BERLIN - LOCATION GUIDE

ART & DESIGN

Exceptional Tours Expertly Delivered

Our location guide offers you information on the range of visits available in Berlin. All visits are selected with your subject and the curriculum in mind, along with the most popular choices for sightseeing, culture and leisure in the area.

The information in your location guide has been provided by our partners in Berlin who have expert on the ground knowledge of the area, combined with advice from education professionals so that the visits and information recommended are the most relevant to meet your learning objectives.

Making Life Easier for You

This location guide is not a catalogue of opening times. Our Tour Experts will design your itinerary with opening times and location in mind so that you can really maximise your time on tour.

Our location guides are designed to give you the information that you really need, including what are the highlights of the visit, location, suitability and educational resources. We’ll give you top tips like when is the best time to go, dress code and extra local knowledge.

Peace of Mind

So that you don’t need to carry additional money around with you we will state in your initial quote letter, which visits are included within your inclusive tour price and if there is anything that can’t be pre-paid we will advise you of the entrance fees so that you know how much money to take along.

You also have the added reassurance that, WST is a member of the STF and our featured visits are all covered as part of our externally verified Safety Management System.

ART & DESIGN VISITS

Museum Island:

A group of museums located in the centre of Berlin on the River Spree:  Alte Nationalgalerie: 19th Century paintings and sculptures from artists such as Monet, Renoir, Cezanne.  Pergamon Museum: Antiquities, Islamic Art, Middle Eastern Art and objects.  Bode Museum: Home to a collection of sculptures from Byzantium through to the Middle Ages.  The New Museum and The Old Museum: Greek, Roman and Egyptian art.

Website for all central galleries: www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php

Alte National Galerie Housing one of the most important collections of 19th century painting in Germany, the Alte National Galerie towers over Museum Island like an ancient Greek temple. The grand building, designed and built by architect F.A. Stüler between 1866-1876, contains an extensive collection of works by both German and international artists from the 18th and 19th Centuries so is a great chance for students to see an extensive range of art over two whole centuries. Closed on Mondays

UBahn: Friedrichstraße

Altes Museum As Berlin’s oldest museum, the Altes Museum is bursting from the seams with history and remarkable art work. Since being damaged in the Second World War, the museum has developed into one of the most popular in Berlin due to its interesting and varied range of art pieces. Closed on Mondays

UBahn: Friedrichstraße

Neue Nationalgalerie – CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT IN 2015 As a museum dedicated to modern art, the Neue Nationalgalerie enables students to experience the more contemporary aspect to the city. The museum houses a large collection of 20th century European painting and sculpture and Cubism, Expressionism, Bauhaus and Surrealism are particularly well-represented. Closed on Mondays

Website: www.neue-nationalgalerie.de U-Bahn: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park

Bauhaus Archive/ Museum of Design The Bauhaus Archive/Museum of Design in Berlin is devoted to the research and presentation of the history and influence of the Bauhaus, the most important school of architecture, design and art in the 20th century. A brilliant chance for students to see the entire spectrum of the school’s accomplishments through architecture, furniture, ceramics, metalwork, photography, stage pieces and student work. Closed on Tuesdays

Website: www.bauhaus.de UBahn: Nollendorfplatz

Bode Museum This museum is a must for students with an interest in art, especially focusing on that of the medieval era. Containing a wealth of art and artefacts from the Byzantine and Medieval periods, the Bode Museum is home to pieces primarily from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Spain.

Website: www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?p=2&objID=28&n=3 U-Bahn: Friedrichstraße

The Deutsche Guggenheim Widely regarded by both locals and visitors from around the world as one of the most exciting and experimental art museums in Germany, The Deutsche Guggenheim, is a unique collaboration between the Guggenheim Foundation and Deutsche Bank.

Website: www.deutsche-guggenheim.de U-Bahn: Friedrichstraße

Gemäldegalerie Art Collection Gemäldegalerie is one of the world’s most impressive collections of European paintings, exhibiting an astonishing range of European art from the 13th to the 18th centuries from the great European masters. Over 900 masterpieces can be seen in the Main Gallery collection. Closed on Mondays

Website: www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?p=2&objID=35&n=5 UBahn: Potsdamer Platz

Eastside Gallery

The Berlin Wall East Side Gallery is a 1.3km-long section of the wall near the centre of Berlin. Approximately 106 paintings by artists from all over the world cover this memorial for freedom and make it the largest open-air gallery in the world.

U-Bahn: Warschauerstrasse

Holocaust Memorial An astonishing sight that is a must see for students in order to fully understand the devastation of the Holocaust. With 2,711 gray stone slabs that bear no markings, such as names or dates, the memorial covers 205,000 square feet. The uneven path through the memorial creates a feeling of instability and unrest, truly making students witness the scale of the Jewish lives tragically lost.

Website: www.stiftung-denkmal.de/ UBahn: Potsdamer Platz, Mohrenstrasse or Französische Strasse

Top Tip for Art Galleries: Most galleries stay open late on Thursday evenings, until 10.00 pm, so if you want to get the most out of your time in Berlin and keep them busy in the evenings, this is a great option.

CULTURAL VISITS

No matter what your study aims are it is impossible to go to Berlin and ignore the tumultuous past of this city. Many groups choose to include key sites from the Nazi period or the Cold War to gain a greater understanding of how Berlin came to be the city it is today.

Brandenburg Gate area See the iconic monuments of 20th Century Berlin including The Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, The Victory Column and the Soviet War Memorial. These monuments are usually included in an introductory guided tour.

The Reichstag A guided tour of the Reichstag building is one of the most popular visits in Berlin. It will explain the functions, working methods and composition of parliament whilst also covering the history and architecture of the building. The highlight at the end is the opportunity to visit the famous dome, which has become an iconic image in Berlin and gives a great view of the city.

Top Tip: The design of the world famous dome is a real point of interest to Design students

Website: www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/visits Ubahn: Stadtmitte, Französische Strasse

Olympic Stadium This stadium was purpose built for the 1936 Olympics and is a great opportunity to view Nazi architecture, surviving virtually untouched in the battle to capture Berlin. The stadium will not be open to visitors on event days so please be ready to be flexible on which day you visit. Groups can take a self guided visit with an audio guide or an English speaking guided tour. From March to October, for an additional charge, you can also go up the bell tower which will give you an excellent view of the interior of the stadium.

Top Tip: The Olympic Stadium is often visited in conjunction with Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, as a full day out of the city centre.

Website: www.olympiastadion-berlin.de UBahn: Olympiastadion Usually reached via coach – approx 20 minutes from the centre of Berlin / or SBahn.

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp One of the earliest concentration camps, Sachsenhausen tells the story of its origins, on to life in the camp and then its liberation with a series of exhibitions through the buildings.

Website: www.stiftung-bg.de/gums/en/index.htm Location: Sachsenhausen is usually reached by coach – approx. 40 minutes drive away. Alternatively Sachsenhausen is 45 minutes from central Berlin on the SBahn – Oranienburg Station.

The Berlin Wall It is essential to see the remains of the Berlin Wall when studying the Cold War and the Fall of Communism. Remains of the Wall can best be seen at the East Side Gallery or Bernauer Strasse.

Museum-Haus am Checkpoint Charlie A museum dedicated to the legendary border crossing point, with imagery and exhibitions of attempts to escape to the West and following the stories of fugitives and their helpers.

Website: www.mauermuseum.de UBahn: Kochstrasse

DDR Museum An interactive museum which not only focuses on the politics of East Germany, but gives a fascinating insight into what it was like to live in the East. Closed on Mondays.

Top Tip: Free quizzes are available for school groups to download and take around the museum.

Website: www.ddr-museum.de/en/ UBahn: Alexander Platz SBahn: Hackescher Markt

The Story of Berlin An interactive museum that explores 800 years of Berlin’s history. There are 23 theme rooms equipped with multi-media technology.

Top Tip: A worksheet can be downloaded from the website, in English, for students to fill in as they go round the museum.

Website: www.story-of-berlin.de/ UBahn: Uhland Strasse

TV Tower Located in former East Berlin, in Alexanderplatz, this is Berlin’s highest structure offering fabulous views over the city. The TV Tower can be pre-booked but not pre- paid, this visit must be paid directly on arrival.

Top Tip: The TV Tower is a great option as an evening visit, to see Berlin by night.

Website: www.tv-turm.de/en/index.php UBahn: Alexander Platz

Guided Walking Tour of Berlin We can arrange a half day guided walking tour to be tailored visits to suit your preferred study theme. Our most popular walking tour for a cultural visit is:

Introductory tour Hidden Berlin & All the Main Sites. Duration 3-4 hrs. Sites included are:

Alexander Platz, Museum Island, Berliner Dom, Lustgarten, Humbolt University, Site of Palast der Republic, Bebel Platz, Berlin Wall, Topography of Terror, Wilhelm Strasse, Checkpoint Charlie, Site of Hitler's bunker, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, The Reichstag, The New 'Hauptbahnhof', Brandenburg Gate.

LEISURE

Potsdamer Platz Another redeveloped area of Berlin, this has an ideal central location and is full of shops, cafes and entertainment.

Website: http://potsdamerplatz.de/en/

Sony Centre Located in Potsdamer Platz the Sony Centre is home to the Imax Cinema where you can catch a film in German or English, along with a great selection of cafes and shops. Great for a night out, especially if seeing a film on the giant screen.

Alexanderplatz The square was once the centre of East Berlin. Since re-unification there’s been a complete redevelopment and now Alexanderplatz is a major sightseeing and shopping area.

Kurfürstendamm This is the main shopping street in Berlin and home to one of Europe’s largest department stores, KaDeWe, with all that a major store offers.

Bowling Berlin has a range of bowling centres throughout the city. Ask us for more information if you wish to book a session.

Ritter Sport Colourful Chocoworld (Bunte Schokowelt) Located at the Gendarmenmarkt Square, this store offers a unique and varied assortment of items revolving around Ritter Sport chocolate. Chocolate lovers big and small can explore the store’s three floors. The SchokoKreation area allows visitors to create their own favourite chocolate bar.

Tropical Islands Water park An indoor tropical beach with waters slides, lagoons, rapids and wave pools. Great fun and a great place for students to burn off excess energy. This is approx. 1 hours drive from the centre of Berlin.

Website: www.tropical-islands.de/en/visitors.html

RESTAURANTS

Make your evening meal a night out. We can book a variety or restaurants ranging from traditional German, American diners, Italian and Chinese.

4 day recommended itinerary – Art & Culture

Day 1 Daytime flight and transfer to your accommodation. Free time for orientation. Evening meal at hotel.

Day 2 Full day on Museum Island. Highlights are the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Pergamon Museum. Evening meal at your hotel. Evening visit to the top of the TV Tower.

Day 3 Morning. Get right up to date with the Deutsche Guggenheim. Afternoon. See the artwork on the Berlin Wall at the Eastside Gallery. Evening meal at your hotel.

Free time in Potsdamer Platz.

Day 4 Transfer to airport for your return flight back to the UK.