DESTINATION:
Berlin
Since reunification, Berlin has enjoyed a cultural and architectural renaissance that has made it one of Europe's most exciting cities. We are living in a Golden Age of architecture, and many of the world's finest architects have contributed buildings to Berlin that have made it almost a living museum of the best modern design; Norman Foster's Reichstag Dome, Daniel Liebeskind's awe-inspiring Jewish Museum and David Chipperfield’s restoration of the Neues Museum being just a few examples. Yet these striking contemporary projects can be thought of merely as a continuation of the work carried out by great architects of previous generations, such as Knobelsdorff, Messel Schlüter and Schinkel. In particular, the latter’s work on the Altes Museum, the first structure to be built in the complex of Berlin’s Museum Island, is considered to be a masterpiece of neoclassical design.
Artistically the Gemäldegalerie contains one of the greatest Old Master collections in the world, and the Alte Nationalgalerie houses a superb collection of 19th century painting. The Pergamon Museum meanwhile houses classical antiquities of breathtaking beauty to include its eponymous altar, and the iconic bust of Nefertiti is just one of the treasures from Egypt to be found in the Neues Museum. An enormous amount of work has been carried out since the fall of the Wall in order to reunite this once divided city. “Grandeur” is the description that always comes to mind, making Berlin one of the most remarkable cities one could ever hope to visit.
Recommended duration – 4 nights/5 days
KEY VISITS (Recommended)
- BRANDENBURG GATE – built on the orders of the Prussian King, Frederick Willem II, to mark the approach to the Unter den Linden Boulevard. The only remaining city gate, it was formerly regarded as a symbol of the divided city but today is recognised as a symbol of the country’s reunification.
- REICHSTAG – a neo-classical building completed in 1894 to house the legislative authority, known as the Imperial Diet, of the German Empire. The building fell into disrepair and extensive renovation in 1990 included the building of a huge glass dome designed by Sir Norman Foster, which affords excellent views of the city and surrounding area.
- NEUES MUSEUM – this magnificent museum, originally designed by Friedrich August Stüler, was severely damaged during the Second World War but has recently been restored to its former glory and now houses the renowned Egyptian Collection, including the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti.
- GEMÄLDEGALERIE – opened in 1998 following reunification, this remarkable building was designed purely to house the valuable works of art that had previously been divided amongst other museums. The priceless collections of art from the 13th to the 18th centuries include some 1000 paintings in 59 halls and galleries, plus an additional 500 works in the Gallery of Studies.
- PERGAMON MUSEUM – built between 1910 and 1930 it now comprises a collection of classical antiquities, as well as the museums of western Asiatic antiquity and of Islamic art.
- ALTE NATIONALGALERIE – housing an outstanding collection of 19th and 20th century paintings and sculptures including works by Cézanne, Rodin, Degas and Max Liebermann.
- BERLIN WALL MEMORIAL ENSEMBLE – located on Bernauer Strasse it extends 1.4 kilometres along the former border and contains the last piece of the Berlin Wall. The Monument in Memory of the Divided City and the Victims of Communist tyranny as well as the Window of Remembrance is presented in an open air exhibition.
- VERSÖHNUNGSKIRCHE – the ironically named Versöhnungskirche (Church of Reconciliation) was trapped between East and West until the GDR authorities blew it up in 1985. Until 1961 worshippers from both parts of the city could pray here together, but its location led to its immediate closure when the Wall went up. A completely new church has now been built on the site of the old one, with just a few items saved from destruction being exhibited there.
- DOCUMENTATION CENTRE – a museum charting the history of the Wall and in particular the dramatic events that took place in the immediate vicinity of the centre’s location.
- JEWISH MUSEUM – a spectacular new building by American architect, Daniel Liebeskind, offering an intriguing insight into German-Jewish life with a large collection of fascinating personal objects.
- SANSSOUCI PALACE (‘without a care’) – built as a summer palace in the mid-18th century by the Francophile King Frederick the Great in Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg. This German Rococo building includes masterpieces by Watteau, Pannini and Pesne, court painter to Frederick the Great, though it is the interiors themselves which are most remarkable.
- CECILIENHOF PALACE – the last palace of the Hohenzollerns, built for Crown Prince Wilhelm and Princess Cecilie between 1913-1917 by Schultze-Naumberg. A tour of the palace highlights some fine examples of interior decoration of the early 20th century.
- CHARLOTTENBURG PALACE AND PARK – located in the Charlottenburg area of the city, the palace traces its origins to a small pleasure palace built on the site for Sophie Charlotte, wife of the elector.
ALTERNATIVE VISITS
- BERGGRUEN COLLECTION – Berggruen was a personal friend of Picasso, and the artist’s work features prominently in the collection, which also boasts paintings by Cézanne, Van Gogh and Klee amongst others.
- BRÖHAN MUSEUM – this intimate museum specialises in Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Functionalism of international provenance.
- BODE MUSEUM – houses an important collection of coins and Byzantine and Romanesque sculpture and architecture, and both Italian and northern European (chiefly German) sculpture of the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and neoclassical periods.
- KNOBLAUCHHAUS – built by the Knoblauch family in 1761, it was used by them as a residential and commercial base for almost 170 years. It is one of few preserved middle-class residences from the 18th century and has been a museum since 1989. The interior is furnished in the style of the Biedermeier period, and shows how a Berlin merchant family lived between the years of 1800 – 1848.
FURTHER AFIELD
Berlin combines well with a visit to Dresden as the city of Dresden is usually accessed by flights in and out of Berlin.