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Travel bucket list idea:

Last updated: 26 June, 2023

Over the centuries, Berlin has amassed an impressive hoard of treasures, starting with the collections of culture-mad Friedrich the Great, followed by a succession of emperors – their royal curators and architects equipped with lavish budgets – and rounded off by the spoils of a globe-spanning German Empire.

Most are now conveniently housed on one small ‘Museum Island’, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site boasting five adjacent world-class museums, covering 6,000 years of cultural and art history. An essential stop on any Berlin itinerary.

Bode Museum

Berlin, Germany

Bode Museum

Reopened in 2006 after a major refurbishment, the museum now houses a fine collection of Byzantine art, coins, medals, and most notably, one of Europe’s finest collections of sculpture.

Adult price: £8

Best for ages 18+

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New Museum

Berlin, Germany

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Bucket List Experience
New Museum

Museum Island’s Neues Museum houses prehistoric and early historic collections, notably an excellent Egyptian Collection – including the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti.

Adult price: £10

Best for ages 18+

Old National Gallery

Berlin, Germany

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Bucket List Experience
Old National Gallery

This gallery showcases one of the world’s largest collections of 19th-century sculpture and paintings, with additional collections of neoclassical, Romantic, Impressionist and early Modernist artwork.

Adult price: £10

Best for ages 18+

Old Museum

Berlin, Germany

Old Museum

The first museum to be built on Museum Island set in a stunning neoclassical building, houses exhibits from the Collection of Classical Antiquities. The permanent Greek collection is displayed on the ground floor, with special exhibitions on the second.

Adult price: £8

Best for ages 18+

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More details >

Pergamon Museum

Berlin, Germany

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Bucket List Experience
Pergamon Museum

A tour de force of treasures amassed by German archaeologists. The superb site pulls together three previous museums covering Islamic art, classical antiquities and the ancient Near East.

Adult price: £12

Best for ages 18+

Price from: £20
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Take the S-Bahn S1, S2, or S25 to Friedrichstrasse, or S5, S7, S75, or S9 to Hackescher Markt. Or take the U-Bahn line U6 to Friedrichstrasse.

The Berlin Museum Pass permits entry to all the major Berlin museums for three days, for about EUR25. It comes with a guide containing helpful information and listings of participating museums.

The more comprehensive Berlin Welcome Card gives you up to 50% off entrance to most of the city’s top attractions, including its art galleries and museums, and includes free public transport and a free handy guide book. The price varies depending on the number of days you want – from 48 hours to 6 days.

When to do it

All of the museums are open all year round, seven days a week.

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Berlin

Germany

Berlin

Europe’s hippest capital boasts non-stop nightlife, cutting-edge fashion, cosmopolitan eats and museum treasures galore. At the centre of the World and Cold Wars, it also oozes history, much of it sobering.