Berlin Mitte

The Museumsinsel holds five separate museums on an area cordoned off from the rest of Mitte by two arms of the Spree. The museums were built in the 19th- and 20th centuries, suffered bombing during World War II and isolation and neglect afterwards, but have all been recently and extensively renovated. (S3, S5, S7, S9, or S75 to Hackescher Markt or bus #100 to Lustgarten. ☎030 266 3666. All national museums, unless otherwise noted, open Tu-W and F-Su 10am-6pm, Th 10am-10pm. Free audio tours in English. Admission to each €8, students €4. All sell a 3-day card good for admission to every museum; €14, students €7.)

 Pergamonmuseum. One of the world’s great ancient history museums, the Pergamon dates from the days when Heinrich Schliemann and other zealous 19th-century German archaeologists dismantled the remnants of collapsed empires the world over and sent them home for reassembly. Named for Pergamon, the city in present-day Turkey from which the enormous Altar of Zeus (180 BC) was taken, the museum features gargantuan pieces of ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern civilizations from as far back as the 10th century BC. The colossal blue Ishtar Gate of Babylon (575 BC) and the Roman Market Gate of Miletus are just two more massive pieces in a collection that also includes Greek, Assyrian, and Far Eastern art. (Bodestr. 1-3. ☎030 2090 5577. Open M-Su 10am-6pm, Th 10am-10pm. Last entry 30min. before closing. €8, students €4.)

Bode-Museum. The island’s most attractive museum, which looks like it rises straight up from the water, reopened in 2006 after six years of renovations. It houses a hodgepodge of classical sculpture, Byzantine art, and oil painting. Its numismatic collection (coins and monies) is one of the largest in the world. (Monbijoubrücke. ☎030 266 3666. Open Tu-W and F-Su 10am-6pm. Th 10am-10pm. €8, students €4.)

Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery).   After extensive renovations, this museum is open to lovers of 19th-century art, showcasing everything from German Realism to French Impressionism. Camille Pisarro leads the all-star cast of featured artists. (Am Lustgarten. ☎030 2090 5577. Open Tu-W and F-Su 10am-6pm. Th 10am-10pm. €8, students €4.)

Altes Museum. At the far end of the Lustgarten, the museum in the stately columned building designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel is surprisingly untouristed. The lower level contains a permanent collection of ancient Greco-Roman (especially Etruscan) decorative art. The highlight of the upstairs Egyptian collection, and probably the whole museum, is the amazingly realistic bust of Nefertiti. (AmLustgarten. ☎030 266 3660. Open M-W and F-Su 10am-6pm. Th 10am-10pm. €8, students €4. Free audio tour.)

Kulturforum

The Kulturforum is a cluster of museums, concert halls, and libraries right off Potsdamer Platz. Two of its most recognizable buildings are the twin Philharmonie and the Neue Staatsbibliothek (new state library), both a warm honey color. (S1, S2, S25 or U2 to Potsdamer Platz and walk down Potsdamer Str.; the museums will be on your right on Matthäikirchplatz. www.kulturforum-berlin.com. Full day ticket to the entire Kulturforum €8, students €4. Opening times vary; all free Th 6-10pm.)

 Gemäldegalerie (Picture Gallery).  This is the place to come in Berlin, and arguably in Germany, for painting. The city’s most famous museum houses a collection of 2700 13th- to 18th-century masterpieces by Dutch, Flemish, German, and Italian masters, including works by Botticelli, Bruegel, Dürer, Gainsborough, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, Velazquez, and many, many others. (Matthäikirchplatz 4-6. ☎030 266 2951. Open Tu-W and F-Su 10am-6pm, Th 10am-10pm.)

Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery).   This sleek building, designed by Mies van der Rohe at the height of 1960s Minimalism, contains often wacky temporary exhibits in the glass entrance hall and gallery downstairs. The real draw is its formidable permanent collection of 20th-century art, including works by Warhol, Munch, Kirchner, and Beckmann. (Potsdamer Str. 50. ☎030 266 2651. Open Tu-W and F 10am-6pm, Th 10am-10pm, Sa-Su 11am-6pm.€8, students €4.)

Kupferstichkabinett (Museum Of Prints And Drawings).  Sketches by everyone from Botticelli to Picasso to Warhol show that sometimes it is more thrilling to see genius’ works-in-progress than it is to see the “finished” product. (Matthäikirchplatz 8. ☎030 266 2002. Open Tu-F 10am-6pm, Sa-Su 11am-6pm.)

Musikinstrumenten-Museum (Musical Instrument Museum).  Benjamin Franklin’s design for a glass harmonica, J.S. Bach’s cembalo, and a few of King Friedrich II’s old flutes are just some of the instruments on display here. It is worth taking the tour to hear the “Mighty Wurlitzer,” a monstrous organ, played live. (Tiergartenstr. 1. ☎030 25 48 11 78. Open Tu-F 9am-5pm, Th 9am-8pm, Sa-Su 10am-5pm. Tours Th 6pm and Sa 11am, €2.)

Other Museums In Mitte And Tiergarten

 Hamburger Bahnhof: Museum Für Gegenwart (Museum For The Present).  With a colossal 10,000 sq. m of exhibition space, this converted train station houses Berlin’s foremost collection of contemporary art. The museum features several whimsical works by Warhol as well as pieces by Twombly and Kiefer and some more puzzling exhibits in its vast white spaces. (Invalidenstr. 50-51. S3, S5, S7, S9, or S75 to Hauptbahnhof or U6 to Zinnowitzer Str. ☎030 3978 3411; www.hamburgerbahnhof.de. Open Tu-F 10am-6pm, Sa 11am-8pm, Su 11am-6pm. €8, students €4; Th 2-6pm free.)

Anne Frank Zentrum (Anne Frank Center).  If you can’t get to Amsterdam to see the Anne Frank House, the permanent exhibit “Anne Frank—A Story for Today” provides the basics and a timeline of her short life. Tucked into a courtyard, the center’s mission is to fight discrimination and anti-Semitism through workshops and exhibitions. (Rosenthaler Str. 39. ☎030 28886 5610; www.annefrank.de. Open May-Sept. Tu-Su 10am-8pm; Oct.-Apr. 10am-6pm. €4, students €2.50.)

Schinkelmuseum. In Berlin, if it’s made of stone, Karl Friedrich Schinkel probably designed it, and the lovely Friedrichwerdersche Kirche is no exception. The museum’s renovated interior houses 19th-century French and German sculpture and an exhibit on the Prussian architect’s life and work. (Werderscher Markt, on the corner of Oberwallstr., south of Unter den Linden. U2 to Hausvogteiplatz. ☎030 208 1323. Open daily 10am-6pm. Free.)

Independent Museums

 Deutsche Historisches Museum (German History Museum).  The oldest building on Unter den Linden, a baroque former military arsenal dating to 1730, the museum now houses a thorough exploration of German history, from Neanderthals to the Nazis to the fall of the Wall. Temporary exhibitions focus on the last 50 years, with plenty of depictions of smiling workers from the DDR era. Behind the main building stands its modern counterpart, a new wing designed by I. M. Pei that further bolsters Berlin’s reputation for cutting-edge architecture. (Unter den Linden 2. S3, 5, 7, 9, or 75 to Hackescher Markt. ☎030 2030 4444; www.dhm.de. Open daily 10am-6pm. €5, 18 and under free. Audio tour €3.)

 Kunst-Werke Berlin (Institute Of Contemporary Art).  MoMA curator Klaus Biesnbach transformed this former margarine factory into a non-profit “art laboratory,” with constantly changing exhibitions, an open library of art magazines and journals, and a number of artists’ ateliers. It is perhaps best known as the home of the Berlin Biennale , a contemporary art fair, when the normally tranquil garden cafe is overrun. (Auguststr. 69. U6 to Oranienburger Tor. ☎030 243 4590; www.kw-berlin.de. Open Tu-W and F-Su noon-7pm, Th noon-9pm. Check the website for current shows. €6, students €4. Garden and cafe open daily 9am-8pm. Free.)

Deutsche Kinemathek. The museum chronicles the development of German film with a special focus on older works like Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927), but for non-film buffs, the best part is the futuristic mirrored entrance. There is a mix of old film (whole rooms are devoted to such icons as Marlene Dietrich) and new, with a permanent display on television that was unveiled in 2006. Captions are in English. (Potsdamer Str. 2; 3rd and 4th fl. of the Sony Center. S1, S2, S25 or U2 to Potsdamer Platz. ☎030 300 9030; www.filmmuseum-berlin.de. Tickets sold on ground fl. Open Tu-W and F-Su 10am-6pm, Th 10am-8pm. €6, students €4.50, children €2.)

Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin. Together, the Guggenheim Foundation and Deutsche Bank scrounged together enough money to commission and feature three to four exhibitions of contemporary art per year in this non-descript exhibition space. (Unter den Linden 13-15. ☎030 202 0930; www.deutsche-guggenheim.de. Open M-W and F-Su 10am-8pm, Th 10am-10pm. Free guided tours daily 6pm. €4, students €3; M free.)

Bauhaus-Archiv Museum Für Gestaltung (Bauhaus Archive Museum For Design).  A must-visit for design fans, this building was conceived by Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius and houses rotating exhibits of paintings, sculptures, and of course, the famous furniture. (Klingelhöferstr. 14. Bus #100, 187, 200, or 341 to Nordische Botschaften/Adenauer-Stifteng or U1, U2, U3, or U4 to Nollendorfplatz. ☎030 254 0020; www.bauhaus.de. Open M and W-Su 10am-5pm. M-Tu and Sa-Su €7, students €4; W-F €6/3. Audio tour free.)

Hanfmuseum (Hemp Museum).   Catering to the curious and the devoted, this museum details the medical and textile uses of hemp, as well as the debate over its legality. (Mühlendamm 5. U2 to Klosterstr. ☎030 242 4827; www.hanfmuseum.de. Open Tu-F 10am-8pm, Sa-Su noon-8pm. €3.)