Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kulturforum
The Kulturforum is a unique complex of museums,
concert halls and libraries, based at the south-
eastern end of the Tiergarten. Every year, some of
the most outstanding European art museums, as
well as the famous concert hall of the Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra, attract millions of visitors
who are interested in culture and music. The Kul-
turforum, based in the former West Berlin, has
been growing since 1956, as a counterpoint to the
Museumsinsel in the former East Berlin. Here visi-
tors can admire some of the best examples of
modern architecture in the capital.
Gemäldegalerie
Berlin's largest art
museum boasts some of
the finest masterpieces
of European art. They are
displayed in the modern
Neubau, built in 1998
by the architects Heinz
Hilmer and Christoph
Sattler. The superb
collection includes
paintings by Holbein,
Dürer, Gossaert, Bosch,
Brueghel the Elder, Ver-
meer, Titian, Caravaggio,
Rubens, Rembrandt and
many others.
Top 10 Sights
1 Gemäldegalerie
2 Neue Nationalgalerie
3 Philharmonie
4 Kunstgewerbemuseum
5 Musikinstrumentenmuseum
6 Kammermusiksaal
7 Kupferstichkabinett
8 St Matthäuskirche
9 Staatsbibliothek
0 Kunstbibliothek
Neue Nationalgalerie in
the Kulturforum
Enjoy a break around
the quiet back of the
Nationalgalerie.
A day ticket (€4)
gives admission to
all museums.
•
Map E4, L1/2
• Gemäldegalerie, Mat-
thäikirchplatz 8
•
10am-
6pm Tue-Sun, till 10pm
Thu
•
(030) 20 90 55 55
• Admission charge
•
Neue Nationalgalerie,
Potsdamer Str. 50
•
10am-6pm Tue-Fri,
10am-10pm Thu,
11am-6pm Sat, Sun
• (030) 266 26 62
•
Admission charge
• Kunstgewerbemuseum,
Matthäikirchplatz
• 10am-6pm Tue-Fri,
11am-6pm Sat, Sun
• (030) 266 29 02
•
Admission charge
• Musikinstrumenten-
museum, Tiergartenstr. 1
• 9am-5pm Tue-Fri,
10am-5pm Sat, Sun
• (030) 25 48 10
•
Admission charge
Neue
Nationalgalerie
Based in a building by Mies
van der Rohe, the gallery
exhibits mainly 20th-centu-
ry art, with an emphasis on
German Expressionism,
such as Karl Schmitt-Rot-
tluff's
Farm in Daugart
(1910)
(see also p48)
.
Philharmonie
This tent-like build-
ing, designed by Hans
Scharoun in 1960-3, was
the first new structure in
the Kulturforum. Consid-
ered one of the best con-
cert halls in the world, it
is the seat of the Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra.
It is also known, jokingly,
as “Circus Karajani , after
Herbert von Karajan
(1908-89) who conducted
the Philharmonic Orches-
tra for many years. Sir
Simon Rattle has been
the conductor since 2002.
32
For more on Berlin museums
see pp46-7
