Germany Guide
North Rhine-Westphalia
Rheinisches LandesMuseum
Address: Colmantstrasse 14–16
Opening time: Tues & Thurs– Sun 10am–6pm, Wed 10am–9pm
Price: €7; English audio guide available
The Rheinisches LandesMuseum takes a modern, thematic approach to its eclectic collections of regional interest. The most famous exhibit is the 42,000-year-old skull of a man discovered in a quarry at Neandertal near Düsseldorf in 1856; subsequently, Neanderthal – using the old German spelling of the place name – became the accepted term for the extinct species of pre-modern human to which he belonged. As well as the skull and other bones, you can see a modern reconstruction of his face. The museum has extensive Roman displays and a collection of medieval religious art, including the expressive fourteenth-century Roettgen pietà. There's also a fascinating collection of paintings and drawings exploring the allure of the "Romantic Rhine" in German and Anglo-Saxon art – works on display include J.M.W. Turner's Hochkreuz and Godesberg from 1817.