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Museum · Colmar, Grande Leste
Musée Unterlinden
Art museum of Colmar in a 13th-century convent, famous for the Retábulo de Issenheim by Matthias Grünewald, with a modern wing designed by Herzog & de Meuron.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Musée Unterlinden
The Musée Unterlinden occupies a former 13th-century convent of Dominican nuns, organized around a Gothic cloister. The museum has been maintained for over 150 years by the Société Schongauer, an association named after the painter Martin Schongauer, born in Colmar.
The main piece is the Retábulo de Issenheim, displayed in the convent's old chapel. Painted by Matthias Grünewald between 1512 and 1516, with sculptures by Nicolas de Haguenau, it came from the Antonine monastery in Issenheim, south of Colmar, where sufferers of "St Anthony's fire" were treated. Grünewald's Crucifixion, with a severity rare for its time, is one of the most powerful images in German painting.
The route continues with sculpture and painting from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance of the Upper Rhine, archaeological pieces and Alsatian folk arts. An underground passage leads to the modern wing, designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, with art from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Very close to the museum is the Maison des Têtes, a 1609 house whose façade has 106 carved masks and faces, and which at the top displays a cooper's statue made by Auguste Bartholdi.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
2 to 3 hours; reserve at least 30 minutes just for the Retábulo de Issenheim.
Best time
At opening time, to see the altarpiece with fewer people. The museum usually closes one day per week; check before you go.
How to get there
It is located on Place Unterlinden, in the north of the historic centre, about a 10-minute walk from the Gare de Colmar. Colmar's tourist office is next door.
Tip
Pick up the audio guide to understand the faces of the altarpiece, which in the past opened in different positions according to the religious calendar. On exit, follow Rue des Têtes to Maison des Têtes.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Musée Unterlinden
What is the Retábulo de Issenheim?
It's a set of panels painted by Matthias Grünewald between 1512 and 1516, with sculptures by Nicolas de Haguenau, made for a monastery that treated patients in Issenheim. It's the museum's most famous work.
How long does a visit to Musée Unterlinden take?
2 to 3 hours to see the cloister, the retable and the modern wing.
What is the Maison des Têtes?
It's a house from 1609, a few steps from the museum, with 106 carved masks and faces on the façade and a statue of a cooper by Bartholdi on top. Today it operates as a hotel and restaurant.