Few things are as vulnerable to the ravages of modern warfare as the precious contents contained within museums, and Berlin’s position on the cultural sidelines during the Cold War did little to facilitate the necessary and painstaking reconstructions. Happily, the bulk of the heavy-lifting has finally been completed, thanks in no small part, to a €1.5 million ‘masterplan’, implemented by the city and state in 2000. Today, Berlin boasts more than150 museums of all shapes, sizes and themes. Admission prices tend to be low, compared with most major cities and some museums have designated weekly free admission times (usually Wednesday or Thursday evenings). Also worth looking into are one to three-day passes, good for all the state museums, and the ‘Welcome Card’ for two to three days of unlimited public transport and free or reduced admission to museums and other attractions (see left). Twice a year (January and August), the city hosts the ‘Long Night of the Museums’, where for one price, 90 museums hold their doors open till 02:00, and shuttle busses whisk you all over the city for a non-stop cultural orgy.