Berlin attractions

Ernst Friedrich started the Anti-War Museum (Anti-Kriegs-Museum) during the 1920s as a response to the horrific events of World War I. On display today are photos, documents, postcards, medals, soldiers’ letters, and diaries from both World Wars, including a fully-stocked air-raid shelter from the Second World War.

Domäne Dahlem is an open-air museum and organic farm that tells the story of 800 years of agriculture in Berlin. This working farm offers interactive experiences such as animal feedings and traditional blacksmith workshops. You can also visit regular farmers' markets and a ceramics studio, and taste organic cuisine at the on-site food store and restaurant.

One of Berlin's top World War II-centric museums and landmarks, the Ethnological Museum of Berlin exhibits more than 500,000 archaeological, art-historical, and ethnological artifacts spanning Asia, Africa, and Australia. Part of Berlin's State Museums, it beckons culture and art lovers interested in premodern relics.

The Museum of Decorative Arts is a treasure trove of fashion, furniture, and exquisite antiques. With one of Germany's oldest and most extensive collections of European decorative arts and crafts, it spans from the Middle Ages to the present day. Explore preserved 16th-century interiors and go on a fashion journey from baroque court attire to Christian Dior's haute couture.

The Chamäleon Theater, a former ballroom with a storied history dating to 1906, is one of Berlin’s coolest performance venues. Located in the atmospheric Hackesche Höfe in the Mitte District, the Chamäleon is known for its cutting-edge modern productions, a mix of acrobatics, music, dance, comedy, and drama.

The Bauhaus Archive Museum of Design(Bauhaus-Archiv Museum für Gestaltung) is both a museum and a research institute in Berlin. It is a non-profit organization that was established in 1960, and it is dedicated to the history and the after-effects of the most significant art school of the 20th century. The works found here represent many areas such as painting, sculpture, architecture, furniture, ceramics, metal, photography, stage and photographs from the original Bauhaus Workshop. The Bauhaus was founded as a state-run school by Walter Gropius, and the Bauhaus Workshop operated from 1919 to 1933. The aim of the Bauhaus Archive is "to collect and present all documents relating to the activities and cultural and intellectual heritage of the Bauhaus," which includes photographs, books, designs, models and artistic works, along with the organization of exhibitions and accompanying programs. Exhibitions in the museum include permanent collections as well as special temporary exhibits. Please note: The Bauhaus Archive Museum of Design is currently closed for renovation. The reopening is scheduled for 2022.

Discover the learning potential in play during a visit to the Kindermuseum MachMit, designed for children. This hands-on museum engages all of the senses through arts and crafts, special workshops, and interactive exhibits. It’s also a popular place for birthday parties and other events for kids.

Tierpark Berlin is Europe’s largest zoo and home to more than 9,000 animals from nearly 900 species. African penguins, polar bears, and Sumatran tigers, to name just a few, reside in the 400-acre (162-hectare) park. In addition to seeing animal feedings and shows, you can learn about the zoo’s important conservation efforts.

The Bröhan Museum proudly displays a large collection of art nouveau, art deco, and functionalism from the 1890s to 1939. Named after its founder Karl H. Bröhan, who donated his entire collection to Berlin on this 60th birthday, the museum’s exhibition spaces display vases, lamps, carpets, paintings, and a rich porcelain collection.

What served as officer barracks during the Prussian era is now an art gallery housing the Scharf-Gerstenberg Collection (Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenberg). The collection includes over 250 surrealist works by such artists as Max Ernst, René Magritte, and Salvador Dalí, as well as works by artists that influenced them, such as Francisco de Goya and Giovanni Battista Piranesi.

The Art Library is one of the largest specialized libraries for art history and cultural studies in the world. Founded in 1867, it’s home to over 400,000 works including fine-art drawings, photos, posters, advertisements, and a book design collection. It’s also a research institute which aims to gain new perspectives on important themes in art. These interdisciplinary outlooks range from the history of the art trade to the rise and evolution of international art styles and movements to the shared origins of Western and non-European art.

Düppel Historic Village is an open-air museum in Berlin that recreates life in the Middle Ages. Situated on the site of an 800-year-old village, you can explore reconstructed homes, workshops, and granaries while watching demonstrations of medieval crafts such as blacksmithing. It’s also home to rare and endangered species such as the rare Skudden sheep and the Düppel grazing pig.

Housed in a striking neo-baroque building with showstopping modern neon blue lights, Berlin’s interactive Museum for Communication (Museum für Kommunikation) explores the history of all things communication. The museum honors the written, spoken, and visual word via wax seals, postcards, telephones, radios, computers, film, and more.

The decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall was a time of celebration, political reunification, and creative freedom for Berliners, and the Nineties Berlin: Multimedia Exhibition chronicles all the highlights. Immerse yourself in 90s-era Berlin, from street art and fashion to the infamous party scene at the museum.

The Berlin Gallery is dedicated to art created in the city since 1870 with a focus on photography and architecture. Since 2004, the museum has been housed in a modernist building featuring collections from the Dada Berlin, New Objectivity, and Eastern European avant-garde scenes, plus pieces from the Berlin Wall and reunification eras.

The Berggruen Museum, named after famed art collector Heinz Berggruen, is one of Berlin’s most popular modern art galleries. Housed in a neoclassical building built by Friedrich Wilhelm IV to complement Charlottenburg Palace, the gallery features more than 200 pieces by artists such as Picasso, Klee, Cezanne, and Matisse.

The Musical Instrument Museum in Berlin (Musikinstrumenten-Museum) is a haven for those interested in the history of music. It houses the largest collection of musical instruments in Germany, with more than 3,500 pieces from the 1500s to today. The museum is also a part of the State Institute for Music Research under the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.

Berlin’s Tempelhofer Feld (Tempelhof Park) is one of the world’s largest and most extraordinary urban parks. With a history that dates to the 13th-century Knights Templar, the park was later turned into a Nazi–era airport and concentration camp, and used during the Allied Airlift following World War II. Today, it’s a vast space for relaxation and recreation.