Wallraf–Richartz Museum, Art museum in Altstadt-Nord, Cologne, Germany
The Wallraf-Richartz Museum presents European painting from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century in a multi-story building in the old town of Cologne. The collection holds works by Flemish, Dutch, German, French and Italian painters, arranged chronologically through the rooms.
Ferdinand Franz Wallraf transferred his art collection to the city of Cologne in 1824, after gathering it for decades. Johann Heinrich Richartz financed the first museum building in 1861, which laid the foundation for the current institution.
The name honors two historical figures: a collector and a benefactor who made the museum possible. Visitors walk through halls with paintings from different centuries, arranged in the order they were made.
The museum opens Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and remains closed on Mondays. Digital guides can be accessed through personal smartphones during the visit.
The building by Oswald Mathias Ungers from 2001 uses large windows to bring daylight into the exhibition rooms. This architecture connects modern design with a calm atmosphere for walking through the centuries.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
