Alte Nationalgalerie

Visit the Alte Nationalgalerie with skip-the-line access and immerse yourself in 19th-century masterpieces by Monet, Renoir, and German Romantic painters, located on Berlin’s historic Museum Island.

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Must-see highlights & key info

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The grand rotunda can be crowded later in the day, but arriving right when it opens (10am) lets you experience it in near silence. This is the best time for photography, as the natural light from the dome is soft and diffused.

If the coin collection feels overwhelming, ask for a free explanatory booklet at the front desk. Available in German and English, it highlights key pieces and helps you navigate the vast numismatic collection.

Notice how the Altes Museum's layout mirrors an ancient temple—you will move from Greek domestic objects to statues of emperors and gods, just as ancient visitors would have experienced them.

For a quiet break away from the crowds, find the hidden bench behind the Etruscan collection. It’s a peaceful spot to rest while still being surrounded by the artifacts.

Look closely at the Greek and Roman sculptures—many weren’t originally white but vividly painted. Some pieces in the collection still have tiny traces of pigment, especially in the folds of drapery and hair.

Watch out for color-coded labels on ancient sculptures—these indicate which parts are original and which have been restored, helping you distinguish authentic elements from modern additions.

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About Altes Museum

Designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and opened in 1830, the Altes Museum was Prussia’s first public museum, setting a precedent for making art and history accessible to all. Its halls are filled with marble statesmen, bronze athletes, and painted pottery, each revealing the ancient world's myths, politics, and daily life. From grand statues that once stood in temples to gold jewelry worn by Etruscan nobility, the museum offers a glimpse into the artistry and ambition of civilizations long gone.

Address

Bodestraße 1-3, 10178 Berlin, Germany

Also known as

Old Museum

Year opened

1830

Founded by

Karl Friedrich Schinkel

Visitors per year

204000

Expected wait time - Standard

30-60 mins (Peak), 0-30 mins (Off Peak)

Opened in 1830, the Altes Museum was designed solely for fine art and antiquities, while natural history and ethnographic artifacts were placed elsewhere. This separation reflected Enlightenment-era ideals, which sought to separate ‘high culture’ from the study of nature and anthropology.

Before opening to the public, the Altes Museum housed the Prussian royal collection, featuring Greek and Roman antiquities acquired through diplomacy, purchases, and military campaigns. Some artifacts were taken from Napoleon’s seized collections after Prussia’s wars against France.

The grand rotunda, inspired by Rome’s Pantheon, was designed as more than just an architectural feature. Its circular form symbolized the universality of knowledge, marking antiquity as the foundation of European thought and intellectual enlightenment.

Unlike many early European museums, the Altes Museum was one of the first built for public education. Commissioned by King Friedrich Wilhelm III, it aimed to make ancient art accessible to ordinary citizens, a radical idea at the time.

During World War II, parts of the Altes Museum’s collection were hidden in bunkers and salt mines to protect them from bombings. Decades later, some artifacts resurfaced in private collections and auctions, leading to international recovery efforts.

Why visit Altes Museum?

Marvel at its breathtaking rotunda

As you step into the museum, you're greeted by the stunning Rotunda, an awe-inspiring space modeled after the ancient Pantheon in Rome. The circular hall, crowned with a glass dome, is lined with towering Corinthian columns and classical statues, setting the stage for the artistic grandeur within.

See Egyptian royal portraits

While the famous bust of Nefertiti is housed in the neighboring Neues Museum, the Altes Museum holds a remarkable collection of Egyptian art, including portraits of her contemporaries. The hauntingly lifelike bust of Queen Cleopatra VII, carved in black basalt, reveals the artistic mastery of Ptolemaic sculptors and offers a rare glimpse into the face of the last pharaoh of Egypt.

Admire one of the world's best preserved Greek vases

The museum’s Collection of Classical Antiquities is home to the 'Amphora', a masterpiece of Greek red-figure pottery. This nearly flawless vessel, dating back to 500 BCE, showcases a single, elegantly poised figure against a stark black background—a revolutionary style that forever changed the aesthetics of ancient ceramics.

Look at the 'Praying Boy' statue

One of the museum’s most prized possessions is the Praying Boy, a strikingly naturalistic bronze sculpture from Hellenistic Greece. With his outstretched arms and slightly bowed head, the figure exudes an air of divine contemplation, its fluid form and expressive details making it one of the finest surviving examples of ancient bronze craftsmanship.

Walk through the Roman Hall of Busts

The Altes Museum offers an immersive step into the Roman world with its Hall of Busts (Büste-Saal), a long, stately room lined with the visages of emperors, generals, and philosophers. The sheer presence of these finely chiseled marble figures—some with stern gazes, others with subtle smirks—offers a strikingly lifelike glimpse into the personalities and power of ancient Rome’s elites.

Experience the oldest museum on Museum Island

Designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and opened in 1830, the Altes Museum is not just a home for antiquities but a historical monument in its own right. Its neoclassical facade, inspired by Greek temples, represents one of the earliest examples of museum architecture dedicated to public education and remains a masterpiece of Berlin’s cultural heritage.