Exploring Berlin (3 of 4)

Museums

Going around the Museum Island (Friedrichstraße or Hackescher Markt station) is a must if you visit Berlin. It's a place where you'll find all the most important museums: the Pergamonmuseum (Pergamon Museum), the Altes Museum (Old Museum), the Neues Museum (New Museum), the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) and the Bode-Museum. Culture in its purest form.

As you would expect, apart from tickets to each museum, there's a pass to go inside all the museums on the Island which lasts for three days (Museum Pass Berlin) or just for one day. In addition, there are discounts for students. For example, we were able to get tickets online to go to all the museums in one day, and it cost 18 euros per person, but the price was reduced to half, as it was two for one. You can buy the tickets on the internet but remember to always take your student card around with you because some museums ask to see it. They asked to see our student cards in the Old Museum, for example.

What can I say about the museums? My favourites were the Pergamon Museum, the Old Museum and the New Museum. The first one fascinated me, although I didn't get to see the Pergamon Altar as it was temporarily closed (it doesn't look like they're going to reopen it to the public until 2020). But I got to see unique constructions, like the Ishtar Gate and the Market Gate of Miletus. On another note, in the Old Museum as well as in the New Museum there was a large collection of extraordinary pieces.

I also recommend, if you have time, to spend some time relaxing in front of the Berlin Cathedral, which is just next to the Old Museum and it's surrounded by a beautiful garden, the Lustgarten (the translation would be: "the pleasure garden"). The place was used by the Nazis, for parades and propaganda speeches during the Second World War.

By the way, did you know that in the Berlin Cathedral they put on classical music concerts? If you're interested, here's the page where you can find all the information on upcoming events.

The facade of the Ishtar Gate, Pergamon Museum

Cupid and Psyche, Old Museum

Female Egyptian coffin and mask, New Museum

Not too far from the museum area you'll find the Berlin Dungeon (Hackescher Markt station), which is a horror attraction where they exhibit the history and legends in Berlin in a dramatic way. Personally, it was more 'funny' than anything else (and I know the actors were really trying) but, at least it's something different: I can't compare it to other similar sites, because for me, it was my first time. The price varies, but tours in English cost around 20 euros if I'm not mistaken. Therefore, if you want to spend a night of terror, now you know where the best place to go in Berlin is!

Another experience I can't leave out is the visit to the Reichstag dome (Bundestag station), where you get an impressive view of the city. There are different opening times to go up the dome, but I recommend going at night. You can't miss out on seeing the city all lit up. The entrance is free and in addition, they offer a self-guided tour in different languages. In order to book your tickets, you have to go to a tourist centre near Parliament one or two days before. There, you show them your ID and they'll give you a ticket with your details on it. Once you're there, and after going through a police security check, you can go inside the building and take the lift up. You'll then be given a few minutes to admire this superb crystal dome which will make you petrified, at least for me anyway.

Night visit to the Reichstag

Another thing we liked a lot was going to the Berlin Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion). Admittedly, it's quite far out of the centre (the station you need to get off at is the same name: Olympiastadion), but at a very cheap price (5 euros with student discount), you can access the stadium and see it from the inside. This enormous sports complex was inaugurated by Hitler to celebrate the 36 Olympics, flaunting the German power to the world, with a very clear propagandist objective from the Nazis.

Although it's impressive, I only recommend visiting it to those who have lots of time in the city and if you're true football fans, because it takes a long time to get there. If I had to choose between visiting the centre of Berlin or the Stadium, never mind how cool it is, I know which one I would choose.

Inside the Olympiastadion

These days, it's the Hertha BSC's football field. By the way, people say that there's a lot of resemblance in terms of the roof of this stadium and the roof of the Wanda Metropolitano stadium for Atletico Madrid, so to finish up, what do you guys think?

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