Alte Pinakothek

An impressive museum with a nice collection of art spanning the last five centuries. The downstairs gallery includes a few pieces from Van Gogh and other recognizable names. The rotating exhibit is currently about storytelling through paintings and focuses more on religious paintings, which is interesting. Definitely a great spot to see some good art and cool off on a hot day.

Must see art museum in Munich. Here you will see many pieces of art of the most renowned artists, e.g. Dürer, Memling, van der Weyden, Bosch, Cranach, Rubens, da Vinci, Rafael, Tiepolo, Canaletto, Rembrandt, Breugel, van Dyck, El Greco, Murillo. At the time of my visit some masterpieces from Neue Pinakothek were here on display: van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Klimt and many more. The entrance on Sunday costs 1€.

It’s wonderful place with many art masterpieces. I was surprised to see the entire hall only for Rubens. Here you can find Canaletto, Rodin, DaVinci, Manet. It’s amazing place! 2-3 hours would be enough. Not very crowded like Louvre or Vatican museums. Definitely recommend to visit it!

A great chance to see pictures painted by so many different famous artists. We really enjoyed visiting. A veritable feast for the eyes. A highlight of our trip to Munich.

The Alte Pinakothek in Munich is one of the world’s most impressive art museums, with an absolutely vast and diverse collection that spans centuries of European art history. It’s a treasure trove for art lovers, offering an incredible opportunity to explore masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. From the moment you step inside, you’re greeted by an overwhelming number of exceptional artworks displayed in a beautiful, neoclassical building that itself feels like a work of art. The quality of the collection is extraordinary, with many pieces in impeccable condition, and it’s clear that the museum takes great care in preserving these masterpieces. Each room feels like a new world, with its own unique atmosphere and focus. Some rooms are dedicated to a specific period or artist, allowing you to dive deep into their work and artistic evolution. For example, the section dedicated to Albrecht Dürer is a highlight, showcasing his remarkable prints and iconic works. Another striking aspect of the museum is how accessible it makes these artworks. Despite the vastness of the collection, the museum’s layout is well-organized, allowing you to navigate through it without feeling overwhelmed. There are plenty of quiet spaces where you can really take in the paintings, and detailed descriptions in both German and English help visitors understand the historical context and significance of each piece. Beyond the art itself, the architecture of the Alte Pinakothek deserves praise as well. The grand halls with their high ceilings and stunning frescoed walls perfectly complement the art on display. The museum exudes a sense of reverence for the past while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere for visitors of all kinds. If you love art, the Alte Pinakothek is truly a must-visit. It offers a remarkable range of works that will leave you in awe of the skill, creativity, and vision of the artists over the centuries. Whether you’re an art aficionado or simply curious about European history, the museum provides a rich and immersive experience. It’s the perfect place to spend hours exploring, discovering, and being inspired by some of the greatest artistic achievements in history.

There were 18-19th century paintings on the first floor, including famous artists like Claude Monet and Van Gogh. On the second floor there were Old Masters. There were much more paintings than on the first floor. Visited it on Thursday at 4 pm, 2 hours before the museum closes. I think you definitely need more time to take a closer look at the old masters on the second floor. Overall, it was impressive and I would definitely recommend visiting.

Impressive art collection. Audio guides available via your own phone so bring some ear phones (German and English only). Personal highlights: Art of Dürer and Rubens, der Narr and children eating grapes and a melon. Easy to get there as tram stop is right in front of the building.

Great place, contains very big-scaled paintings from many centuries back. Lot to see. Well organized.

We came on a Sunday to take advantage of the 1 euro Sundays. We came at around 10am which is opening time. The main hall had a lot of people but the line went quickly. There were some tour groups inside too The only toilets are right next to the front desk where you pay for the tickets. They have quite a few stalls inside and it's free. There are 2 halls upstairs and one hall downstairs (there's also a temporary exhibition next to the art gallery shop but there was nothing showing there while I was visiting). Overall the art gallery is a mix of different decades of art. You can find some Van Gogh and Monet inside. I thought that it was kind of small and could easily be enjoyed within 1 hour. I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't visiting on a Sunday.

This needs to be a mandatory stop for any art lover. We were amazed with the variety and how prolific some artists were. The rooms are huge and the collections give you pause. The cafe on site was impressive in regards to their selection and quality as well. Note- it is mandatory that all bags are put in lockers. They aren't lax on that requirement.

WOW !!! what an amazing museum ... 1 one room they have 9 Rembrandts ... HOLY cow .. not even in Amsterdam do they have that !!! 3 Raphaels in another room ... and the Highlight of the Museum is the Peter Paul Rubens ... an entire gallery of them ... about 40 of them .... I have been stunned !!! Oh and did I mention a Da Vinci painting also !!!! Took us about 2 hours to go thru the entire museum ... and we didn't rush it ... Just breathtaking ... One tip ... instead of climbing the endless amount of stairs as you enter .... go to your right to the lift to the shop .. you will thank me later !

This is a huge museum. I bought the combo package which got us into the Alte Pinakothek plus the Pinakothek Moderne(& one more that we didn't get to). In the morning we had the place mostly to ourselves. But as we finished, more people arrived. It was nice to see so many Rubens, plus more.

The Alte Pinakothek  is one of the oldest art galleries in the world, and was completed in 1836. I was interested to discover that "Alte" means "Old" in German, and the Museum name refers to the time period covered by the collection from the 14th -18th century. The process to visit the museum was easy, as tickets can be purchased on line and public transportation readily available. I want to acknowledge "Franz" , who greeted us at the door, as the friendliest museum employee we have encountered in Europe! The building layout is pretty straightforward with elevator access as well. Bathrooms are clean and free and lockers available with a Euro coin deposit ( returned when items retrieved). There is a cafe on sight, serving dessert and coffee ( even though the sign also lists sandwiches, the employee told us they don't have them- with no further explanation). Audio Guides cost 5 Euros. All exhibits have explanations in English. There were a tremendous amount of museum personnel in exhibit rooms, regularly cautioning people not to get too close to the artwork. They have some FAMOUS paintings at this museum, including: Self-Portrait with Fur-trimmed Robe, by Albrecht Dürer, The Rape of Daughter of Leucippus by Peter Paul Rubens, a self portrait by Rembrandt, and Beggar Boys Eating Grapes and Melon by Bartolome Estebanand Murillo. The museum also has one of the Van Gogh Sunflower paintings " One Vase with Twelve Sunflowers". These are just a few examples. This museum is a great place to spend a few hours in Munich and a chance to see Italian, French, Dutch, Spanish and Germany old master paintings.

Amazing, must see, do not miss it! Amazing collection, great presentation. Van Dyck & Rubens galore!

This is a wonderful museum if your focus is German and Finnish and Dutch. In that world it is here.g

I loved this museum. I was bummed I wasn't able to see the entire collection due to the renovations, but so happy for what was available. I loved it, and was deeply moved. Gorgeous stairway, windows especially at the right time of day. I can't wait to go back once it's the renovations have been completed.

Alte Pinakotehek is one of the many art museums in Munich. The others are Neue and Der Moderne Pinakotek, Sammlung Schack, and Brandhorst. Alte, like the name implies, means "old". It mainly consists of paintings from 13th to 18th centuries. Since it is a German Art museums, there are plenty of German, Italian, Flemish, and Dutch paintings featured. This place isn't too big, but it will take a day to take in everything. I liked how the Pinakoteheken are divided into 3 periods. Each museum will probably take a day to see it all. I like this better than The Chicago or NY Met, since they are gigantic art museums, and you need multiple days to see everything. Instead, the Alte should take no more than 1 day (or 2 slow days) to get through. During Sundays, it's only 1 Euro to get in. On other days, it's 12 Euros. You get an audio guide. At first, it was confusing how to use the Audio guide, since not every piece has the audio guide. Under specific pieces, you will see an Speaker Icon and a number. Those are the ones you type in to listen to the audio guide. There are other numbers below the art pieces, but they're not for the audio guide. If they don't have the speaker icon next to it, they're just numbers. To get here via U-bahn, you should get out of the Odeonplatz or Universität station and walk. I think Universität is a bit closer. Anyways, it's not close to a U-bahn station.

Sunday's are considered sacred in Germany and many places are closed, museums are one of the things open and they are cheap! It cost one euro to go to Old Pinacotheca, the lines get long considering the cost is so low. There are a lot of surrounding museums to visit after just across the way. The inside of the museum is beautiful, a lot of German, Finnish and Dutch works. I did feel like my every move was being watched while inside, that would be my only complaint. There are lockers located at the entrance and I probably should have placed my jacket there because I was constantly being told to hold it close to me in a ball. I saw the most incredible painting I have ever seen here, it was a piece of work by Peter Paul Rubens and it moved me in ways art has never done before. The moment I saw this painting I was in awe. I starred at this painting for 30 minutes, went and saw more work then circled back to spend more time admiring it. The detail, color, and emotion of the painting just blew me away. I loved all the collections they had of Rubens work, so many large scale paintings to admire. There is a copy of the Mona Lisa inside that was very cool to see. Pieces by Da Vinci and Rembrandt as well. I would highly recommend visiting if you have time for some historic museums!

Went on Sunday. Very hot day.€1 Admission.. What spectacular collection.. The museum was very crowded due to the being the last day of the caravaggio..exhibit .. I wish we had more time to visit more art museums

This museum is currently under reconstruction, but still well worth a visit. What i liked -The worldclass paintings: A leonardo da vinci, some rembrandts and several rubens. - Looking at the leonardo without the crowds you would see in st petersburg, italy or the louvre. - museum is very walkable from centre of town - entrance to museum is very affordable

A reduced price goes along with the ongoing construction (visited December 2016), which is appreciated. I must say, however, that even with parts of the museum closed to visitors, there is an amazing amount to see - particularly if you enjoy Dutch and Flemish art. Note that you will have to check any bag larger than a very small purse, and there is a small fee. Most of that fee will be refunded when you return to pick up your belongings. Also note that your admission includes the cost of the audioguide - ad please don't miss it. It offered wonderful information on the pieces of art, and I would not have appreciated certain pieces as much without it. If you're looking for Durer's self portrait, here's a tip, as it's not currently in a location that's particularly easy to come across. When you enter, turn left there on the ground floor, and head up and through - THROUGH - the gift shop. When you exit the gift shop on the other side, you'll find another hallway filled with art you could have easily missed. The self-portrait is towards the end of this hall. Enjoy your trip - I truly loved the works on display at this museum, and staff were friendly too.

As a visitor, it is important to note that Sunday is still sacred in Munich. No stores are open so this provides a wonderful opportunity to explore the city's many parks, art galleries and churches and other non-commercial pursuits. My choice was to spend an afternoon wiht the masters at the Alte Pinakothek Gallery. This gallery is one of five in the area, so if you are really into art, you can purchase a day pass for 12 Euros to visit all five (three Pinakothek museums, Museum Brandhorst, Sammlung Schack) or pay 29 Euros for a five-visit pass. But, ever the budget conscious traveller, I decided to focus on one museum and paid the huge sum of 1 Euro which is their special Sunday rate. This museum displays around 700 works of European painting from the 14th to the 18th centuries. You can see Flemish, Italian and French painters in addition to German masters. Some of the masterpieces on display are a self-portrait by tortured artist Albrecht Dürer, The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus by Rubens and Portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour by Boucher. There were a few other works that absolutely fascinated me in different areas of the museum. A large family portrait in two separate frames. The father on one side and his children on the other. Each child has their age written above their heads in old script and their mother is in heaven above their heads with other babes in arms. The father is praying for his children and the children are praying for their mother. Another favorite is based on a children's tale of a land where you can eat an endless amount of food. Three men are stretched out on the ground completely satiated, while food surrounds them waiting to be eaten. The most whimsical part is a pig walking around with a wedge cut out and the knife conveniently stuck to his side so you could help yourself to more. My local friend told me the painting is based on a popular story told to German children. Some visitor tips: The museum will require that you check large purses and bags. There are lockers as you enter that cost 2 Euros, but that money is returned to you when you leave. Photography (without flash) is permitted. I realize that the two other Pinakothek museums featuring new and modern art get more buzz, but there is nothing like quality time with the masters.

When people talk about European art museums, they talk about the Louvre, the Vatican, the Uffizi, the Kunishistoriches in Vienna. They don't mention Munich...shame on them. It's as good as most and better than some. The scale is that of the US National Gallery, very manageable. Obviously, the collections have a bias toward Germanic type art but the Italian offerings are strong. The Vatican has an unfinished, fragmented Leonardo. Munich has a whole one, and it's good. Tons of Durer (including a famed self portrait), Grunewald, Cranach, Bruegel and a tripped out Bosch. Plus the largest collection anywhere of Rubens (that guy lived to paint fat people). And a special exhibit on Perugino, the teacher of Raphael. There were at least 30 on display...from all over the world. They're short on French art but lord knows I saw enough in Paris. And it's just paintings...the Old Picture Gallery means what it says. Want sculpture? Antiquities? More modern? NEIN! Yes, the building is charmless but you're there for the art. The labeling system is unique as well, labels right on the frames rather than placards (the labels here look like the ones you might use to organize your closet). If you love art, you need to make this a stop!

The Alte Pinakothek Museum admission is now €4,00 due to renovations until 2017. On Sunday's it's €1,00. The renovations really puts a damper on the exhibits of this museum because there is a large portion you don't get to see. There is also the Victorian House in the museum that is just great to go and have a snack, coffee or even breakfast, especially a Sunday brunch. Good pastries to choose from and good selection for brunch. On Sunday's all Pinakothek museums to include Museum Brandhorst & Sammlung Schack are €1,00 each. Normally you can pay €12,00 for a day pass for all three Pinakothek museums to include Museum Brandhorst & Sammlung Schack.

This art museum in Munich contains old European paintings. There are two floors, containing over 700 pieces. Some pretty amazing Flemish paintings are on the ground floor, and some big Italian paintings on the second floor. However, I can't give 5 stars cause half the museum seemed to be closed for renovations. Luckily, during this time period, there's a reduced admission price of 2 euros. I didn't know that when I was here, but I had gone on a Sunday when it's only 1 euro admission, so I can't complain about that.

Great museum for a rainy day. The neue Pinakothek is closed so we walked across the street to this one. Overall a great experience.

Marvelous museum with fantastic pieces of artwork. My favorite is the huge collection of Rubens, just outstanding. Highly recommended!

I guess it must be me, and not the Pinakothek. I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. The building looks lovely and roomy from the outside, but is strangely awkward when inside. The stairs to go upstairs are tucked at the back of the building, hidden behind huge brick walls. Also, don't blink, you might miss the toilets, which are under the stairs (which I find so odd and cozy at the same time). As for the Exhibit, I was blinded from the get-go, Dutch art, aaaahhhhh how I LOVE Dutch and Flemish art. I was swimming in bliss throughout the first floor, but as I wanted to go upstairs, found myself confused, went to the other side of the building, and then visited the second floor non-chronologically. This would explain the confused looks all the security personel gave me! The second floor, as far as I'm concerned, is a bit messy. you have two halls which sometimes connect and sometimes don't. The main gallery is french and italien art, the side gallery is is still Dutch and Flemish works, with a bit of italian, but predating what you've just seen on the first floor. Mmmmm. Some great works are on display, a couple of famous Bouchers, and pastorals/fêtes galantes, a couple of Rembrands, including the famous and tiny self-portrait, and a whole lot of Rubens, which I happen not to like so much. Even tough their collection of Dutch art is huge, I found only one Saenredam, and a couple of Metsus, no Gerrit Dou!The greater part of the collection is made of renaissance works, mainly religious works, which get repetitive, very fast, at least in my opinion. I think I might just have been tired of weaving back and forth between the side and main galleries. I love that the audio guide is included in the (rather low) price, but very few of the works are covered, and not necessarily the most important or interesting ones. No mention of the Dutch commercial power? Protestantism? Class warfare in 18th century, or the Grand Tour? The commenters dwell in "old Art History", based on symbols, and feelings, which is infuriating to me! The Museum is, for lack of a better word "incomfortable": the title and author of the work are written on a sticker, stuck onto the work's frame. There is strickly no wall text what's so ever. I've only seen two "tablets" which were only in German, and only explained what tied this or that painting to the German context.The visitor is given no introduction to the time periods covered. I would also have liked a brief history of the Museum in itself. I know it was rebuilt, but when? How? The decor is pretty austere, and rather disconnected. Why is there a silk wallpaper in the side corridor for the Dutch works? Does it relate to the works, in what way? I'm not sure what to make of the Museum shop. I think you can observe a lot of cultural differences between Germany and North America just in that gift shop. What will strike you are: books. Just books. BOOOOOOOOOOOKSSS. I usually look forward to museum shops for the expensive knick-knacks and jewelry, stuff related to the various exhibitions and so forth, but the A.P doesn't have various exhibits, as much as one big heteroclitic one, so the books are about everything, and anything. The shop is basically an alley-way, which is, once again, uncomfortable.

The Pinakothek is really wonderful! - For people who likes and loves arts! A must for every visitor in Munich - München!

A must-see picture collection in Munich. The Rubens selection alone is worth the visit. Due to the current reconstruction the wings of the museum are closed, some important works (Dürer's self portrait among them) are relocated to few nondescript rooms with an access through the museum store. Logistics: With the wings closed, the exhibit consists of two parallel rows of halls (plus the annex described above). If you are short on time or attention span, the important paintings are in the first row (the one with larger halls and larger paintings). The cafe in the museum is quite decent.

This is my favourite art museum in Munich. Walking the length of the museum, at least if you skip the side corridor, is just the right time for taking a visitor for some spectacular art. The Rubens collection is second to none and there are plenty of other pieces that are worth seeeing again and again. If you start in the low-numbered end, already the first room (IIa) has a painting by my favourite artist Hieronymous Bosch, and from there it just keeps going. Amazing. Of course they also have traveling exhibitions worth seeing, a decent cafe, and the spectacular architecture of the building. A must see if you have more than one day in Munich and enjoy art.

One of my relatives has Art Work in here from Pre WW2. Its astounding to see how all this art survive through the ages of war, disturbance and climate. You will love the light in this Museum, very lovely in mid afternoons. Its one of my favorite places to go in Munich.

When my husband and I travel, art is always high on the must see list. We were excited to go to see the collection at the Alte Pinakothek for it was closed on our first trip to Germany for rehab. The collection is superb and nicely displayed. The collection is large enough to feel like you've been to a great art museum but small enough that a tour through the museum leaves you satisfied, not exhausted. The self portrait of Albrecht Durer was extraordinary but very much enjoyed their Dutch and Italian collections, too. Look forward to returning to see the collection in the future!

i accidentally drove through germany and decided this museum would be my stop in munich...how serendipitous?! gorgeous architecture & art like joanna said...since it's relatively unknown...you can enjoy in peace for someone who doesn't like *squishing* with others...this is perfect!^^

While the collection was fairly impressive, it was not very large, Heavy concentration on religious works and large tapestries. Reasonable entry price. The museum itself was like a cavern and not crowded at all on a Saturday. I assume everyone was hanging out and drinking since there were more people sunbathing on the lawn than inside the museum.

Visited the amazing museum this morning. The staff was incredibly helpful and patient. English speaking reception person helped me plan my day and get the most out of my euros. The art was well organized and beautifully displayed. I'm so glad I made this museum a priority as it's loaded with unique and very special works of art. Tip: Go early and avoid crowds!