Museum Island

Berlin

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DESTINATIONS germany berlin Do & See Museum Island

Museum Island

The five historical museum buildings on Museum Island have been part of UNESCO world heritage since 1999, and represent a collection that is unique in the world. Each museum building on the island was designed by famous architects of their time. Museum Island is home to collections in the Altes Museum (Old Museum), the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), the Bode Museum, and the Neues Museum (New Museum). The Pergamon Museum is closed for renovation until 2037 or 2043. The exhibitions cover prehistoric times, ancient history and 19th-century art.

Useful Information

Address: Museumsinsel Berlin, Am Lustgarten 1, Berlin-Mitte
More Info: www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/museumsinsel-berlin/home
Opening House: Tue–Sun 10am–6pm. On Thu until 8pm
Address: S U Friedrichstraße, S Hackescher Markt
More Info: 74bb779c0cc9f7f2b9d74e59c2902e50d9bb80bf

Do & See

Whether you see the sights of Berlin by coach, steamer, bicycle or on foot — you’ll pass a lot of famous buildings and memorials. We’ll tell you which ones you really can’t afford to miss!

Brandenburg Gate

Brandenburg Gate

It’s Berlin’s most famous landmark and became the symbol of overcoming the division of Germany. From an architectural perspective, the sandstone structure, built by Carl Gotthard Langhans, is one of the most magnificent examples of German classicism. Nowadays the Gate serves as a backdrop for festivals, big sporting events or New Year’s Eve …

East Side Gallery

East Side Gallery

An East German Trabant car, which appears to be breaking through the concrete. Honecker and Breschnew locked in a kiss of brotherly, socialist love. With the East Side Gallery, a segment of the Berlin Wall has been turned into the longest open air gallery in the world. The open-air East Side Gallery is located along …

Alexanderplatz & Television Tower

Alexanderplatz & Television Tower

Once the heart of the former East Berlin, Alexanderplatz is today the largest inner-city square in Germany and has developed into a popular shopping attraction. The view from the Television Tower, its height of 368 metres making it the tallest tower in Germany, is absolutely fantastic. A perfect 360° all-round view is provided by …

DDR Museum

The DDR Museum is an interactive museum that takes you on a journey into the socialist past. You'll see countless iconic objects from the former East Germany, will take a simulated ride in a Trabi, dance the Lipsi and rummage around in an authentic apartment. It's an essential Berlin history …

Berlin Highlights Bike Tour

Berlin Highlights Bike Tour

Experience Berlin like a local and cover all the must-see attractions in just half a day with this highlights tour on a bicycle — ideal for cycling enthusiasts with limited time in the city. You'll be introduced to iconic landmarks such as the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate, among others. You don't …

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Not far from the Brandenburg Gate you'll the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust Memorial. It is a grid of stelae (2,711 concrete slabs) on a sloping field accessible from all sides. It serves as a central place of remembrance and admonition and is supplemented by an underground …

Boat Cruise on the River Spree

Boat Cruise on the River Spree

One of the best ways to see any city is from the water — and Berlin is no exception. Enjoy a boat cruise along the River Spree and catch a glimpse of many city attractions, including the government district, Bellevue Palace, Berlin Cathedral, and Museum Island in just a couple of hours. Perfect plan …

Museum Island

The five historical museum buildings on Museum Island have been part of UNESCO world heritage since 1999, and represent a collection that is unique in the world. Each museum building on the island was designed by famous architects of their time. Museum Island is home to collections in the Altes Museum (Old Museum), the …

Berlin Palace Humboldt Forum

Berlin Palace Humboldt Forum

The Berlin Palace on the Museum Island in the Mitte area of Berlin, was the main royal residence from 1443 to 1918. It was badly damaged during the Allied bombing in World War II, and was demolished by the East German authorities in 1950 to build the modernist East German Palace of the Republic. …

Berlin City Hop-on Hop-off Tour

Berlin City Hop-on Hop-off Tour

Berlin is a vast city with not one, but several centres that come in their distinct and varied flavours of cool. The fastest and most time efficient way to hit all the main attractions is to get on one of those hop-on hop-off buses. You can get a 24- or 48-hour ticket, as well …

Reichstag

The Reichstag, with its iconic glass dome, is home to the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament. In the 1990s, British architect Sir Norman Foster reimagined the building, blending its historical grandeur with a modern, spacious design. The accessible glass cupola offers stunning views of the city and a unique perspective on German politics. …

Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin

Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin

Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin, often referred to as Palast Berlin, is a stunning architectural marvel that hosts Europe's most spectacular entertainment. With over 500 bold and lavish costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, the dazzling performances evoke a range of emotions from hope to happiness, celebrating the joy of life. The New York Times hails it …

Get Closer to David Bowie

Get Closer to David Bowie

Back in the 1970s, Berlin was the home of the legendary David Bowie. Together with a specialist guide, you'll navigate the city on foot and by public transport, discovering the Berlin that inspired David Bowie's seminal Berlin Trilogy. You'll see Hansa Studios, where 'Heroes' and 'Low' were recorded. Stop by 155 Hauptstrasse, where Bowie …

Panoramapunkt

Experience Berlin's best views from the fastest elevator in Europe, which whisks you to a height of 100 metres in just 20 seconds. At the top, a terrace offers breathtaking vistas of the German capital's iconic landmarks and historic sites. The Brandenburg Gate and many other attractions are within sight. Enjoy the panoramic view, …

Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg Memorial

Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg Memorial

Berlin is great for parties and long walks with friends, but it's also a city marked by profound historical events. A visit to the Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg Nazi concentration camp offers a sobering perspective on this darker chapter of history. Just a half-day trip from the city, the camp saw over 200,000 prisoners pass through its …

Gendarmenmarkt

Gendarmenmarkt square is a beautiful example of an architectural ensemble which includes both the French and the German cathedral, as well as the Concert House. Many Berliners believe that the Gendarmenmarkt is the most beautiful place in Germany and indeed in all of Europe. A must-see for all visitors to …

Teufelsberg — Field Station Berlin

Teufelsberg — Field Station Berlin

Teufelsberg, an artificial peak in Grunewald, was formed from the rubble of World War II. It provides a sweeping 360° view of the city. During the Cold War, this location served as a key surveillance site for British and American intelligence agencies. Nowadays, it's a popular spot, especially on weekends, when guided tours offer …

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

The protestant Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is a beacon of peace and reconciliation. It stands for the will of the Berliners to rebuild their city during the period after the war. Most of the original structure was destroyed by a British bombing raid in World War II — all that remained was its gaping, …

Jewish Museum Berlin

Jewish Museum Berlin

The Jewish Museum Berlin is housed in the impressive building designed by Daniel Libeskind. The zinc-coated zig-zag building is one of Berlin’s major landmarks. The permanent exhibition traces the high and low points of German-Jewish history from the end of the Roman Age to the present day. The museum is a must for architecture …

Wall Museum — Checkpoint Charlie

Wall Museum — Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous of the inner-German border crossing points and a name known the world over, was where Allied border guards would register members of the American, English and French Armed Forces (and their families) before they visited East Berlin. The "Wall Museum – Museum House at Checkpoint Charlie” is right next …

Potsdamer Platz

Potsdamer Platz

Looking at the vast pavilion roof of the Sony Center and the many high-rise buildings around it, it’s difficult to imagine that Potsdamer Platz for a long time was in the death strip of the Berlin Wall and was nothing but a desolate wasteland. These days, Potsdamer Platz is a major public transportation hub, …

Nikolai Quarter

Nikolai Quarter

The Nikolai Quarter is a peculiar reconstruction of the way Berlin used to be before its destruction in World War II. The area was restored in the 1980s in preparation for Berlin's big 750th birthday. Stroll around the idiosyncratic mixture of reconstructed historic houses and concrete slab Plattenbau blocks, and discover some of the …

Berlin Wall Memorial

Berlin Wall Memorial

The Berlin Wall Memorial is the central memorial site of Germany’s division. Located directly at the former border strip in the Bernauer Straße is a 1.4-kilometre piece of the Berlin Wall with a border strip and watchtower. The Gedenkstätte memorial is the last remaining stretch of the Wall as it existed during the separation …

Charlottenburg Palace

Charlottenburg Palace

The domed Charlottenburg Palace is one of Berlin's famous landmarks. The lavishly decorated Baroque palace was built around 1695 as a summer residence for Sophie Charlotte, Electress of Brandenburg and as of 1701, the first Queen in Prussia. Frederick the Great had the New Wing added in the 1740s. The interior contains, amongst others, …

Kulturforum

After Museum Island, the Kulturforum is the second centre of art in Berlin. It is the home not only of the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery), the Gemäldegalerie (Picture Gallery), the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) and other museums, but also houses the Philharmonie (Philharmonic Hall) and the Staatsbibliothek (National Library). The New National Gallery …

Computer Games Museum

Computer Games Museum

Berlin boasts the world's first computer games museum, which opened its doors in 1997. Since January 2011, the museum has been showcasing its new permanent exhibition in the fashionable Friedrichshain district. The exhibition has ingeniously converted the historic interior of the former East Berlin café, Warsaw, into a pixelated gaming landscape. It's the perfect …

Berlin Christmas Markets

Berlin Christmas Markets

The smell of candied apples and toasted almonds drives Berliners out of doors during the cold season into their city's Christmas markets. With more than 400 stalls at the weekends, the Christmas markets offer sensual concerts, unique handicrafts, and culinary delights from top chefs — the winter magic is in the air at the …

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