Museumsinsel

With its collection of remarkable museums, this island earned a spot on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

TravelCurious Tip

Buy an ‘unlimited’ ticket which entitles you to entry to all museums for three days - this way you can come and go as you please and beat the queues.

The Louvre of Berlin

From S-Bahn Friedrichstrasse it is only a short walk to Museumsinsel, an island in the Spree which contains five different museums.

The 1830 Altes Museum (Old Museum) contains the Berlin State Museums’ collection of classical antiquities: the nearby Neues Museum (New Museum) was finished in 1859, but destroyed in World War II. Rebuilt and finally reopened in 2009, it houses artefacts from prehistory and many works from ancient Egypt including an iconic bust of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti.

The Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), completed in 1876 to designs by Friedrich August Stüler, shows a collection of Neo-classical, Romantic, Impressionist and early Modernist artwork. The Bode Museum on the island's northern tip exhibits the sculpture collections and late Antique and Byzantine art.

Finally the Pergamon Museum, constructed in 1930, contains multiple reconstructed and immensely historically significant buildings such as the Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon.


Enough for a lifetime

There is actually far too much to see in one day, so take your time and visit a few things in depth. The island is truly impressive in size, and offers a unique opportunity for visitors to wander between exhibits in neighbouring museums spanning the last three thousand years of history.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in Berlin
Berlin Cathedral
Located on Museum Island, it is a main work of Historicist architecture of the "Kaiserzeit."
Altes Museum
Home to the city’s main collection of ancient art, sculptures and a gold treasury.
Neues Museum
It houses the Papyrus Collection, the Classical Antiquities Collection and the priceless bust of Nefertiti.
Zeughaus
A marvellous example of Baroque architecture, the old Berlin Armoury is now Germany's official national history museum.
Nikolai Quarter
One of the oldest residential areas of Berlin, this quarter is filled with enjoyable bars and restaurants.
Kaffee (Coffee)
The most popular drink in Germany, which is the world’s second biggest coffee importer.

Related Tours

Berlin during the Second World War: Private Half-Day Walking Tour
Discover Berlin’s monuments, museums, and memorials dedicated to commemorating the dark, difficult and turbulent years of the Second World War. With an expert private guide, you will explore Germany’s capital city through the lens of its role in the Holocaust and Hitler’s war, uncovering many horrors and unsung feats of heroism. 

On your private tour, you will:

  • Begin your tour at the Reichstag where you will learn the history of this building, and see the bullet holes and graffiti left by Soviet soldiers from 1945;
  • Explore the historic centre “Mitte” famous for the Brandenburg Gate, the Soviet War Memorial Tiergarten, Pariser Platz, and the Unter den Linden boulevard and learn about the Stolpersteine ‘the stumbling stones’;
  • See where the Nazi's book burning took place at Bebelplatz - an ironically beautiful square flanked by historic buildings including Berlin State Opera, Humboldt University buildings, and St. Hedwig’s Cathedral;  
  • Visit many of Berlin’s memorials, dedicated to those murdered and persecuted in World War II: the Neue Wache Memorial dedicated to all Victims of War & Dictatorship, and take time to pay your respects at the incredibly moving Holocaust Memorial;  
  •  See Hitler’s last Bunker, part of a large subterranean complex of air raid shelters, and the New Reich Chancellery - Hitler’s Office, as well as the memorial to Georg Elser who had attempted to assassinate Hitler, but failed as the bomb went off after he had left the room; 
  • Walk by the imposing political and governmental buildings and learn of their role in the War such as the historic Bundesrat;
  • Arrive at the remains of the infamous Berlin Wall that divided the city - and the world - between East and West, and Checkpoint Charlie where you’ll hear all about the privations and danger faced by those living during the Cold War Era; 
  • Take a guided walk through the "Berlin 1933-1945 between Propaganda & Terror" exhibition; 
  • Finish the tour at the entrance to the "Topography of Terror Museum" where you are free to explore at your own pace. 

Today Berlin is a thriving urban metropolis, famous for its alternative culture, art, music, theatre, and multi-ethnic food scenes. But its past is more tumultuous than most, and the city is full of monuments, murals, museums, and memorials dedicated to commemorating the horrors of the Holocaust, and the darkest days of Soviet rule behind the Iron curtain. 

Your guide will talk you through the history of Berlin and its role as Hitler’s Headquarters during the Second World War. You’ll see many historic monuments from the grandeur of the 19th Century Brandenburg Gate, to the small but incredibly moving brass plaques known as the Stolpersteine (stumbling blocks) that name every single person taken by the Nazis. 

You’ll have the opportunity to pay your respects at the very moving, haunting Holocaust Memorial as well pass by the locations of Hitler’s bunker and office. 

Explore the beautiful Tiergarten Park, and hear the stories of desperate Berliners who used the park as farmland and for firewood after the war. Learn about the final moments of World War II in Europe. See the bullet holes, shrapnel and Soviet graffiti that cover the Reichstag building. 

This tour explores the German culture of memory while talking about those who lost their lives and were persecuted.  A visit to Berlin is a reminder to never forget.
Berlin in a Day: Private Full-Day Highlights Tour
Explore the very best of Berlin on this full-day private tour of the German Capital including the majestic buildings on Museum Island, the moving memorials to the Holocaust, many haunting reminders of World War 2, as well as the bustling food market near the iconic East Side Gallery commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

On your private tour you will: 

  • Walk to the historic Reichstag Building part of the German parliament and stop at the iconic Brandenburg Gate – a symbol of the might of the Prussian Empire;
  • Explore the moving monuments and memorials to the horrors of the Second World War, including the Holocaust Memorial, dedicated to the Murdered Jews of Europe; Hitler’s last Bunker, the New Reich Chancellery - Hitler’s office, and walk past several important government buildings including the impressive Bundesrat to the ‘topography of terror’ a free museum where the SS Headquarters once stood; 
  • Arrive at the remains of the Berlin Wall where you’ll learn about life behind ‘the iron curtain’ and stop at Checkpoint Charlie the strict crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Soviet era;  
  • Visit the Gendarmenmarkt, arguably the most beautiful square in Berlin home to three architectural gems: the Berlin Concert Hall, and the French and German cathedrals;
  • Wander into the stunning Bebelplatz with its impressive neo-classical buildings including the Berlin State Opera, Humboldt University buildings, and St. Hedwig’s Cathedral - and hear about the infamous Nazi book burning that happened here;
  • Enjoy a stroll around Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site and majestic home to the five prestigious museums including the Pergamon, Berlin Cathedral and the City Palace; 
  • Explore the East Side of Berlin, beginning with the East Side Gallery the longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall decorated with famous political murals; 
  • Admire the now iconic Oberbaumbrücke bridge, a symbol of Berlin’s modern-day unity that connects boroughs the East-West boroughs of Friedrichshain and trendy Kreuzberg that were previously divided by the Wall;
  • Discover the vibrant Markthalle Neun - a vast iron latticed indoor bustling food market - enjoy the smells of delicious street food and the many multi-ethnic delicacies on offer; 
  • Head to the Treehouse on the Wall - built into the Wall along no man’s land by Turkish migrant Osman Kalin in the early 1980s with scraps of wood and metal, it remains a potent symbol of the city’s reunification;
  • Take the train towards the hub that is Alexanderplatz and your tour ends with tickets to Berlin’s TV Tower, where you will enjoy spectacular views across the whole city. 

Explore the beautiful and buzzing Berlin with an expert private guide on this immersive full-day tour of Germany’s capital city.

Today Berlin is famous for its majestic neo-Baroque architecture, especially on the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Museum Island. You’ll learn about the city’s history from medieval times when it was founded in the 13th Century, through to becoming the heart of the powerful Prussian Empire, later the centre of Hitler’s war machine, then a city divided by the infamous Berlin Wall during the Cold War years to a thriving, modern capital. 

The city doesn’t shy away from its dark past. You will see many moving memorials to the Holocaust, including the Holocaust Memorial and the copper “stumbling stones” commemorating Jews who were taken from their homes and deported to the camps. You will also see the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, and later in the day explore the iconic East Side Gallery.  

Today Berlin has overcome its complicated past and is a thriving metropolis, famous for its alternative fashion, music, film, theatre, dance, art, and digital scene. It has also become a melting pot of multiculturalism which is reflected in its diverse multi-ethnic cuisine.   
The Best of Berlin Highlights: Private Half-Day Walking Tour
Berlin is renowned for its turbulent 20th-century history, the Holocaust, and its division between East and West in the aftermath of World War Two by the infamous Berlin Wall. Today, Berlin is a thriving urban metropolis famous for its traditional, contemporary, and alternative music, art, and culture, its many museums and historic monuments, and its delicious, multi-ethnic food scene. Discover the highlights of Berlin on a fascinating private half-day tour of the vibrant German capital city with an expert private guide. 

On your private tour, you will: 

  • See the historic Reichstag Building part of the German parliament and learn about its political significance over the past one hundred years; 
  • Stop at the iconic Brandenburg Gate – one of the great symbols of Berlin and the Prussian Empire of the 19th Century;
  • Explore 17th Street where you will come across the moving Holocaust Memorial, dedicated to the Murdered Jews of Europe; 
  • See the Führerbunker, part of an underground air raid shelter complex it was Hitler’s last Bunker located near the New Reich Chancellery which was Hitler’s office; 
  • See the remains of the Berlin Wall where you’ll learn about life behind ‘the iron curtain’ and stop at Checkpoint Charlie the strict crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Soviet era;  
  • Visit the Gendarmenmarkt, arguably the most beautiful square in Berlin home to three architectural gems: the Berlin Concert Hall, and the French and German cathedrals; admire the central statue of the poet Friedrich Schiller;
  • Wander into the stunning Bebelplatz with its impressive neo-classical buildings including the Berlin State Opera, Humboldt University buildings, and St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, and learn of the terrible, infamous Nazi book burnings that happened here;
  • See the New Guardhouse, a memorial to all the victims of war and tyranny; 
  • Enjoy a stroll around the truly majestic Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the Pergamon Museum, the Bode Museum, the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, and the Altes Museum;
  • Admire Berlin Cathedral, also on the island, with its imperial domes built in the Renaissance-Baroque revival style;
  • Stroll by the imposing City Palace that now houses the prestigious Humboldtforum Museum dedicated to the history of human art and culture; 
  • Walking towards Alexanderplatz, the central transport hub of Mitte you’ll pass by the Marx-Engels-Forum a small public park, the Neptunbrunnen or Fountain of Neptune, and St Mary’s Church - the oldest church in the city dating back to the medieval period;
  • End your tour with tickets to the Berlin TV Tower Observation Deck for amazing views of the city.

Explore the beautiful city of Berlin with an expert private guide on this immersive half-day highlights tour of the major sites and a few hidden gems of Germany’s capital. Berlin has a long history dating back to the medieval period; it is a city that has weathered many storms, been humbled, and overcome much tragedy and adversity - especially during the tumultuous 20th century. 

The city commemorates the dark days of the Holocaust and the division between East and West with moving monuments and memorials throughout the city - and your guide will show you the extraordinarily emotional Holocaust Memorial as well as what remains of the infamous Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie.  

Berlin is also famous for its majestic architecture, housing some true political, cultural, and historic treasures from the parliament buildings, to the Opera House to the prestigious museums, palace, and cathedral on Museum Island - designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

You’ll learn all about Berlin’s incredible journey from medieval times, to becoming the centre of the formidable Prussian empire, its decimation after the First World War, the rise of Hitler, the uncertain years of the Cold War, and the triumphant falling of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Today Berlin has overcome its dark past and is a thriving, urban city famous for its alternative fashion, music, film, theatre, dance, art, and digital scene. It has also become a melting pot of multiculturalism reflected in its diverse multi-ethnic cuisine. 

Your tour ends with a spectacular view from atop the TV Tower Observation deck from where you can admire the city's stunning architecture and skyline.
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