12 best museums in Berlin – list, photo, description, prices 2021, map
An integral part of any tourist program is visiting museums. It is here that the most valuable, memorable and historically significant artifacts are collected. History comes to life here and seems to take each guest into the thick of distant events. That is why we have prepared a list of must-see and visit museums in Berlin.
pergamon
This unusual name hides one of the most delightful complexes of the German capital. It is unlikely that there will be at least one tourist who has never heard of this unique place before. Pergamon is located in the very center of the city and includes a whole complex of colossal architectural buildings.
In the center is the altar of the same name (age dated 160-180 BC), which thousands of people come to cling to every day. To understand the popularity of the exposition, it is worth at least once being in the company of these monumental buildings.
The collection of masterpieces collected in one place is also impressive. All of them are divided into three subspecies and allow you to plunge into different eras. Here are collected masterpieces of antiquity, Islamic states and countries that belong to the front of Asia. It is difficult to say where else such an amazing collection of creations from Greece and Rome is collected. And the Procession Road, which was brought here from Babylon (6th century BC), evokes a unique feeling for visitors. Pergamon is open daily and the ticket price is only a few euros.
Book a private transfer from the airport to your hotel in Berlin for 3 207 RUB
Jewish Museum
We advise you to set aside time to visit galleries dedicated to the history of the Jewish community. The halls are dedicated to various periods and themes. Here you can get acquainted with the history of the first Jews, find out the names of the most famous representatives of this nationality, who made a significant contribution to the development of the German state. It seems that the Germans feel the full burden of responsibility for the hardships that the Jews had to endure during the war years. The main exhibit of the historical exhibition is the building itself, the author of which is the brilliant architect D. Libeskind. It includes the Holocaust Tower, the Garden of Exiles and Emigration. All this makes a very serious impression, so visitors with weak nerves should think carefully before crossing the threshold of the institution. Daily opening hours – from 10 am to 8 pm (Monday 2 hours longer),
Kulturforum
Under this name, several cultural and historical institutions are united at once. To visit all the museums, it is worth allocating a whole day. All art lovers will enjoy a walk through the halls of the art gallery and the national gallery. Admirers of musical arts will be able to have a great time in the Philharmonic (the oldest building of the complex, founded in the 1960s and capable of accommodating up to 2.5 thousand people at the same time) or the chamber music hall. Well, connoisseurs of quality literature are recommended to go to the state library, which contains the works of hundreds of authors of all times and peoples. The Berlin Cabinet of Engravings contains a collection of more than 100,000 artists known throughout the world. Without any doubt, this museum complex is worth it to be included in the must-visit program for every Berlin tourist.
Berggruen Museum
Another interesting monument of art is located in the Charlottenburg district. The impressive collection of exhibits presented in the Berggruen Museum belongs to the style of classical modernism and is considered the largest in the world. The collection was donated by the writer and journalist H. Bergrün and today is part of the cultural heritage of Prussia. Particularly valuable exhibits are paintings painted by the brilliant P. Picasso, of which, by the way, there are more than a hundred. The largest collection of his works allows you to trace how the style of painting changed, how a professional gradually grew from a simple sixteen-year-old boy, whose paintings are still among the most coveted both by private collectors and expositions around the world.
It will not be possible to pass by the paintings of another genius of his time – the German representative of the avant-garde style – Paul Klee. About 60 of his best works are presented in the halls. But the collection is not limited to these names. In addition to dozens of the most famous paintings by modernist artists, works by less venerable artists are often put on display here. The museum is open every day except Monday. The ticket price ranges from 4 to 10 euros.
Bode Museum
One of the most beautiful buildings in Berlin, which is located northwest of the Museum Island, belongs to the Bode Galleries. The institution is very popular among the indigenous inhabitants of the city and guests of the capital. The presented exhibits are divided among three complexes: the art of Byzantium, the Coin Cabinet and the collection of sculptures. Although the idea of creation belonged to Emperor Frederick the Third, it was named after the chief art critic, who was able to correctly place accents in the collection of valuable exhibits. As soon as visitors enter one of the galleries, many people immediately take their breath away from the rich interior decoration of the gallery and the abundance of unique artifacts and works of art presented.
Here you can find the most successful works of sculptors Schluter and gave Robbia, chic staircases and statues of first-class marble, which depict the above-mentioned emperor. But the hall, which displays exhibits telling about different periods of the existence of two strongest empires – the Roman and Byzantine ones, is especially popular with visitors. Although it will be very entertaining to get acquainted with the 500,000th collection of coins that are stored in neighboring galleries. The exhibition is open daily, and a pass can be purchased for just a few euros.
Museum of the GDR
This museum can be called a museum of the history of German socialism, because its expositions fully illustrate the way of life of a democratic republic for 40 years. The pedantic Germans did not squeamishly abandon it after unification with the FRG, and in 2006, at the initiative of the far-sighted political scientist Kanzelmann, the above-mentioned museum was opened on the banks of the Spree. It proved to be very popular with East and West Germans, as well as with tourists from other countries. The museum exists only on funds received from visits and from the sale of souvenirs. If we take into account that since the day of opening it has managed to double in size, then we can be convinced of the great popularity of the institution.
All aspects of the life of the state are meticulously recreated here: family life, culture, art, politics, industry, law, fashion, economics, ideology. The expositions include items of clothing, dishes, alcoholic drinks, literature of that period, magazines, newspapers – everything that surrounded East Germans. In the museum, it is allowed to touch the exhibits with your hands, open the lockers, examine the contents. You can even sit behind the wheel of a unique car “Trabant” (Sputnik), similar to a children‘s toy. Such cars were produced at the Horch factories. Tourists are offered a huge number of souvenirs.
Ticket price: adults – 6 euros, det. – 4.FS
Opening hours: daily – 10.00-20.00, Sat – until 22.00.
Museum of Homosexuality
The name of this museum immediately causes a certain rejection due to the prevailing negative stereotypes, but after visiting it, the attitude changes. The only such museum in the world presents evidence of the problem of physiological transformation resulting from genetic failure. The museum exhibits trace the history of homosexuals, bisexuals, transgenders, queers and intersex people. Among the exhibits there are photographs – evidence of a sex change – the transformation of a man into a woman and vice versa. There are documents telling about the persecution of sexual minorities by the National Socialists. The tragic fates of 24 Jews reflected on the posters, who suffered from their unconventionality and tried to convey their pain through literary works, arouse sympathy.
An example of this is the lesbian Erica Mann, daughter of the famous writer T. Mann; master mime, actor Raymonds, who is still alive. The famous Marlene Dietrich did not hide her male inclinations, despite traditional marriages. Their fates are also reflected in the exhibits of the museum. Of particular interest and understanding arise when visiting the exhibition of the artist of the GDR Hass, the main theme of whose paintings was his own unconventionality. Looking at his self-portrait, depicting a spiritual, beautiful young man, you understand that he is not to blame for his inclinations and you begin to treat such people differently. But this delicate deviation should not be made the object of general attention and publicity, the subject of propaganda, as is happening now in Europe.
Address: Luetzowstrasse 73.
Open for visits: Wed.-Fri., Sun.-Mon. – from 14.00 to 18.00, Sat. – until 19.00,; out. – Tuesday.
Luftwaffe Museum
The Museum of the German Air Force Luftwaffe was organized after the closure of the RAF base at the airfield in Gatow. In the early 1930s, high ranks of German aviation trained and trained here, after the Victory, the Soviet Air Force also managed to visit. In 1994, left out of work, the Gatov airfield turned into a parking lot for aircraft of different eras and designs, helicopters and airships. In the hangars of the museum and in the open air, fighters and MiGs, MI-8 helicopters, light models of the pre-war period, attack aircraft and bombers of the Second World War, modern examples of crashed aircraft are presented.
A large exposition presents Soviet aircraft equipment, mainly left over from the presence of Soviet troops in Germany: airplanes, helicopters, air defense systems, radars. Part of the air base is now operational, so the smaller exhibits of the museum are located in 3 hangars, large aircraft are in the open air. The area of the museum is separated by a fence and guarded. The museum provides an opportunity to make virtual tours of its territory, if you go to its official website. All exhibits of the museum can be carefully examined and satisfy your curiosity.
Address: Kladower Damm 182
Open for visits: Tuesday-Sunday, from 10.00 to 18.00, entrance closes at 17.00. The visit is free.
Website address: www. Luftwaffenmuseum. de
museum island
Not every capital of the world can boast of such luxury as the whole Museum Island. Berlin has every right to be proud of an invaluable asset – 5 museums that have collected in their unique expositions a visual history of 6 millennia. This wealth is located on the island of Spreeinsel, located on the Spree River and dividing it into 2 branches. The formation of the museum complex began at the end of the 18th century as the embodiment of the idea of Friedrich Wilhelm – to create a museum of antiquity on the picturesque island. But its implementation came true only in the 30s of the 19th century, when the Old Museum of ancient collections was opened, from ancient Greek art to ancient Roman.
In 1859, the funds of the Prussian Royal Museum, later renamed the New Museum, were formed, keeping in its bowels ancient papyri and art objects of the Egyptian Museum, valuable relics of the Museum of Primitive and Early History. The next step was the opening of the Old National Gallery (1876), which brought together paintings and sculptures by European artists of the 19th century. After 26 years, the Bode Museum arose, exhibiting rarities of Byzantine art (13-19 centuries), works by German and Italian sculptors from the early Middle Ages to the 18th century. The Pergamon Museum, founded in 1930, combined ancient, Islamic and Western Asian art, in fact – 3 museums in one. It will take more than one day to see all the exhibits briefly, but it's worth it.
How to get there: trams M 1, M 2, M 2 – stop. Hackescher Markt, metro – st. Alevanderplatz, walk from the Brandenburg Gate to the island – 15 min.
S-Bahn: S3, S5, S7 (S Hachescher Markt); S1, S2, S25 (Oranienburger Str).
Erotic Museum
This private museum was opened by a woman – the only female stuntman in Germany in the past, a former Luftwaffe pilot Beata Uze, who was left without work after the collapse of the Nazi troops. The adventurous lady decided to open the world's first erotic supply store and achieved considerable success in this field, for which she was awarded the Federal Cross for her contribution to sexual education in 1989. From one sex shop, a huge empire of erotic establishments has grown: special stores, adult cinemas, and an online shopping network. The museum occupies 4 floors, on which there is a sex shop, 3 cinema halls for adults with individual video booths, extravagant exhibits (more than 5000). Among them are paintings, panels, tapestries of frankly erotic content, utensils with drawings of sexual themes, all sorts of erotic attributes. Setting the goal of education and education, the museum placed dioramas with a visual explanation of the varieties of sexual desire.
Address: Joachimstaler St. 4
Open: Monday-Saturday, from 9 am to 12 am, Sun. – from 11.00 to 00.00.
Ticket price: from 18 years old – 9 euros, doubles – 16.
Museum Center Berlin-Dahlem
Berlin can be proud of yet another museum complex, opened in the former Dahlem estate, in the southwest of the German capital, which has the status of a state institution. 3 museums of the complex exhibit objects of art and culture of Asia, the East and Europe:
Address: Lansstrasse 8.
Opening hours: Tue – Fri. from 10.00 to 18.00, Sat – Sun, from 11.00 to 18.00.
German Technical Museum
The glass building of 5 floors, built on the site of the former depot, looks very impressive. Extravagance is given to it by a symbolically important exhibit on the roof – the C-47 Skyrain bomber, which delivered food to blockaded Berlin in 1948. Founded in 1982, it essentially became a technical park, where on an area of 25 thousand square meters. km, a huge number of different units, technical devices, many types of aircraft, auto and marine equipment are widely represented.
Life-size windmills and watermills, a forge, a mini-brewery are located here. Separate expositions fully demonstrate the achievements of energy, shipbuilding, aviation industry, film and photo industry. The territory of the museum accommodates modern buildings surrounded by a park, where scientific and educational classes are held with children. Together with the Archenhold Observatory, the Technical Museum conducts research in the field of space, organizes joint exhibitions and lectures. It is impossible to see all the exhibits of the museum of technology in a few hours; you can come here many times, as if for the first time.
Address: Trebbiner Strase 9 10963 Berlin-Kreuzberq.
Working hours: Tue-Fri.: 09.00-17.30, Sat-Sun: 10.00-18.00; holiday – 10.00-18.00; mon. – day off.
Tickets (in euros) – adults – 6 (with a discount – 3.5); group (from 10 people) – 4, with a discount – 1.5.
Family (1 adult and 2 children up to 14 years old) – 7; (2 adults and 3 children up to 14 years old) – 13.