City: Mitte (Borough)
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What to do and see in Mitte (Borough), Germany: The Best Art Museums
Berlin is an edgy city, from its fashion to its architecture to its charged political history. The Berlin Wall is a sobering reminder of the hyper-charged postwar atmosphere, and yet the graffiti art that now covers its remnants has become symbolic of social progress. Check out the Weltzeituhr (world time) Clock, topped by a model of the solar system, then turn back time by dining at the historic Zur Letzten Instanz, a 16th century restaurant that was frequented by Napoleon and Beethoven.
Restaurants in Berlin
1. Pergamonmuseum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 20,507 reviews
The Pergamonmuseum is a three-wing complex. The museum houses three of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin’s collections: the Antikensammlung, Vorderasiatisches Museum, and the Museum für Islamische Kunst. The impressive reconstructions of massive archaeological structures – the Pergamon Altar, Market Gate of Miletus, the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way from Babylon, and the Mshatta Facade – have made the Pergamonmuseum famous throughout the world, with the result that it is the most visited museum at the Staatliche Museen and in Germany as a whole.
Reviewed By bsandrs - Portsmouth, United Kingdom
The Jewels of Museum Island in the centre of the City are the Pergamon and the Neue buildings and we enjoyed an excellent three hour guided tour from an expert on the collections, who whilst now living in Berlin, originated from the Isle of Wight, just off Portsmouth which was a strange coincidence. The contents of the Pergamon are mind blowing and you can only scratch the surface on a day visit. With the Pergamon Altar itself closed for the next few years, the undoubted highlights are the Ishtar Gate and Lion Approach from Babylon, together with the Miletus Roman Facade and we rightly spent most of our available time studying those. However, the whole Museum is packed with great artefacts and we simply must return.
2. Gemaldegalerie
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,096 reviews
We are more than happy that starting from 12th of May 2020 we can reopen several of the museums belonging to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – among them the Gemäldegalerie! Please note that during your visit you have to follow some special hygiene and safety measures. All important information about visiting the museum can be found on our website. // The Gemäldegalerie boasts one of the world’s most important collections of European painting ranging from the 13th to 18th century. Masterpieces from all epochs in the history of art are on permanent display here, including paintings by Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel, Albrecht Durer, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, and Jan Vermeer van Delft. The gallery is especially proud of its strong collection of German and Italian painting from the 13th to 16th century and painting from the Low Countries dating from the 15th to 17th century.
Reviewed By Cynicoren - Beersheba, Israel
The Gemaldegalerie in Berlin contains one of the world's leading collections of paintings covering the period from the 13th to the 18th centuries, including an exceptional collection of works by great German artists - as the website notes: "including paintings by Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel, Albrecht Dürer, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, and Jan Vermeer van Delft." Since I was teens I had to cut my tour short, but still enjoyed it immensely.
3. Sammlung Hoffman
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 20 reviews
This art museum houses one of Berlin's best collections of modern works.
Reviewed By goldenhandart
I view private art collections as the ultimate thing to do in Berlin. This one is smaller than some others but the perfect tour. You have to reserve your spot well in advance, I was two weeks ahead to get a ticket. You have to know to walk into the courtyard and keep going or you might miss the entry. It IS private. The receptionist was very friendly and accommodating, the tour was a few people, just enough to allow dialogue around the artworks. There was some hands-on experience, there was plenty of interaction between the guide, the people and the artwork. There were great pieces by artists I studied in school decades ago, and some art from ones who I know are still making things today. One piece I remember from the cover of the art magazines of the early 80's, absolutely iconic piece. Great art. Great tour guide dedicated to bringing out the love of art, and an truly wonderfully low price.
4. Alte Nationalgalerie
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 889 reviews
We are more than happy that starting from 12th of May 2020 we can reopen several of the museums belonging to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – among them the Alte Nationalgalerie! Please note that during your visit you have to follow some special hygiene and safety measures. All important information about visiting the museum can be found on our website. // The collection of the Alte Nationalgalerie is one of the largest collection of art between the French Revolution and the First World War, between Classicism and secession. Unique is the harmony between the collection and the style of the building.
Reviewed By coke_somchai - Bangkok, Thailand
Alte nationalgalerie is part of many museums in Museum Island in Berlin, Germany. There are a lot of 19th century paintings and sculptures collections here. I love this museum!
5. Kunstgewerbemuseum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 90 reviews
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin closed from Saturday onwards From Saturday, 14.03.2020, onwards all buildings of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin will be closed until further notice. This measure is intended to minimise the spread of the coronavirus. We ask our visitors for their understanding. The Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) is the oldest of its kind in Germany. It houses world-famous examples of European arts and crafts, including magnificent reliquaries made of gold and precious gemstones, exquisite vases of glass and porcelain, finely embroidered textiles, ornate inlaid furniture, and classic examples of modern industrial design. The permanent and special exhibitions hosted by the Kunstgewerbemuseum can be seen at two locations in Berlin: at the Kulturforum near Potsdamer Platz and in the picturesque setting of Schloss Kopenick on an island on the river Dahme. The Schloss Kopenick site features masterpieces of interior design from the 16th to 18th centuries.
Reviewed By operalover939 - Toronto, Canada
From the medieval Welfenschatz (Guelph treasure) to twentieth-century ceramics and glass, this is a splendid collection of treasures from many centuries. Though clearly not as popular as the Gemaeldegalerie to which it is connected by an underground passage, the Museum of Applied Art will prove rich rewarding to those who are interested in objects of use, many of them very beautiful. Highly recommended!
6. Sammlung Boros
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 374 reviews
Art collection housed in a former bunker
Reviewed By 649kennethb - Toronto, Canada
I pre-booked a tour of the Boros Collection because it seemed a quintessentially 'Berliner' experience and not because I was particularly interested in what was on display therein. I was pleasantly surprised, therefore, that my tour became one of the highlights of my trip to the city. The young guide whose name, I am ashamed to admit, has escaped my memory in the months since my visit, was a charming and welcoming guide who adopted a Socratic method to introducing these challenging works of installation art. As a result, the experience was a social and interactive one unlike most guided tours. I was especially impressed with how he skillfully turned the conversation back to English since at least half the participants in the designated English-language tour were Germans who addressed him exclusively in their language! I would even recommend the Boros Collection to people who are wary of contemporary art because seeing this building, and learning about its fascinating history, are worth the price of admission alone.
7. Neues Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,795 reviews
The opening of the Neues Museum marked a key chapter in the history of 19th-century art, museum design, and technology. Designed by Friedrich August Stüler and built from 1843 to 1855, the building suffered severe damage during World War II, after which it was left as an abandoned bombsite. Emergency measures to secure the structure were only taken in the 1980s. Painstaking restoration work got under way in 2003 and was undertaken by the offices of the British architect David Chipperfield.The museum reopened its doors to the public in 2009 and combines geographically and thematically related exhibits pooled together from three separate collections at the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin: the collection of Egyptian art from the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, of prehistoric objects from the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte, and of classical antiquities from the Antikensammlung.
Reviewed By 924vincep - Woodland Park, United States
This totally fascinating museum reopened its doors in 2009 and is well worth an extended visit. Its four floors contain a vast array of artifacts from the each of the prehistory eras (stone, bronze, iron), as well as other antiquity times (Greek, Roman, Nubian, and most notably, ancient Egypt). Exhibits include a Neanderthal skull, the world-famous bust, beautifully preserved, of Nefertiti, and the tall, gold-leafed golden hat. Be certain to take a few moments to sit and watch a fascinating, animated time machine projection of prehistorical life on the second floor near the golden hat exhibit.
8. Museum of Greek and Roman Antiquities (Antikensammlung)
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 125 reviews
This museum features a large collection of various classical antiques.
9. Museum Der Stille
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 6 reviews
