Point of interest
Museumsinsel (Museum Island)
in Berlin, Germany
UNESCO World Heritage site with five museums spanning over 6,000 years of art and culture.
Where it is
Museum Island lies on the northern part of the Spree Island in the Mitte district, in the historic heart of Berlin between the Spree and the Kupfergraben canal.
Address: Schloßfreiheit, 10178 Berlin
What it is
The five houses of the Staatliche Museen display art and cultural treasures spanning several millennia, from the bust of Nefertiti in the Neues Museum to ancient architecture in the Pergamonmuseum. Lovers of archaeology and art history should set aside a full day; the Pergamonmuseum is partly closed for renovation, so it pays to check current opening hours.
History
The ensemble was built between 1830 and 1930 with five houses, beginning with Karl Friedrich Schinkel's Altes Museum and followed by the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Bode-Museum and the Pergamonmuseum. In 1999 Museum Island was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has since been extensively restored under a master plan.