City: Mitte
Top Things to do in Mitte
What to do and see in Mitte, Germany: The Best 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. Museum Island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,925 reviews
Home to three famous museums - the Pergamon, the Altes and the Bode.
2. 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.
3. Neue Wache
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 674 reviews
This guardhouse, built in Neoclassical style, was a center for East German soldiers during the Cold War and now serves as a memorial for war victims.
Reviewed By headbeeguy - Aberdeen, United Kingdom
A very simple and sombre War Memorial serving as an oasis of calm and reflection along Unter den Linden. The Kathe Kollwitz sculpture is starkly situated in the light and can be viewed up close. A mother cradling her dead son lost to war. It is very humbling and moving to see and it made me want to seek out more of her work.
4. Haus Schwarzenberg
5. Palace of Tears
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,057 reviews
Our exhibition “Site of German Division” at this historical site shows how the division of Germany and the construction of the Berlin Wall came about. It also explains how the customs and passport checkpoint functioned at the Tränenpalast and outlines the surveillance system in place at the Friedrichstrasse border crossing. In the Tränenpalast itself, visitors can experience the checkpoint procedures and actually walk through the original passport control booth. The exhibition focusses on the personal stories of various individuals who lived through the ordeals of divided Germany. Contemporary witnesses describe in interviews how they escaped from Communist East Germany and how they kept in contact with their families on the other side by sending letters or parcels. They also narrate how they smuggled documents and secret photographs across the border or protested against the travel ban in Communist East Germany.
Reviewed By B1714D - Belgrade, Serbia
Berlin has many terrific attractions which are totally free, and this is one of them. This small museum isn't that famous as Checkpoint Charlie, which meanwhile became a real tourist spot, too commercialized and a must have selfie or Instagram spot. Contrary to that, the Palace of Tears kept its low profile and attracts fewer people, but mostly those more interested in history and that era life. That's why I prefer it. Both of the above had the same purpose - they were checkpoints and border crossings between east and west Berlin. Palace of Tears museum, or the Tranenpalast in German, is situated in the very center of Berlin, just beside the Friedrichstrasse station - one of capitals main transportation hubs with several U and S Bahn lines. The entire Friedrichstr. station was in east Berlin, but unlogically as many other things these days, some U and S lines were only accessible from the west side because of the wall passing right there, so the easterners built this checkpoint. It was used only for westbound travels where they thoroughly inspected everyone. The museum is pretty small, yet very nice displayed and curated. Apart from personal items displayed, you can learn about the crossing process, see the passport control booth and also learn about spy and smuggling activities there. Those days checkpoint and todays museum derives its name being a witness to many painful farewells ending in tears when lovers and families were separated, not knowing when they're going to meet again.
6. 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!
7. Museum Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 286 reviews
Reviewed By AGJoao - Eastern Norway, Norway
Visit during the day. In the evening is dark and more difficult to admire. Today the walls are covered with popular art. The building where Otto Weidt provided activities for people with visual impairments, there were a hiding place for Jews. In the villa there is a bar, where is aloud to smoke inside. In another building there is a museum explaining the life of Anne Frank and the saga of her family to escape the Nazis.
8. Deutsches Historisches Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,941 reviews
The German Historical Museum presents itself in two buildings: In the unique Baroque Zeughaus and the neighbouring modern exhibition hall designed by the Chinese-American architect Ioeh Minh Pei. The 300-year old Zeughaus is one of the most important buildings of the Baroque period in Berlin and the oldest buildings at the boulevard Unter den Linden. In 2006 the Permanent Exhibition “German History in Images and Artefacts” was inaugurated here; it showcases 2000 years of eventful and enthralling German history as seen within its European context. 8000 selected objects from the extensive collections of the German Historical Museum furnish valuable evidence of history and reveal, on a surface area of 8000 square meters, a fascinating and vivid picture of the past. Supplementing the Permanent Exhibition are specialized temporary exhibitions displayed in the fascinating exhibition building designed by I.M. Pei. The spacious new structure with its glass and steel entrance lobby and distinctive winding staircase was opened in 2003. Definitive events and facets of German history are presented in a variety of special exhibitions on the four floors of the new building.
Reviewed By STE00793 - London, United Kingdom
- Staff were super friendly and helpful on arrival - Audio guide is a must - Very well laid out and curated - Lots of things to learn and interested pieces - WELL worth a visit in Berlin if you want to learn more about the history of Germany
9. Museum fuer Naturkunde
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,733 reviews
Welcome to Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (Natural History Museum Berlin). Comprising over 30 million collection items, an exhibition area of over 7,000 square metres and a Research Department, the Museum für Naturkunde is the largest German natural history museum. On a global scale, it is among the top five natural history museums. It was founded in 1810. Some of the exhibition highlights include the "Fossil Mona Lisa" one of the only 11 finds of the primeval bid Archaeopteryx, the 13,27-metre tall skeleton of Brachiosaurus which is the tallest mounted dinosaur skeleton worldwide, our Biodiversity wall and many more storytelling objects like original items collected by Alexander von or a piece of pitchblende in which the element uranium was discovered.
Reviewed By Fitzsy
If you want to wowed by dinosaurs, go to this museum. It's smaller than similar museums in London and Washington, but the exhibits are very well laid out. And of course, it's the only place with the most famous fossil in the world, the Berlin Archaeopteryx. Apart from the dinosaurs - including the full size T-Rex and Brachiosaurus - it has a nice astronomy show on a moving ceiling screen that families lie back and watch, plus the usual assortment of stuffed animals etc. Many but not all captions are in German and English. When we went, there was a temporary exhibition on photographic art and recycling, which was very good.
10. 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.
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