6 Tips for Visiting Berlin’s Pergamon Museum

Berlin is loaded with history, be it from before Germany itself existed as a political entity, to the times of the “kaisers”, to two World Wars, to the Cold War, and to current times.  The collection of history can be found all over: in churches, buildings, monuments.  But also within the walls of the many museums the city hosts.  The Pergamon Museum in Berlin is one of the preeminent museums of the city – and of Germany.  Before I share my list of Pergamon Museum tips, some background on the museum first…

What is the Pergamon Museum about?

Pergamonmuseum, as it is called in German, covers some of antiquity’s most fascinating history from the Fertile Crescent and adjacent areas.  Think Mesopotamia, Babylon, the Assyrians, etc.  It also goes into older but not ancient history in the Middle East.  For example, the various dynasties that arose after the founding of Islam.  And then into Islamic art as it manifests itself through time and geographies, such as the Muslim era in Spain.

It is a broad range of topics and many may or may not sound familiar.  However, items like the Ishtar Gate and the Market Gate of Miletus are imposing and impressive and likely known to some. (Ishtar may sound familiar because it was the name of one of the worst movies ever with Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty…).

The Ishtar Gate was one of the many gates in ancient Babylon and dates from about the 6th century B.C.  Amazing, huh??

What is THE most famous piece in the museum?

However, the most important piece exhibited is the Pergamon Altar.  The Pergamon Altar was not given that name because of the museum but, actually, the reverse.  The reconstructed altar exhibited in the museum was from the ancient Greek town of Pergamon in what is now Turkey.  German archaeologists uncovered it and brought its ruins to Germany in the late 19th century to reconstruct it.

Sadly, the wing where the Pergamon Altar is housed is undergoing major renovations and I could not see this grand piece (bummer!).  The altar will re-open for visitors in 2019 or 2020 after about a 5-year closure.  It better be a grand wing after a 5-year project!

How long has the museum been around?

Its current building dates from 1930 but the original museum was first established in that location, on Berlin’s Museum Island, since 1909.

Is all the stuff exhibited real??

It is worth noting that not every item is original.  Some of the items have been re-assembled like complicated jigsaw puzzles from antiquity.  It was not always possible to find every piece to these archaeological puzzles.  So, either the spots were left “blank” or were filled in with material reproducing what was likely in the spot.

Unbeknownst to me, some of the items are just replicas made from molds cast on the original pieces which may sit in another museum elsewhere around the world.  Despite all this, the pieces shown, large and small, help one understand the forms, shapes, colors and motifs that were representative of the different periods.

All the exhibits are properly signed in German and English with very minor exceptions which are usually tags for small objects here and there.  Most of it will be explained in one of those aforementioned languages!

How long does it take to see the Pergamon Museum?

Let me start by noting that at any given time part of the museum may be closed for restoration or renovations, as I shared earlier.  The museum is currently also being expanded to better flow through its wings.  This means the ancient Greek exhibits are also offline.

So, back to the question:  how long does it take to see the Pergamon Museum?  Of course, some of that depends on whether you are just a walker looking at things as you move or whether you stop to contemplate.  Also, how much of the larger explanatory panels you stop to read (which I highly recommend – otherwise, seeing old objects will not be of much meaning…).  It took me about 2.5-3 hours to see what was available to me.

Pergamon Museum Tip #1:  take your time and breaks

It was easy to move through the museum as it was not like a maze.  The two open floors had a flow to them which facilitated staying on course.  It was also a welcomed feature that there were places to sit all over!

Pergamon Museum Tip #2:  make a stop at the restroom BEFORE you enter the exhibits

One unfortunate feature of the museum is that the ONLY restrooms (at least in the wings that were open when I went…) are located on the lobby of the museum when you enter the building, by the lockers.  The restrooms are located OUTSIDE the area where they scan your ticket to access the exhibits.  I suppose you can exit and re-enter the museum but you would have to backtrack down to the ground floor (no exhibits are located on the ground floor).  Most inconvenient and not visitor-friendly at all…

Pergamon Museum Tip #3:  combine visits when you go

Berlin’s Museum Island, where the Pergamonmuseum is located right off Unter den Linden, a main thoroughfare in Berlin.  It is right by the Berliner Dom (Berlin’s Cathedral) and next to at least three other museums on the island (the Bode Art Museum, the Altes Museum, and the Neues Museum).

The DDR Museum, showcasing how life was in East Germany (the Communist one), is also nearby.  While my tolerance for time in museums is likely capped at 4-5 hours for a given day, I suggest coupling the Pergamon with the lighter DDR Museum.  The DDR Museum may take about 1.5-2 hours tops.  Or couple the Pergamon visit with a visit to the Berliner Dom.

Pergamon Museum Tip #4:  avoid crowds

OK, this tip is not rocket science…  Currently, the museum is open 7 days a week from 10 AM until 6 PM, except Thursdays when it stays open until 8 PM.  However, it is a very popular attraction so to lessen the size of the crowd around you, go when it opens (there will be a crowd at any time but maybe a little less).

Pergamon Museum Tip #5:  avoid the line to get in

Who loves standing on long lines?  Yep, silence…  I thought so!  As with many places these days, one can buy tickets online, thereby saving a long line to buy the tickets.  Also, when one gets the tickets online, one reserves a 30-min arrival time slot to get in.  When I arrived, I pretty much strolled right up to the entry guards.  As you can see in the photo below, there was a long and slow line of folks waiting to get their ticket – on a very hot day (there was shade at least where they were standing).

Pergamon Museum Tip #6:  get the audioguide

The ticket I bought online cost me 12 euros.  This ticket included getting the audioguide, that most necessary of tools to make a museum visit more educational.  Key rooms and artifacts have numbers that one punches in on the audioguide.  The explanations on average are 2-3 minutes long.  Short enough to not bore, and long enough to sit on a bench and rest the feet from all the walking (I had walked TONS around town the days I was there and my feet were achy!).

Clearly, I highly recommend a couple of hours in this museum to anyone curious or fascinated by art, history, archaeology, and such things!  More info on the museum can be found here.

Have you visited the Pergamon?  What was your favorite item?  Other museums in Berlin you like?  Share by leaving a comment!

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