Deichtorhallen

The Deichtorhallen are Europe's largest private exhibition halls for contemporary art and photography - two vast steel-framed market halls from 1911/1914 where fruit and vegetables were once traded. The Halle für aktuelle Kunst (south building) shows changing exhibitions of contemporary positions with a focus on international big names: Anish Kapoor, Olafur Eliasson, Carsten Höller, William Kentridge - three or four shows a year. The Haus der Photographie (north building) has been programming the hall opposite since 2005 with some of the best photography exhibitions in Germany: Bruce Davidson, Annie Leibovitz and Sebastião Salgado have all been shown here, often with the 'F. C. Gundlach' focus on fashion and reportage photography. Practical details: admission 14 € adults, 9 € concessions, open until 9 pm on Thursdays. The 'Fillet of Soul' restaurant in the south foyer is good for an upscale lunch or coffee, and the bookshop has probably the best curated art-book selection in town. Getting there: S-/U-Bahn Hauptbahnhof, then an 8-minute walk along Brandstwiete, or directly U1 Steinstraße. An ideal program for a gray fall or winter day - allow 2 to 3 hours. Essential: check the current program before visiting, as the halls are only used seasonally for temporary exhibitions.