MUSEUMS IN BERLIN

There is no better way to take in the culture of a new city than visiting a few of its museums. Berlin, with its vast array of displays and exhibitions, is certainly no exception to this rule. There are over 170 museums and galleries in the city, so whether you are interested in art, history or, believe it or not, the technology behind sugar, Berlin has the museum for you.

Perhaps a culture savvy tourist’s best option in Berlin is to visit Museum Island in Mitte. Situated on an island of the river Spree, it comprises of five museums of international importance. There is the Altes (“Old) Museum, built in 1823, which houses a variety of classical pieces, including a very impressive Greek display. The Neues (“New”) Museum is home to many of the great Egyptian treasures, including the world famous bust of Queen Nerfertiti. Also on the Island is the Old National Gallery, the Bode Museum and the Pergamon museum, each filled with new and different cultural and historical delights.

For a more hands on, child friendly museum experience, the DDR museum in Mitte is certainly worth a try. Although not on the island, the DDR museum is very close to it and is easily accessible from the other museums in the area. It is an interactive museum that aims to immerse you in the daily life of East Berliners in bygone years. Nominated in 2008 and 2012 for the European Museum of the Year award, this is not one to miss.

Another cultural area in Berlin, Tiergarten, also plays host to a number of Berlin’s finest museums and galleries. The Bauhaus archive, housed in a spectacular building, collects and displays items significant to the Bauhaus School, one of the most important schools of art and design in the 20th century. Berlin is famous for its State Museums, which are maintained by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. A collection of buildings, all Berlin State Museums, in Tiergarten make up the Kulturforum, which was created during the Cold War in an effort to make up for the fact that much of Berlin’s cultural assets and buildings had been lost to the Eastern half of the city, behind the Berlin Wall. They are well worth a visit.

In Kreuzberg, two thousand years of German Jewish history can be seen at the Jewish Museum, which is the largest of its kind in Europe. Kreuzberg is home to numerous institutions and is another alternative to Mitte and Tiergarten. Here can be found the Checkpoint Charlie museum, a fascinating document of the Berlin wall and those who tired to cross it, as well as the Berlinische Galerie, a museum of modern art. Neither are far from the Jewish Museum.

There a hundreds of other, fascinating museums all over the city, but the areas of the city I have describe boast some of the most important and enrich Museums and Galleries in Europe, let alone Berlin. There is something here for everyone, what is there for you?