Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama is a purpose-built rotunda just across the Kupfergraben canal from Museum Island in Berlin-Mitte. It holds Yadegar Asisi’s 360-degree recreation of the ancient city of Pergamon alongside original Hellenistic sculpture. While the main Pergamonmuseum undergoes renovation, this is the place where visitors can still meet the ancient city.
Asisi’s panorama depicts Pergamon in 129 AD, during Emperor Hadrian’s reign. Visitors climb a central viewing platform to look across temples, the acropolis theatre, and crowded streets at full scale. Light and sound cycles shift the scene from dawn to night. The adjoining exhibition gallery displays original works from the Antikensammlung, including sections of the Telephos Frieze from the Pergamon Altar, as well as sculpture and architectural fragments. Together, they give context to what the painting reconstructs. Allow roughly 60 to 90 minutes for both parts.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
The best times to visit are weekday mornings. Afternoons, weekends, and summer school holidays draw the heaviest crowds. Book timed tickets online in advance and check current hours with the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Tram lines M1 and 12 stop at Am Kupfergraben, and the S-Bahn stations Friedrichstraße and Hackescher Markt are a short walk away. Plan this trip now if you can, because the main Pergamonmuseum reopens on 4 June 2027 with the Pergamon Altar back on display (visitBerlin). Pair your visit with the Neues Museum or the Bode-Museum nearby.
