As far as capital cities go, Berlin is inexpensive in comparison. The museum pass is just €19 and allows admission into many of the main exhibitions for free over 3 consecutive days. We purchased this card on both trips and found it a good way to see a lot of what we wanted, as well as encouraging us to go and see other things we wouldn’t necessarily have gone to if it wasn’t already included in the cost of the card. We purchased the cards both times from the Tourist Office at Brandenburger Tor, but you can buy it from many of the museums that accept the card as payment.
My best museums and galleries to visit with the card:
Red are my favourites
Area: Hauptbahnhof/Central Station
- Hamburger Bahnhof Gallery – Modern art gallery highlights include Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly and Roy Lichtenstein.
- Museum für Naturkunde – Highlight the largest exhibited skeleton of a dinosaur to greet you.
Area: Museum Insel/Museum Island +Mitte
- Alte Nationalgalerie – 19th century art.
- Altes Museum – Greek and Roman art.
- Markisches Museum – Plotting the history of Berlin.
- Neues Museum – Classical art with the modernised building in the old structure, awesome.
- Pergamonmuseum – Massive Altar stolen from Pergamon, great building to run about in.
Area: Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten
- Museum für Fotografie – The Helmut Newton collection, fantastic exhibition of important photography of fashion and portrait shots from 20th century.
Area: Kulturforum + Potsdamer Platz
- Berlinische Galerie – Art and photography from 1870 to present day, amazing model replicas.
- Judisches Museum – The Jewish museum designed by Daniel Liebskind (architect for Imperial war museums and Twin Tower Memorial), unbelievable experience.
- Kulturforum – Houses many museums and next to Musikinstrumentum museum.
- Neue Nationalgalerie – Fantastic use of space as this building hosts the permanent exhibits of 20th century art in the basement.
The Best Museums, galleries, memorials and parks to visit that are free:
Area: Museum Insel/Museum Island +Mitte
- Deutscher Dom – Amazing building to explore.
- Knoblauchhaus – One of the few 18th century houses remaining in Berlin.
- Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe – Memorial designed by American architect Peter Eisenmen, a piece to be experienced.
- Neue Wache – The New Guard house, used as a war memorial since 1931.
- Reichstag – Never been personally, but it would be on my most favoured list. First time in Berlin, at the height of summer, the queue was massive and second time round it was shut due to terrorist threats.
- Tacheles Gallery – Ex department store on Oranienburger St, now an artist commune.
- Tiergarten – Massive park in Mitte, which was the park of West Berlin before reunification.
Area: Friedrichshain
- STYX Project,The Old Brewery – Amazing warehouse to explore if you like art to be presented as gritty sometimes, Landsberger Allee 54.
Area: Kreuzberg
- Tempelhof Airport – The old airport that ceased operating in 2008 now a massive park.
Area: Kulturforum + Potsdamer Platz
- Topographie des Terrors – This was the location of the Gestapo’s main office and now the site tells the story of it’s history.
Worth paying for individually
Area: Kulturforum + Potsdamer Platz
- Museum für Film und Fernsehen – €6 entry, through infinity mirrors to see some stunning reminders of the epic films of Berlin.
- Martin-Gropias-Bau – Fantastic building, look what the individual exhibits are before choosing which one to go to, €6 entry per exhibit.
Further Tips
- State Museums are Free Thurs from 6pm till 8pm and Hamburger Bahnhof from 2pm.
- The Temporary Kunsthalle no longer exists.
- Do not visit the Anne Frank Zentrum, unless you like the idea of viewing a super imposed Anne Frank’s face with 14 year olds that looks like an S Club 7 photo shoot.
- You get a guide to all the galleries, museums, palaces and memorials with map, opening hours and transport links when you purchase the museum card.
Becksie's Blog 