Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BOWLED O
WLED OVER
VER
Looking like a baptismal font for giants, the massive granite basin outside the
Altes Museum was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and carved from a single
slab by Christian Gottlieb Cantian. It was considered an artistic and technical
feat back in the 1820s. The original plan to install it in the museum's rotunda had
to be ditched when the bowl ended up being too massive to fit its dimensions. Al-
most 7m in diameter, it was carved in situ from a massive boulder in Branden-
burg and transported via a custom-built wooden railway to the Spree and from
there by barge to Berlin.
In July and August, classical open-air concerts take place at 8.30pm on Sundays
outside the Bodemuseum between Monbijoustrasse and Am Kupfergraben. Ad-
mission is free but show up early to admire the scenic surrounds and stake out a
good spot. Check www.sonntagskonzerte.de for the schedule. There's also
nightly outdoor tango, salsa and swing dancing at riverside Strandbad Mitte ( MAP
GOOGLE MAP ; 030-2462 8963; www.strandbad-mitte.de ; Kleine Hamburger Strasse 16; breakfast
€5-12, mains €4.50-13.50;
Oranienburger Strasse) across from the mu-
9am-2am;
;
seum.
Bodemuseum
Mighty and majestic, the Bodemuseum ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 030-266 424 242;
www.smb.museum ; Am Kupfergraben/Monbijoubrücke; adult/concession €10/5; 10am-6pm Tue,
Wed & Fri-Sun, 10am-8pm Thu; Hackescher Markt) has pushed against the northern tip of Mu-
seumsinsel like a proud ship's bow since 1904. The gloriously restored neo-baroque beauty
presents several collections in mostly naturally lit galleries.
The building, designed by Ernst von Ihne, was originally named Kaiser-Friedrich-Mu-
seum before being renamed for its first director, Wilhelm von Bode, in 1956. It's a beauti-
fully proportioned architectural composition built around a central axis. Sweeping stair-
cases, interior courtyards, frescoed ceilings and marble floors give the museum the grandeur
of a palace.
The tone is set in the grand domed entrance hall where visitors are greeted by Andreas
Schlüter's monumental sculpture of Great Elector Friedrich Wilhelm on horseback. From
here head straight to the central Italian Renaissance-style basilica, where all eyes are on col-
ourfully glazed terracotta sculpture by Luca della Robbia. This leads to a smaller domed,
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