Berlin's First Museum - The Altes Museum on Museum Island
Did you know that there are roughly 170 museums in Berlin, covering all aspects of the city and nation’s history and culture.
But if you are in the mood for some Greco-Roman antiques, there is one that is a must-visit.
Hello. My name is Steve and I am a guide with Experience Berlin Tours.
Behind me is the Altes Museum, or the Old Museum, one of the popular museums here on Museum Island.
Museum Island is a Unesco World Heritage Site with 5 world-class museums, including the Bode Museum, the Pergamon Museum, the Alte-Nationalgalerie, the Neues Museum (or the New Museum) and the Altes Museum (or the Old Museum).
The Altes Museum is the oldest of this island’s museums, dating back to 1830, when it was called “the Royal Museum”.
Today, the museum houses exhibits on classical antiquities, with the 1st floor dedicated to the Greeks and the 2nd floor dedicated to the Etrusians and Romans.
On display are a variety of artifacts including stone sculptures, tombs and funeral ornamentation, weaponry, toys, jewelry, mosaics, dining ware, and pottery of all sorts.
The museum also houses the Munz Kabinet (or coin cabinet), a collection of ancient coins dating back to the 7th century BC.
An architectural highlight of the building is its rotunda and central dome, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, lined with classical statues.
And the building itself, is a gem of the neoclassical movement of the early 19th - century.
At the time of filming, a regular admission adult ticket is €12.
There are several free, online-exhibits offered to the public through Google Arts and Culture, so get a taste of this museum from anywhere.
That’s it for now. Let me know in the comments if you would like to see a longer walk-through of this museum or any other museum.
Be sure to like and follow us for more videos on Berlin.
And check out our walking tours when you are in the city.
Tschuss!
Berlin's Medieval Core - Nikolaiviertel Walking Tour
Give me 18 minutes, and I'll show you Berlin's oldest area, reconstructed by the GDR following WW2.
When people think of Berlin, they usually are thinking about 20th-century history.
But, settlement in this area dates back to somewhere around the late 1100s.
Nikolaiviertel was located inside of Berlin’s city wall, which was erected sometime in the early 13th century.
It was roughly 2.5 km in length and circled what was then the twin cities of Berlin and Coelln.
You can still make out the border of the early settlements on today’s Berlin map.
Berlin developed as a waypoint along an overland trade route right at the crossing point of this route with the River Spree, and Nikolaiviertel was the area closest to the action.
And, although Allied bombs leveled much of the area, some traces of its earliest days still exist.
Today, a rather worthy GDR-era reconstruction of the area surrounding the Nikolaikirche (the Church of St. Nikolas) is what draws visitors like you to this little enclave.
And, I’m going to follow the general route of the 19-stop self-guided walking tour that is listed on boards, like this one, that you will find throughout the neighborhood.
And you can do the same thing when you visit.
For more videos on Berlin, check out my collection of reels https://www.facebook.com/ExperienceBerlinTours/reels/.
Or, check out more full-length videos like you just watched https://www.facebook.com/ExperienceBerlinTours/videos.
Welcome to Steve's Experience Berlin Tours page
Hello. Welcome to Berlin, and welcome to my page.
My name is Steve, and I am with Experience Berlin Tours.
On this channel, you will find me, and occasionally some of my fellow tour guides, showing you all around this fascinating city.
And, on this page, you will discover lots of content on Berlin, including photos, virtual walking tours, and lots of travel tips.
And if you found my page because you are planning a trip to Berlin, then consider checking out my Experience Berlin Travel Tips Facebook group.
There, you could also get ideas, advice, and trip reports from a group of helpful members.
And if you are interested in a guided walking tour, I am available to show you around, either on a private walk or on a public tour through my company, Tours by Foot.
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/berlintraveltips
Contact: [email protected]
WhatsApp: 0174 7803618
So, I hope to meet you in the comment sections or in person when you come to Berlin.
Ghost Stations of Cold War Berlin - Nordbahnhof
Next to the Berlin Wall Memorial, which in my opinion should be your first stop for understanding the East-West divison of Berlin, is the ghost station exhibit inside of the the Nordbahnhof station.
Check out my East Berlin/GDR video playlist for more videos - https://www.facebook.com/ExperienceBerlinTours/videos
#berlinwall #ghoststation
Underground at the baggage claim.
The First Breach in the Berlin - Bornholmer Strasse Border Crossing
Here’s a quick tip if you are taking the S-Bahn to visit Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp—or if you’d simply like to visit a place where history was made.
If you get off of the train at Borhnholmerstrasse Station, you will exit at Böse Brücke.
On November 9th, 1989, the GDR government would permit its citizens to travel to the West—EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY -
A crowd of determined East Berliners would gradually grow here at Bornholmerstraassr, one of the 8 border crossing stations and the northernmost station.
After some initial resistance from the border guards, the laws of physics prevailed and the dam broke.
The rest - they say - was history.
Today, on the east side of the bridge, is a memorial commemorating the event.
You’ll find a piece of the inner wall, the side of the barrier facing East Berlin
unfortunately defaced by a lack of artistic talent.
There are boards with enlarged images showing the scenes here as the border is opened.
From east to west, there are metal rails chronicling the timeline of events of the day.
Just underneath the bridge is a path, which is part of the Berlin Wall Trail, a 160 kilometer (or 100 mile) path that mostly follows along the path of the Berlin Wall.
There are also some Cherry Trees in the memorial and along the path, gifts from Japan shortly after reunification.
In the middle of the Spandauer Vorstadt, just a short walk from Hackescher Markt S-bahn station are the Hackesche Hoefe, a network of 8 interconnected courtyards.It’s a great place to get a sense of Berlin’s love for hinterhoeffe.Built at the start of the 20th century, The complex was designed in the Jugendstil, or the Art Nouveau style, which becomes apparent the moment you enter the first yard.In all, there are 41 different window styles, along with an array of brick and tile features, taken together to emphasize flowing motions. To get a taste of some interior Art Nouveau, peek inside of Askania watches or Restaurant Hackescher Hof, where you will find a large and a small ballroom, both part of the original ensemble.There are guide stations throughout with audio clips on the history and styles of the buildings.3.Today, the entire complex is a historically protected landmark.All in all there are 32 shops selling everything from clothing and accessories to art to sweets, there’s even an Ampelmann store. Additionally, there is a cinema, a theater, a billiards hall, 103 homes, 12 offices as well as restaurants, cafes, and more.According to its website, the entire 16k square meter compound is the largest mixed-use compound in all of Germany. You’ll also want to take a short walk through its smaller neighbor, Rosenhof, where you can see this beautiful staircase.Like or follow us for more Berlin content. See you in the next video.Tschuess!
Klosterstrasse U-Bahn Station is just one stop away from Alexendarplatz on the U2 line. It’s one of the city’s earliest U-Bahn stations, part of its first expansion, dating back to 1913.
The station is a protected landmark and doubles as a museum. There are historical maps of the city’s U-bahn as well as images of the station inside and out.
And where advertisements normally would be, there are instead images of public transit omnibuses. And between the staircases on the station’s northern end is a restored railcar from the 1910’s.
However, the station is most notable for its blue and yellow glazed tiles featuring stylized palm trees. The tiles bear a striking resemblance to the iconic cobalt blue of the reconstructed Ishtar Gate housed at the Pergamon Museum on Museum Island. And it’s widely believed that many of these tiles were surplus tiles from that project.
It’s really very pleasing to the eyes.
And if you exit out to the street from the station’s north side, you will be right next to the ruins of the Klosterkirche, or closter church.
Which is the related video attached to this on, so click below.
And if you are looking for a local tour guide to show you this station and more, well, I’m Steve from Experience Berlin Tours.
My contact details are in the description and comment section.
And be sure to follow me for more videos on Berlin.
See you in the next video.
Klosterstrasse U-Bahn Station is just one stop away from Alexendarplatz on the U2 line. It’s one of the city’s earliest U-Bahn stations, part of its first expansion, dating back to 1913.
The station is a protected landmark and doubles as a museum. There are historical maps of the city’s U-bahn as well as images of the station inside and out.
And where advertisements normally would be, there are instead images of public transit omnibuses. And between the staircases on the station’s northern end is a restored railcar from the 1910’s.
However, the station is most notable for its blue and yellow glazed tiles featuring stylized palm trees. The tiles bear a striking resemblance to the iconic cobalt blue of the reconstructed Ishtar Gate housed at the Pergamon Museum on Museum Island. And it’s widely believed that many of these tiles were surplus tiles from that project.
It’s really very pleasing to the eyes.
And if you exit out to the street from the station’s north side, you will be right next to the ruins of the Klosterkirche, or closter church.
Which is the related video attached to this on, so click below.
And if you are looking for a local tour guide to show you this station and more, well, I’m Steve from Experience Berlin Tours.
My contact details are in the description and comment section.
And be sure to follow me for more videos on Berlin.
See you in the next video.
