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Museums / Drawing and Taking Photos

Museums, Gardens and Monuments
The Göttingen museum landscape is dominated by the varied and impressive collections owned by the University. Its botanical gardens boast collections of rare plants from all over the world.

Art lovers will be able to indulge in their passion to their heart´s content in Göttingen. The State and University Library regularly hosts well-reputed exhibitions in its foyer and in the Paulinerkirche. The University Art Collection is another venue that can be highly recommended.

Larger exhibitions of contemporary artists are often shown in Göttingen´s old town hall (Altes Rathaus). Göttingen´s Art Guild (Kunstverein) should be mentioned among the group of private exhibitors who show seasonal exhibitions; the Apex gallery and pub is one of many small city galleries hosting exhibitions which may be viewed free of charge.

The Göttingen city museum takes visitors for a walk through Göttingen´s municipal history and also hosts special exhibitions. It is a member of the Lower Saxony Museum Guild which forms an umbrella for 15 regional and subject-specific museums in Göttingen and surrounding areas. A museum of local history is set in the Göttingen suburb of Geismar; it shows many rare examples of farm and artisan´s tools used in the area.

Göttingen is unique in the preservation of one of the last of the productive salt-works where – if you make an appointment – you may take a saltwater bath in delightfully unusual surroundings.

Many historic manors, castles, industrial monuments and churches may be seen in and around Göttingen. Every September, one day has been declared the open day for these monuments on which some of these old treasures are open to visitors.


Learn how to paint, draw and photograph
Institutes such as the „Volkshochschule“, the „evangelische Familienbildungsstätte“ or the cultural center Musa offer courses for painting and photography. Details of the course program can be found in their brochures and on their websites.
Private studios in and around Göttingen also offer art lessons.