Kolonnadenhof

The Kolonnadenhof is a rectangular garden courtyard with columned walkways on Museum Island in Berlin, surrounded by three major museum buildings. The space is organized with geometric boxwood hedges and features a central fountain along with bronze sculptures positioned among plane trees.

The courtyard was designed in the 19th century by architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel as a central element of the first museum construction on Museum Island. In 1880, garden designer Eduard Neide created the detailed garden layout with geometric patterns that have remained unchanged to the present day.

The name refers to the colonnades that frame this outdoor space, creating covered walkways where visitors can move between buildings while staying protected from the weather. Local workers and students frequently pass through here, treating it as a shortcut that offers a garden-like quality in the middle of the city.

The courtyard is accessible from three major museums and forms a natural connecting route for visitors exploring multiple exhibitions. The covered colonnades provide shelter during rain, and wide pathways make navigation straightforward even when the area becomes crowded.

Bronze sculptures throughout the courtyard come from the Nationalgalerie collection and were created by renowned sculptors like Louis Tuaillon and August Gaul, turning the space into an open-air art gallery. These artworks often go unnoticed by visitors focused on the buildings themselves.

Location: Berlin-Mitte

GPS coordinates: 52.52030,13.39900

Latest update: December 12, 2025 14:22