The Unterlinden Museum is Colmar's great art museum, set in a 13th-century convent of Dominican nuns on the northern edge of the old town. It is famous for one work above all: the Isenheim Altarpiece, painted by Matthias Grünewald between 1512 and 1516 and now shown in the former convent church.
The Unterlinden Museum at a glance
- Where: Place Unterlinden, at the north end of the old town, next to the Théâtre Municipal.
- Built: the convent in the 13th century; the museum opened to the public in 1853 and was extended in 2015.
- By: the 2015 extension is by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron.
- What it is today: an art and history museum run by the Société Schongauer, with collections from prehistory to modern art.
- Time needed: two to three hours; at least one hour if you only want the altarpiece and the cloister.
From convent and barracks to museum
The name means "under the linden trees". Dominican nuns lived here until the French Revolution; after they left, the buildings were used as military barracks and slowly fell into disrepair. In 1847 Louis Hugot founded the Société Schongauer, named after the Colmar painter and engraver Martin Schongauer, and the society saved the convent from demolition. In 1852 the Isenheim Altarpiece and other works seized from churches and monasteries during the Revolution were brought here, and the museum opened its doors in 1853.
The altarpiece was made for the monastery of the Antonite order at Isenheim, a village south of Colmar. Grünewald painted the panels and Nicolas of Haguenau carved the sculpted shrine around 1515. In the 21st century the city added more space: the Neo-Baroque public baths of 1906 across the square were turned into a wing for modern art, linked to the old convent by an underground gallery. The enlarged museum opened in December 2015 and roughly doubled its floor area.
What to look for
- The Isenheim Altarpiece in the former convent church: the Crucifixion, with Christ's body covered in sores, was painted for a monastery whose monks cared for the sick. The panels are displayed side by side, so you can see the scenes that once folded over each other.
- The Gothic cloister, the quietest corner of the museum, with the medieval galleries around a small garden.
- Works by Martin Schongauer and other Upper Rhine painters and sculptors of the 15th and early 16th centuries.
- The Gallo-Roman mosaic found at Bergheim in 1848, one of the first pieces of the collection.
- The modern wing in the former baths, with works by artists such as Picasso, Dubuffet, Léger and Otto Dix.
A statue outside the chapel
In front of the convent chapel stands Auguste Bartholdi's statue of Martin Schongauer. It was first made for a fountain in the cloister and has stood outside the chapel since 1991. Bartholdi, born in Colmar, is best known for the Statue of Liberty, and you will meet his work all over the town.
Tips for your visit
- Go in the morning or late afternoon: the altarpiece room gets busy when tour groups arrive around midday.
- Start with the altarpiece and the cloister, then go underground to the modern wing if you still have energy.
- Photography rules can change, so check the signs in each room before taking pictures.
- Combine the visit with the theatre square outside and a walk south to St Martin's Church.
Nearby
- Théâtre Municipal: the Italian-style theatre of 1849, right next door, built on land that once belonged to the convent.
- Dominican Church: a short walk away, home to Martin Schongauer's Madonna of the Rose Bower and 14th-century stained glass.
- Maison des Têtes: a Renaissance house of 1609 covered in carved heads, a few minutes' walk away.
See Colmar with World City Trail
Our Colmar scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 33 minutes of walking. The Unterlinden Museum is one of the stops, along with St Martin's Church, Little Venice and the Bartholdi Museum. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Dutch.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Colmar.
Play the Colmar scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Colmar →
Play the outdoor escape game in Colmar →
Facts checked in October 2026.