The first thing you need to know about Berlin, the capital city of Germany is that it has witnessed a lot. It has always been at the center of all actions. It has witnessed the births and fall of many powerful states. It was home to many well-known, influencing personalities. There is no denying that Germany is rich in history. Suppose, you visit the city. You want to learn more about the city. You can go to tourist centers, see around or landmarks, thereby somewhat familiarising yourself with the city. But none of these will be as effective as visiting museums in Berlin. Museums are most essential for preserving the identities of nations, cities. There you will find priceless information. You might wonder, how many museums are in Berlin? There is total of 170 museums in Berlin. They serve different tastes. Some of them are art museums Berlin while others have different orientations. If you wonder about must see museums in Berlin, then you are in luck because in this article we will look at the 15 best museums in Berlin that are ready to amaze you. Let’s cut to the chase and get started to our list. But if you need a visa to Germany please check the requirements for your nationality, on our website.
1. Neues Museum
This museum was first opened in the 19th century, built by prominent architect Friedrich August Stuler. But during the second world war, the building was bombed. In 1999 it was rebuilt and reopened to the public. Now it preserves and exhibits treasures from different parts of the world. Here you will find collections from ancient Egypt, classical antiquities. The gem of artifacts in this museum is the bust of Nefertiti which is the most copied Egyptian artifact in the world. With as little as 12 euros you can see many valuable art and historical pieces.
2. Konig Galerie
Founded by famous German art dealer Johann Konig in 2002, it is one of the art museums Berlin. In this modern-styled museum, mostly the artworks of artists such as Alicja Kwade are featured. Up until 2015, the museum changed its location to different places. But in 2015 it was moved to the center of the city. This museum is a must-go place if you are into art.
3. Berlin Wall Memorial
We all know about Berlin Wall and its fate. The demolition of the Berlin Wall was a historical moment not only for Germany but also for the world. The ruins of the Berlin wall embody more things than you thought. If you want to learn about it you can visit this one of the best free museums in Berlin. In this museum, you will find explanations of how and why this wall was built. You will also find footage of these walls, reflecting some of the major events. You will see many tunnels, built by desperate eastern Germans who tried to escape from East Germany.
4. East Side Gallery
This Gallery is the tourists’ favorite. It is considered to be one of the cool museums in Berlin, therefore you should have the patience to wait in long queues to see the museum. Here you will find remains of those long Berlin Wall. It is not far away from Berlin Wall Memorial. You can visit Berlin Wall Memorial after finishing your visit to East Side Gallery.
5. Pergamon Museum
This museum is among the top museums in Berlin. It gathers historical artifacts from all over to world into one place. That is why the museum is always full of visitors. The exhibitions also include reconstructions of archaeological excavations such as the Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus, and many other priceless historical pieces. With its giant collections, it is definitely worth visiting.
6. Designpanoptikum
Many can found museums a bit dull as most of the museums lack entertainment, or simply they are old fashion and do not use interactive methods to engage the audience. But Designpanoptikum is a totally different place, a museum to visit. The main concept here is visions of the future taken from the past. Not only the exhibits are engaging but also enlightening, giving an idea about how in the past, the future was imagined. Here you will find cyborg-mannequins and other weird stuff. With such artifacts, the museum is one of the cool museums in Berlin.
7. Jewish Museum
Throughout history, Jews played a major role in the shaping of Germany. Jewish Museum in Berlin depicts Jewish life in Germany through history. It includes dark pages of Jewis history. You will find many works related holocaust. Most of the artworks here are made by Jewish artists. One of the greatest things about this museum is that you can buy some of the pieces from vending machines.
8. Modellpark Berlin
Sometimes you do not get enough time to explore a city, especially if it is a big city like Berlin. You might, wonder is there another way that takes little time and gives you a sense of full travel. Well, there is a place in Berlin that can alternate your understanding of exploring the city. Modellpark is the place where all landmarks, monuments, and other touristic or important places are gathered and diminished in size to models. Here you can get acquainted with the city within a limited time.
9. Museum Berggruen
Berggruen, one of Berlin best art museums is where you might want to go if you are interested in art. In this museum, you will find some of the impressive works of artists like Giacometti, Picasso, Klee, and Matisse. Alongside well-known artists' works, you will also find some of the works of young, talented artists.
10. Urban Nation: Museum for Urban Contemporary Art
This museum is among the free museums in Berlin which you can enjoy exhibitions free of charge. The urban nation is a relatively young museum but it can rival most of the well-known museums. Being one of Berlin best art museums, it gathers art pieces reflecting street and modern art. You will find wonderous graffiti which will force you to ponder about our lifestyles. The location of the museum is favorable to the visitors. Here visitors can enjoy dinner afterward as the area is full of nice restaurants.
11. Bode Museum
Bode museum is one of the top museums in Berlin with its huge collections of numismatics, and medieval and Renaissance sculptures. However, exhibitions are not confined to these collections. You will find tons of things to marvel at. You will also find icons, paintings, sculptures of Jesus, and the Crucifixion. The outside appearance of the building is impressive.
12. Hamburger Bahnhof
This nice building was meant to be one of the first major terminals of the German rail system, but now it serves as a museum. This Neoclassical building has an imposing exterior. The building was established in 1846. You can find samples of artistic movements from the 1960s such as the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection. With its beautiful, picturesque sceneries, this museum is one of the must see museums in Berlin.
13. Old National Gallery
It was King Friedrich Wilhelm IV’s dream to build a “sanctuary for art and science”, which resulted in the establishment of this museum. In this giant temple-like building is kept rarest, valuable art collection which includes Romantic and Impressionist artists' work such as Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Schinkel. Here you can find world-class works of German Realist Adolph Menzel as well. You can visit the Old National Gallery, one of the best museums in Berlin, with a fee that is as cheap as 10 euros.
14. DDR Museum
This museum is famous for exhibitions depicting life in East Germany. You can listen to East Germanic pop music, or sit in an interrogation room, check out communist newspapers, etc. This museum will time travel you to the Soviets.
15. Deutsche Kinemathek
Berlin has played important role in the development of cinematography. Here first horror movies were shooted. Some even say that German cinema influenced American cinema. Deutsche Kinemathek museum will time travel you to the 1950s when crime movies were all the rage in Germany. You will find movies, cinema equipment belongs to the past.
To wrap up things, Berlin has the finest museums that serve every type of taste. Every museum has its unique collections. After seeing the list you might ask yourself, how many museums can you visit in a day in Berlin? Finishing up visiting all 15 museums is a quite challenge. Honestly, I do not think that anyone can visit all of them once. However, you can visit a few of them in a day. My personal advice would be to spare time for each of the museums as it would be unfair to spend so little time in one museum. You might miss most of the things.
