The museum was born when Barthold Suermondt donated 105 of his own private paintings to the city. Later, Irene and Peter Ludwig donated a significant part of their collection to the museum too. The building in which the museum resides was inspired by Venetian palaces. Highlights of the collection include:

• German sculptures from the 12th to the 16th century.
• A large collection of glass paintings.
• 10000 works of graphic art.
• Flemish tapestries.
• Masterworks by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Govert Flinck, Anthony van Dyck and Frans Snijders.

The museum is surprising underrated, probably because it barely makes enough in ticket collections to maintain its exhibits. As such, there is not much advertisement, but there really should be. The collection is surprisingly epic!

• Ask to see if you qualify for a reduced ticket price of EUR 3. Bring ID. Groups of 7 can avail this.
• You can buy a combination ticket for the Ludwig Forum for International Art, the Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum and the Couven-Museum for EUR 10. Check attraction website.

• Walk, drive or take a taxi.
• Ask locals for public transport info.

Love this? Explore the entire list of places to visit in Aachen before you plan your trip.

Fancy a good night's sleep after a tiring day? Check out where to stay in Aachen and book an accommodation of your choice.