Schloss Pfaueninsel is a small, romantic palace set on an island in the Havel River in southwest Berlin. Built between 1794 and 1797 for King Frederick William II of Prussia, the palace was designed as a playful summer retreat. Its white, castle-like façade with mock ruins and delicate balconies stands against broad lawns, old trees, and gentle water views. The island takes its name from the peacocks that roam freely, adding flashes of color and a touch of theater to the landscape.
The palace and island were shaped as part of a larger vision for royal residences around Potsdam and Berlin. Architect Johann Gottlieb Brendel created the palace in a light, picturesque style, while landscape designer Peter Joseph Lenné later refined the grounds into a sweeping English garden. Winding paths, open meadows, and carefully framed views turn the island into a living backdrop, where architecture and nature appear to play together.
In the 19th century, Pfaueninsel became a scene for courtly life. Small receptions, strolls, and garden amusements filled the summer months. The palace interior echoed this spirit with intimate rooms, delicate decorative details, and views toward the water. Though modest in scale, the setting carried a sense of theater, as if each turn in the path revealed a new stage.
Pfaueninsel is protected as a nature reserve and part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the palaces and parks of Potsdam and Berlin. Ancient oaks and rare plantings shelter birds and small animals. The island’s namesake peacocks display their feathers in open glades, while the soft call of waterfowl carries across the Havel. In spring and summer, the meadows brighten; in autumn, the trees deepen to gold and copper tones. Even in winter, the palace’s pale walls create a striking contrast with the bare branches and silver water.
The island sits within the Berlin district of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, near the border with Potsdam. Access is by a short ferry ride from the mainland jetty; motor vehicles are not allowed on the island, which keeps the paths calm and quiet. The palace can be viewed from the outside year-round, and interior visits are possible during set hours, typically in warmer months. Information on opening times and tickets is available through the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation.
Simple amenities are located near the ferry landing, and waymarked paths lead around the island. The circuit offers frequent water views, shaded groves, and clear sightlines back to the palace—reminders of a late 18th-century idea of leisure, where nature and architecture were meant to be enjoyed at an easy pace.
Source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfaueninsel_Palace
This heritage-protected public bathing beach which opened in 1907 is one of the largest inland lidos in Europe and has a 1275-m-long sand beach, a capacity for up to 30,000 guests and a popular nudist area.
Small terrace on the top of the Park Inn, publicly accessible. Take the elevator to the 40th floor, and follow the signs up the stairs. Pay the attendant who also serves beer and coffee. Great views of the Fernsehturm. In the summer, consider base jumping off the roof with Jochen Schweizer. It is often closed in bad/windy weather, so look for a notice posted near the elevator that the terrace is closed.
Official residence of the (largely ceremonial) President of Germany since 1994. Only Roman Herzog (president 1994-1999) actually lived here, his successors have preferred a quiet apartment on the outskirts of Berlin, but this is where the president will usually host guests and do public events. Guided tours are possible, but plan to book up to nine months ahead and be prepared for having to reschedule if the president decides to hold an event on short notice which preempts tours.
This abandoned amusement park with its iconic large Ferris wheel opened in the German Democratic Republic in 1969. After its closing in 2002 the rotting theme park and its apocalyptic atmosphere became a target of international media coverage, amongst others by the New York Times. In 2016 it was announced that the venue will be restored and reopened as an art and culture park.
One of the most authentic and oldest villages (1247) in the outskirts of Berlin, it looks the same way it did some hundred years ago. Take S-Bahn 1 to Waidmannslust and then bus 222 to Alt-Lübars.
A cuboid made of concrete. On the front side of the cuboid is a window, through which visitors can see a short film of two kissing men. The video will be changed every two years and will also show kissing lesbians.
Not far away from Schloss Tegel (at the "große Malche") you can take a look at the oldest tree in Berlin, an oak which has been growing there since about 1192 (so it's actually older than Berlin itself). The name ("fat Mary") allegedly stems from the brother Humboldt who named the tree after their overweight cook.
Places with markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays are popular with locals at Winterfeldplatz. Buy a coffee and browse amongst the stalls; this is a place to unearth hidden gems. Breakfast is served usually until 14:00-15:00.
Also known as "Picasso und seine Zeit", this not so large, but precious museum hosts a very good collection of paintings and sculptures signed by Picasso, Klee, Matisse, Giacometti, and others from the first decades of the 20th century.
The Bayerischer Platz is the centre of the Bayerisches Viertel ("Bavarian district", with many streets named after Bavarian cities), which was destroyed a lot more during World War II (about 60%). Somewhere around there Albert Einstein lived once. You’ll find several memorial signs providing information about the Nazi regime's persecution of gays and Jews.
Built in 1542. An impressive traditional country estate with stately architecture, it is an enclave of untouched regional cultural history and architectonic epochs. The 80-hectare mixed forest also provides a wide network of paths for walking and rambling.
A remarkable medium-sized classical castle by the famous K.F. Schinkel built 1820 to 1824, also called "Humboldtschlösschen", because Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt (and their family) lived here once. Still privately owned.
House museum on Max Liebermann, German painter and printmaker. Has about 15 Lieberman paintings.
150 m high lattice tower with open-air observation deck 124 m above ground.
The zoo in the former East Berlin is more spacious than its West Berlin counterpart, the historic Berlin Zoo and has been open for some 50 years. The Tierpark has nearly as many animals, but fewer reptiles and aquatic animals. It appears rather like a park with animals than a classic zoo, in fact it is one of the biggest zoos in Europe. There is an old castle from the late 17th century in the northeast of the Tierpark (Schloss Friedrichsfelde).