Museum Zitadelle
Museum in the Renaissance fortress Zitadelle Jülich: Roman times, the Renaissance and the Romantic period in the castle cellar, plus casemates and the Via Belgica.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The citadel was built in the 16th century by Duke Wilhelm V as a castle fortress. The "palazzo in fortezza" by the Italian architect Alessandro Pasqualini is considered the most important example of Italian High Renaissance architecture in the German-speaking world.
The roughly 90,000-square-meter complex, with its massive ramparts and numerous casemates, is largely preserved. Particularly worth seeing are the restored east facade of the ducal palace and the palace chapel, which also serves as an event venue.
In the historic castle cellar the museum presents three epochs of town history: Roman times, the Renaissance and the Romantic period, when the Prussians remodeled Jülich. The gunpowder magazine from the early 19th century serves as an exhibition room around a large town model of the planned Prussian fortress; in the southeast tower, a center provides information about the Roman road Via Belgica. The Landschaftsgalerie (landscape gallery) in the Kulturhaus shows works by the Jülich-born painter Johann Wilhelm Schirmer and the Düsseldorf School of painting.
Highlights
- High Renaissance castle fortress from the 16th century
- Exhibitions on the Romans, the Renaissance and the Romantic period in the castle cellar
- Casemates (tours May to September)
- Via Belgica with an exposed road profile
- Landschaftsgalerie with works by Johann Wilhelm Schirmer
Permanent exhibitions
- Römer, Renaissance, Romantik im Schlosskeller – Three epochs of Jülich history in the historic castle cellar, including a 14-meter-long excavation profile from the castle courtyard.
- Via Belgica – Information center in the southeast tower with a preserved cross-section through the 2,000-year-old Roman road.
- Landschaftsgalerie – Works by the Jülich painter Johann Wilhelm Schirmer and the Düsseldorf School in the Kulturhaus am Hexenturm.
- Operated by
- Stadt Jülich
- Director
- Marcell Perse
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4Pupils, students, trainees, people with severe disabilities, groups of 10 or more, holders of a Brückenkopf-Park-Karte (Brückenkopf Park card) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 10 · Children up to age 10, as well as kindergartens and school classes, enter free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €4 |
| Students & apprentices | €4 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €4 per person |
| Families | €102 adults with all their own children. |
| Annual pass | €12Available at the museum box office in the citadel. |
Free admission: Free admission on the first Sunday of every month.
Free admission also with an Ehrenamtskarte NRW (NRW volunteer card), a Jugendleiter/in-Card (youth leader card), and for members of ICOM and the Verband Deutscher Kunsthistoriker (German Art Historians' Association), with proof. Card payment is not possible.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Parts of the site are outdoors or not accessible for wheelchair users; the rooms are unheated. Guided tours for blind visitors are possible.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 10 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €10 · 2 adults with all their own children. |
- Family tours & workshops
Themed tours for school classes and children's groups; Kulturrucksack holiday workshops for ages 10 to 14.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bahnhof Jülich · 15-min walk
Train: RB28 to Jülich station; bus: Neues Rathaus stop.
By car
Parking available
Zitadelle parking deck and parking spaces at Wallgraben nearby.
The museum is in the Zitadelle fortress; the Landschaftsgalerie is in the Kulturhaus am Hexenturm.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Free casemate tour on the last Sunday of each month from May to September, 11:00 at the box office; free curator tours are also offered. Individual guided tours for a fee are possible outside opening hours in German, English, French and Swedish. |
