden houses a deep trove of Rhenish medieval and Renaissance works. Martin Schongauer is here in strength, with altarpieces, engravings, and woodcuts. Nearby hang pieces by Albrecht D眉rer, Lucas Cranach and Hans Holbein. Anonymous German, Alsatian, and Swiss masters fill in the gaps, including the enigmatic Master of the Stauffenberg Altarpiece.
Not everything is painting and parchment-sections dedicated to archaeology, Baroque sculpture, stained glass, historic weapons, musical instruments, and even toys widen the view. And with future expansions on the horizon, the Unterlinden seems set on proving that a museum with one foot in the Middle Ages can still keep moving forward.
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Musee Unterlinden (Unterlinden Museum) on Map
Sight Name: Musee Unterlinden (Unterlinden Museum)
Sight Location: Colmar, France (See walking tours in Colmar)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Colmar, France (See walking tours in Colmar)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Colmar, France
Create Your Own Walk in Colmar
Creating your own self-guided walk in Colmar is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Bartholdi's Statues in Colmar
Auguste Bartholdi is one of the most famous artists from Colmar. His works, such as the Lion of Belfort in Belfort, France, and the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, are known around the world. Colmar is decorated with open-air pieces sculpted by the artist.
Many of Bartholdi's statues are found in fountains that occupy spaces in city squares or on significant street corners. Some of... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.9 Km or 3.7 Miles
Many of Bartholdi's statues are found in fountains that occupy spaces in city squares or on significant street corners. Some of... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.9 Km or 3.7 Miles
Colmar Introduction Walking Tour
Colmar, in France鈥檚 Alsace region, has packed more political plot twists into its history than some countries manage in a millennium. Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne knew the place well during his Saxon campaigns between 772 and 804, and by 884, imperial assemblies were held here like it was the place to be. Leap to 1226-Emperor Frederick II grants Colmar the status of a Free Imperial City, free... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles