Berliner Museumshafen (Berlin Harbour Museum)

You will find it in the East of Berlin in the middle of the river Spree - the former GDR customs and border wharf. The Berliner Museumshafen is opening on the former industrial port of Osthafen (Eastern Harbour). In the future, ships that are too big for the historical harbour will dock here. On a platform directly on the pier, you will be able to stroll from the museum to the restaurant. Permanent exhibitions will have themes such as Wall on the Water and Berlin was Built on from a Boat.

This is what awaits you at the Berliner Museumshafen

For more than 20 years, the harbour has housed historical ships, some well over 100 years old, such as the one built by Heinrich Zille in 1896. The collection is still growing, and discussions to expand towards the Osthafen have resulted in permission to use the old customs wharf. Here, a brand new exhibition on Berlin's ingenuous inland waterway transportation and the division of the country awaits.
The T-shaped customs and border bridge forms the basic framework of the Berliner Museumshafen. Although you can't enter, it is visible from every corner. About 17 ships will be part of the historic port - this includes the training ship Horst Günther. Visitors will also be treated to themed events and gastronomic offerings throughout the year. Only 280 metres away from Berlin's famous Molecule-Men sculpture and the Oberbaumbrücke, the view down the Spree river is an impressive sight to see.

Upcoming highlights

• The oldest passenger ship in Berlin, the Heinrich Zille (1896).
• The historical Helene theatre with a guest room for comedy shows.
• Rear wheel tug boat Jesenicky with the restaurant "Deckhouse".
• Wall monument of the Osthafen and an exhibition of the East-West German border on Spree.
• Beautiful views along the Spree River from the Museum platform.

Places of interest nearby

Arena Berlin in the Alt-Treptow district is just a few minutes from the Osthafen. Formerly a bus depot, today it serves as a multi-functional hall with event rooms, open-air areas, a beach and a floating pool and sun deck to chill out on. The iconic East Side Gallery is also close by. While here, look out for the section of the wall between Ostbahnhof and Warschauer Straße - it has displayed the paintings of an international artist collective since 1990, and this is where you will find Dmitri Vrubel's graffiti painting 'Fraternal Kiss'. Meanwhile, in the abandoned East German amusement park Spreepark, previously an insider tip for urban explorers, you can now undertake guided tours among overgrown roller coasters and fallen dinosaurs. Two kilometres away is the protected Funkhaus Nalepastraße (former broadcasting house of the GDR), which now serves as a music studio and concert house. Special tours through the studio are available. At the Rummelsburg Memorial nearby, an open-air exhibition commemorates the victims of the Nazi regime and the GDR.

Tips for your visit

The Berliner Museumshafen is located between the double-deck bridge Oberbaumbrücke and the iron bridge on the Kreuzberg side of Spree. Public transport options include the Schlesisches Tor line (U1), or the Treptower Park S-Bahn (ring 41/42). The distance is approximately one kilometre. Alternatively, you can take the buses 104, 165, 194, or 265 to the Eichenstraße/Puschkinallee stop. The Berliner Museumshafen awaits you!