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.