Altes Museum

Visit the Altes Museum and see one of the most important Neoclassical buildings in Germany. Be enchanted by its columns, the wide vestibule, and portico. Marvel at the murals of the rotunda, which were modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. Admire the antique collection with its permanent exhibition on the art and culture of the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans. See sculptures such as the Berlin Goddess as well as gold and silver jewelry under the sky-blue ceiling of the treasure chamber. You'll also discover the coin collection with more than 1,300 items from antiquity. See the first gold and silver alloy coins as well as those from the crisis years of the Roman Empire.

Hosted by an expert guide, you will not only be able to admire the impressive artifacts and architectural structures, you will also take a journey through history and gain a critical understanding of the collection's relationship to Berlin's past and present. Hear stories about how heavily destroyed the museums were after the end of WWII when the Museum Island was almost a complete ruin. Only in 1999 was Museum Island awarded UNESCO status. This tour will introduce you to the Mesopotamian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek, Egyptian, Antique art and culture. The guide gives a very detailed explanation of how these cultures began, why they were important throughout history and what is their heritage today. Visit the famous Ishtar Gate, learn when it was built and why, as well as the beautiful bust of Nefertiti and the Market Gate of Miletus. After the tour, visit the remaining museums of the Museum Island at your own pace. The Bode Museum offers sculptures dated in the Middle Ages up until the early Renaissance and a collection of artifacts from Byzantine art. If you wish to see ancient Greek and Roman decorative art, you should visit the Altes Museum that contains a permanent collection of ancient Greek and Roman vases and statues. In the Alte Nationalgalerie, you can enjoy exhibitions of Neoclassical, Romantic, Impressionist and Modernist art.

Tour a different side of Berlin, on a mystical guided walk through all the capital's mythical and legendary locations. Learn of Berlin's foundation at the St. George monument, hear the legend of the Berlin pancake, and meet the muses of Zeus. See the city sights and allow yourself to wonder. Meet your guide at the statue of St. George, the dragon slayer, and learn his epic tale. Admire the place where Berlin was founded and listen to the legend of Abrecht the Bear. Discover the ways that myths of fire-breathing dragons came to be in Berlin and why some still believe it today. Take a short walk to marvel at Berlin's Nikolai Quarter and hear about the most powerful craftsmen's association in the city. There, get introduced to the legend of the Berlin pancake and what the Muses of Zeus have to do with Berlin. At the Fountain of Neptune, the God Neptune is believed to be the protector of Berlin. Discuss why Kaiser Wilhelm II amused an entire nation over a fountain and whether these legends are just myths or the real thing. End the experience in the Lustgarten at the Berlin Cathedral.