Europe
Best Museums Berlin – guide and tips
Nov
I made it no secret that Berlin is one of my favourite cities in the world. My first trip there was a month long travel writing program with CTR that sparked my travel bug. Unfortunately, producing the guidebook didn’t leave me too much time to visit the museums, so I returned a year later to see them all. Even though I’m not an avid museum girl, they’re definitely a good option for the rainy days and there’s so much to learn. I want to give an overview of all the ones I visited as well as a review of the Museum Pass:
Berlin Museum Pass
The 3-day museum pass is probably the most economical way to enjoy the museums of Berlin. Granted, I was still a student during my last visit and it cost me 12 euros instead of the full price 24 euros. I got mine at the Pergamon Museum but you can also book online to save queuing time.
The full list of museums can be viewed here.
Pre-book your 3-Day Museum Pass here
But the likelihood is you probably won’t visit more than three per day. Below are the ones that I had picked based on popularity and own interest. Although I had visited the Botanical Garden separately since it was a fair distance out of the city.
You can also buy standalone tickets to the Museum Island for 15 euros for a day or individually in advance with skip the line option here.
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Around Museum Island
Museum Island is where the biggest museums congregate. It’s five to ten minutes’ walk to the Hackerscher Markt or Alexanderplatz U and S Bahn station. It’s located in the center of Berlin and surrounded by the river Spree, and even if you don’t want to visit the museums, admiring their exterior is a must.
Pergamon
By far my favourite museum out of them all, the Pergamon is the Museum of the Near East. The highlight is the Ishta Gate of Babylon, and there are numerous reconstructions of ancient sites in this small but informative museum.
It was partially under construction during my visit, which didn’t affect the overall experience. Pergamon mostly house Assyrian and Mesopotamia artifacts and is currently home to the center for Islamic Act as well. The audio guide, included, is pretty comprehensive too.
Fun fact: it took 20 years to build in the early 20th century.
Pro tips: go there as soon as it’s open as it is the most visited museum in Germany.
Address: Bodestraße 1-3, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Opening times: Fri – Weds 10:00 – 18:00, Thurs 10:00 – 22:00
Admission fee: 12 euros, concession 6 euros
Neues Museum
Neues Museum is most famous for housing the bust of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. It has an amazing Egyptian Collection and some Greek and Roman artifacts. A less famous but equally stunning artifact is the Berlin Gold Hat, a conical gold headdress dated back to the Late Bronze Age.
The audio guide, which is included in the ticket price, is pretty decent and the top floor also has a surprisingly good prehistoric section.
The museum was built in the 19th century in the neoclassical style and suffered some damage in WWII. It was originally built to house the extended collections of Altes Museum.
Pro tip: don’t miss the bust of Nefertiti and the Berlin Gold Hat
Address: Bodestraße 1-3, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Opening times: Fri – Weds 10:00 – 18:00, Thurs 10:00 – 22:00
Admission fee: 10 euros, concession 5 euros
Old National Gallery
Forming a cluster with the two museums above, the Old National Gallery has a breathtaking exterior. It has a split staircase leading to a columned top reminiscent of the Greek Parthenon and built using a pinkish sandstone. It houses a wide range of artwork including those of Monet, Impressionist, Romantic and Neoclassical style as well as statues. Some that stood out to me is the Eamus Status of the Princess group.
Address: Bodestraße 1-3, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Opening times: Fri – Weds 10:00 – 18:00, Thurs 10:00 – 22:00
Admission fee: 8 euros, concession 4 euros
Old Museum (Altes Museum)
The neo-classical museum with columns that faces the Lustgarten is the Altes Museum. It houses an array of Greek arts, mainly sculptures and funereally stuff and is smaller than the two above. It’s a cool building with a decent history covered throughout the exhibit. It was badly damaged in the war and the restoration had just finished in the last five years.
Address: Bodestraße 1-3, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Opening times: Fri – Weds 10:00 – 18:00, Thurs 10:00 – 22:00
Admission fee: 10 euros, concession 5 euros
Bode Museum
The Bode Museum is in its own corner of the Museum Island and has a characteristic circular dome. In fact, it is itself a historically protected building. Its collection mainly consists of sculptures and Byzantine artwork, but the place is worth seeing just for the interior.
Address: Am Lustgarten, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Opening times: Fri – Weds 10:00 – 18:00, Thurs 10:00 – 22:00
Admission fee: 10 euros, concession 5 euros
Other Berlin Museums
Anne Frank Zentrum
A small museum hidden on the other side of Hackerscher Markt, the highlight really is just Anne’s mural outside the building. This is a small center with a small exhibition, and it’s not really worth going if you have been to Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam. The timeline of Anne’s life alongside the German Occupation (a spread of Nazi/Rise of Hitler) is pretty cool. Also, there is a multimedia room on a youth’s view on Anne Frank. There is also a computer that lets you digitally visit the house.
Address: Rosenthaler Str. 39, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Opening times: Tues – Sun 10:00 – 18:00
Admission fee: 5 euros, Concession 3 euros
Museum of Natural History
The main reason I visited this museum was to see the Archeopteryx – one of the best-preserved fossil of a feathered ancient bird.
They have a great collection of dinosaur fossils, too. Only limited English translation is available in the museum exhibits. But at least the main signboards have them. The museum is absolutely overrun with school children, but it testified to the museum is a great place to bring your little ones.
Address: Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
Opening times: Tues – Fri 9:30 – 16:00; Sat – Sun: 10:00 – 18:00
Admission fee: 8 euros, concession 5 euros (group and family tickets available)
German technology museum
Another great museum for family to visit, the German Technology Museum is in Kreuzberg and is a massive complex of buildings with five parts.
There’s even an airplane on top of the glass and steel structure – and it certainly made my inner child scream in delight. It covers a myriad of science topics, from rail, ship and aircraft history to the art of metallurgy and chemicals. Even though it’s a museum catered for children, I did enjoy my visit there.
Address: Trebbiner Str. 9, 10963 Berlin, Germany
Opening times: Tue – Fri 9:00 – 17:30; Sat – Sun 10:00 – 18:00
Admission fee: 8 euros, concession 4 euros (family and group tickets available)
Museum of Decorative Art
Even further from the Museum Island, the Museum of Decorative Art is in Postdamer Platz, right next to the culture forum opposite the philharmonic. I’ve only visited the fashion section, which isn’t bad and have English translation as well.
Address: Matthäikirchplatz, 10785 Berlin, Germany
Opening times: Mon – Fri 10:00 – 18:00; Sat – Sun 11:00 – 18:00
Admission: 8 euros, reduced 4 euros
Pre-book your 3-Day Museum Pass here
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Does the student discount apply to students of universities outside of Germany as well?
It works with European student IDs at least 🙂