The Städel Institute of Art is one of Germany's most important and well known art museums. This highlight at the heart of Frankfurt's museum mile is simply a must for any visitor to Frankfurt.

At the heart of Frankfurt's museum mile
The Städel Institute of Art was founded in 1816 by the Frankfurt banker and tradesman Johann Friedrich Städel as a public gallery and art school. It also incorporates the Municipal Art Gallery, which was founded by the city of Frankfurt in 1907. Today, the Städel houses significant European works of art covering 700 years including illustrious paintings from various periods from the early 14th century, late Gothic, Renaissance and baroque to Goethe's time, and from the 19th century through to the present day. With its incredible diversity, the collection is a wonderful opportunity to explore the world of art: in addition to the well-known favourites, there's always something new to discover.

The models of a Tyrannosaurus rex and a Diplodocus in front of this temple of science are clearly visible from afar. The full-size replicas bare their mighty teeth to the city. Once inside the building, visitors follow the tracks set into the floor to the kingdom of the giant lizards in a covered atrium. Highlights include an original dinosaur fossil complete with scaly skin and a preserved anaconda that is in the process of swallowing a water-hog whole. With around 1,000 specimens, the museum also has one of the world's largest exhibitions of stuffed birds. One of the main attractions of the newly designed exhibition documenting geological history and life on earth is a wheel of time, which can be used to take the earth 750 million years into the past or 250 million years into the future.
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A selection of other natural history museums in Germany.