Bode-Museum Guide

The Bode-Museum sits at the very northern tip of Museum Island, where the Spree splits in two, and from the water the domed building looks like a ship moored in the river. It opened in 1904 as the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum, and was renamed in 1956 after its first director, Wilhelm von Bode. It is open, and of the island's museums it is the one most likely to be quiet.

What you see

Under the dome in the entrance hall, a bronze equestrian statue of the Great Elector by Andreas Schlüter sets the tone: this is a building for sculpture. The Skulpturensammlung covers European sculpture from the early Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, including Italian Renaissance work, with names such as Donatello, and German woodcarvers such as Tilman Riemenschneider. The Museum of Byzantine Art shows icons, ivories and mosaics, and the Münzkabinett, the coin cabinet, is a large collection of coins and medals for anyone with a taste for numismatics. The setting helps: stone staircases, marble and domed halls make the objects look at home.

Who it suits and what to skip

We would send people here who have already done the Neues Museum and want somewhere calmer, or who like church art and medieval craft. It suits a wet afternoon. If sculpture does not interest you, do not force it: the Alte Nationalgalerie gives you more to look at for the same effort. Check the official site for galleries that may be closed on the day.

Getting there

The museum is reached by a bridge from the main island, a short walk from the other museums, and it is also near Hackescher Markt and Friedrichstraße stations on the S-Bahn. After the visit, walk to the Hackescher Markt district for coffee, a few minutes' walk to the east, or follow the river back towards the cathedral. Allow about ninety minutes, plus a stop in the museum's café under the dome.