The face of Berlin may have changed drastically over the last century, but its extensive collection of museums has remained among the world’s best. Today, the city has over 100 museums and galleries, plus a vibrant art gallery scene that cropped up post-unification in East Berlin (aka Mitte).

Berlin is home to many important collections of Ancient Art, Classical Painting and Modern Art.The extensive National Gallery system includes the museums on the famous Museum Island in East Berlin and several museums and galleries in such diverse neighborhoods as Tiergarten, Charlottenburg,and Prenzlauerberg.

The crown jewel remains Museum Island (Museumsinsel), which for years was inaccessible behind the iron curtain. Over the past two decades, all the major museums in East Berlin have been renovated while the areas around them have sprouted new buildings full of cafes, restaurants and bars.

The Mitte gallery scene exploded during reunification with cutting-edge galleries and a famous artistic squat (Augustraße 10) but the buzz has dissipated somewhat as the area has been re-developed. Galleries can still be found in the area around Auguststraße and Linienstraße (east of Friedrichstraße), as well as further south on Lindenstraße.