Berlin is a city known for its vibrant, youthful energy, rich creative culture, intense nightlife, unique architecture, and complicated history. It is the perfect travel destination for anyone passionate about arts, culture, history or having a good time. During the warm summer months, biking is the perfect way admire its varied streetscapes; walking tours are ideal to soak up the rich history; crowded parks are an ultimate venue for spending lazy afternoons sipping beer; and outdoor markets are lovely to peruse for the perfect souvenir. However, during the gripping cold of the winter months, there’s still lots to see, do, and discover in this dynamic capital. The amazing art and remarkable history still be encountered. On a recent trip to Berlin, I was happily compelled by the cold to explore the spectacular culture that the city has to offer within its warm indoor spaces.

7 Art and History Highlights:

Berlinische Galerie

Berlin Museum of Modern Art

This is a super museum to visit while in Berlin because it focuses on artwork influenced, produced, or otherwise related to the city. The gallery includes artwork dating from 1870 to the present day including collections such as Dada Berlin, the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) and the Eastern European avant-garde. It is wonderfully curated and provides a really unique flavour and perspective for understanding the city.

€ 10 / concessions € 7 / free up to 18 years / € 6 1st Monday of the month

Martin-Gropius-Bau

The magnificent building that houses this cultural venue and contemporary art gallery is worth the visit in and of itself. The building was opened in 1881. Although severely damaged during the final months of WWII, it was restored in the 1970s. Signs of the city’s war torn history can still be seen in the small bullet and shrapnel craters on the building’s side. The venue hosts beautifully curated international exhibitions of contemporary art and cultural events.

prices change according to exhibition

Topographie des Terrors

Topography of Terror

The area next to the Martin-Gropius-Bau, used to be the site of the central institutions of Nazi terror – the Secret State Police Office, the leadership of the SS and, the Reich Security Main Office. The largely photo based permanent exhibition, the “Topography of Terror: Gestapo, SS and Reich Security Main Office on Wilhelm- and Prinz-Albrecht-Straße”, provides a snapshot of the crimes committed by the central institutions of the SS and police during the “Third Reich”. The exhibition is notable for its documentation of atrocities committed against all of the various groups targeted by the Nazi’s across all of Europe and the Soviet Union.

free

Jüdisches Museum

Jewish Museum

I went to the Jewish Museum in Berlin expecting another Holocaust museum. Instead I found it is a immensely interesting exploration of Jewish history, culture, politics, and traditions from the fourth century to the present. The museum consists of two conjoined buildings, a baroque structure, previously a courthouse, and a postmodern building designed by Daniel Libeskind. The evocative architecture of Libeskind’s modern, metal, zigzag structure is symbolically and visually rich and intended to elicit personal interpretations and reactions. The exhibition itself is extremely engaging, and utilizes a variety of display styles, multimedia, and interactive activities. It was also very kid friendly.

€ 8 / concessions € 3 / free up to 6 years

Deutsches Historisches Museum

German Historical Museum

This museum covers more than 2000 years of German history through images, artifacts, and thoughtful commentary.

€ 8 / concessions € 4 / free up to 18 years

Hamburger Bahnhof Museum für Gegenwart

I loved the juxtaposition of the late Neoclassical style building (an 1840s train station) and the lurid contemporary artwork. The permanent exhibition includes works by Joseph Beuys, Anselm Kiefer, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol.

€ 14,00 / concessions € 7,00

Tränenpalast Haus der Geschichte

House of History at the Palace of Tears

After 1961, when the border between East and West Berlin was sealed, Friedrichstrasse station served as the border crossing between the two parts of the city. The station was nicknamed “Tränenpalast” because of the many tearful goodbyes that took place there during the years that the city was divided. When the Friedrichstrasse station was remodelled in the 1990s, the historical building formerly used a (sort of) customs office checking travellers crossing between East and West was preserved. It has now been converted into a multimedia exhibition which tells the history of the former checkpoint.