On the bank of the Spree River in Berlin is Museum Island -- an actual island that literally offers individualized treasure to everyone. It is arguably one of the most amazing collection of museums in the world – and all situated right next to each other! The architecture alone of these museums is captivating and worth a visit -- the same goes with the near-by Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral).
This area of five museums truly is a treasure trove offering everything from art and sculptures to amazing architecture not only from Europe but from the rest of the world too. The adult admission to each museum is about 12 euros but my tip to you is to buy the three-day Berlin Museum Pass for 29 euros instead. The museum pass not only grants you access to the five UNESCO recognized museums on the Island but an additional 25 museums and exhibitions in Berlin over a course of three consecutive days. This doesn’t mean you have to spend all three days spending time just in museums (we didn’t) but it literally pays for itself if you just visit three (which was pretty easy to do). But make sure to avoid having one of the days fall on a Monday as most museums are closed that day (as in many cities in Europe)
We didn’t have the time to visit many, but we did see the top three that I wanted (and went back to my favorite an additional time for more). Plus, the beautiful Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) is there to gaze upon in all of its splendor on the bank of the Spree River.
Let’s start with the most popular (and so, the busiest museum), the Pergamonmuseum. Since it is the most popular, wait times to enter can be up to two hours – ouch! However, you can avoid this by simply reserving your timed admission (you have a half of an hour window to enter and avoid the line). We did this at our hotel but can also be done at any of the Berlin Tourist Information Offices. Trust me, you will be happy you did when you feel somewhat guilty walking by all of the other people waiting in line. Make sure to pick up the audio guide (included in the price of admission) before you start the tour.
The Pegamon houses an excellent collection from the ancient worlds of Greece, Rome, Babylon and the Middle East but the highlight of it is the enormous 2600-year-old city gate to Babylon, the Ishtar gate. Turning the corner and seeing this display will take your breath away. The cobalt blue glazed bricks are still radiant, and the figures chiseled into them pop out almost beyond 3D. Just try to picture how they put all of these thousands of fragmented tiles back together.
Right next door is the Neues (New) Museum. We also made sure to secure a timed reservation here too. You might want to head immediately to the second floor because that is where you will find HER – the 1340 BC original bust of Queen Nefertiti. This stunning piece is so well preserved it’s incredible – the detail of her necklace, defined collar bone, and even small wrinkles under her eyes are absolutely breathtaking. Sadly, taking photos of her is not allowed and many people surround her enforcing this. So, I had to take a picture of a magnet and postcard with her instead.
Another very interesting piece from around 1000 BC (which happens to actually be from Germany) is the Berliner Goldhut. This ceremonial gold hat was believed to accurately calculate solar and lunar calendars. Only four of these hats have survived and the detail is striking. Since we headed to see Queen Nefertiti first, the rest of the museum was relatively quiet.
We ventured off of the “island” and headed over to the German History (Deutsches Historisches) Museum which ended up being my favorite. We found there was no need to do a reserved timed entrance because it wasn’t as crowded as the other museums. Imagine 1500 years of German history on two full floors! We had seen enough of WWII and the Cold War by this time on our trip, so we skipped the first floor which was dedicated to this time period. The second floor was fascinating to me because the exhibits featured early Germanic tribes leading up to the German unification in 1871 and WWI.
A few days later, on a Sunday, we went back to the second floor to spend more time there. Plus, it was day three of our museum pass, so admission was still included – and it doesn’t get as crowded as some of the other museums which makes it a nice Sunday afternoon option. I could talk about so many objects from that museum but must say seeing Napoleon’s famous bicorne taken from the Battle of Waterloo was definitely a highlight. History sometimes neglects that the Prussians were deeply involved in the battle along with the British. Plus, I saw Napoleon’s horse in Paris which made it even more of a highlight. Sadly, photography is prohibited inside the museum.
We grabbed a quick bite at the museum café and headed literally out the door in to the midst of the Berlin Art Market which really was by coincidence – don’t you love when things like that happen?
The Museum Island in Berlin really has so much to offer everyone no matter what interests you. There was so much history and so much beauty stored up on this island that it takes a least three days to truly explore. So next time you’re in Berlin, make sure to get the three day pass and head over to the Museum Island of Berlin.
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