To find out what really makes this institution so special, visit the Hellenistic Pergamon Altar, which gives the museum its name. Like its other epic pieces (the Ishtar Gate and Market Gate of Miletus), you don’t just look at this massive ancient construction, you experience it. You can climb its marble stairs or gaze at the frieze mounted along the surrounding walls. People even lounge on the steps as if it was the county courthouse; it’s only the fact that nobody is smoking that makes you realise you’re not outdoors.