Museum Island

The entire site is a bit of a museum itself, being ranked as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. In addition to exploring the diverse exhibits you will also be taken aback by the incredible architecture.

The island which sits in the river Spree was formerly a residential area, but was dedicated to "art and science" in 1841 by Prussian King Frederick William IV.

There are a total of five museums on the island and while we will outline them briefly here, we will not go into too much detail as we have a page dedicated to each one.

The five museums are:

1. The Pergamon Museum, home to the Greek alter after which it's named, features incredible exhibits from the ancient east.
2. The Bode Museum was refurbished in 2005. It features sculptures from medieval times to the late 1700s and paintings from Late Byzantine to 1800.
3. The Neues Museum, a beautiful addition to the island, was built in the mid 1800s. It suffered severe bomb damage during WW2 and lay in ruin until a 10 year reconstruction process that ended in 2009. It showcases archaeological items and sculptures from Egypt and Etruscan and more.
4. The Alte National Gallery opened in 1876 is as its name suggests a musuem of art, more specifically paintings and sculptures from the early 19th century along with Impressionist and early modernist art.
5. The Altes Museum first opened in 1830, is the oldest of the 5 museums and showcases art and sculpture from classical antiquity.

In spite of its name, the island is not just limited to museums. It is also home to the impressive Berlin Cathedral and Lustgarten Park.

Visitors can easily spend a full day or even several days exploring all 5 museums. If you only have time to see one or two we would recommend the Pergamon Museum and the Altes Museum in that order.

Accommodations near Museum Island:

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