Pfaueninsel, or Peacock Island, is a romantic retreat nestled in the River Havel near Berlin’s Wannsee district. Accessible only by ferry, this UNESCO World Heritage Site blends nature, architecture, and royal history. Commissioned by Frederick William II in the late 18th century, the island features a whimsical white palace built for the king and his mistress, Wilhelmine Enke. Designed in a romantic ruin style, the palace anchors a landscape of meadows, woodlands, and exotic flora inspired by South Pacific islands. Free-roaming peacocks, buffalo, and an aviary add to its charm, while historical structures like the Gothic-style dairy, Queen Luise’s memorial temple, and the Kavaliershaus enrich the experience. Landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenné later transformed the grounds into an English-style park. Today, Pfaueninsel remains a tranquil escape from urban life, offering leisurely walks, scenic views, and a glimpse into Prussian elegance and eccentricity.
Berlin GermanyPfaueninsel, or Peacock Island, lies in the River Havel in Berlin-Wannsee, in the southwestern part of Berlin near the border with Potsdam. Accessible only by a small ferry from the Pfaueninselchaussee in Zehlendorf (postcode 14109), the 67-hectare island is part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin. A nature and wildlife reserve, Pfaueninsel charms with its romantic landscape, free-roaming peacocks, wildflower meadows, woodlands, and the whimsical neo-classical Peacock Island Palace built for King Frederick William II. Other notable features include a dairy, historic follies, a column fountain, rose garden, and the memorial temple for Queen Luise. The ferry crossing preserves the island’s tranquil, car-free atmosphere, making it ideal for leisurely strolls and picnics. Nearby attractions include the lush Volkspark Klein-Glienicke and riverfront walks, Glienicke Bridge famous for Cold War spy exchanges, and the cultural sites of Potsdam and Wannsee, easily reached by public transport from central Berlin.
Brandenburg Gate
Berlin
Reichstag Building & Dome
Berlin
Checkpoint Charlie
Berlin
East Side Gallery
Berlin
Berlin Wall Memorial
Berlin
Holocaust Memorial
Berlin
Gendarmenmarkt
Berlin
Museum Island
Berlin
Berlin Cathedral
Berlin
Anne Frank Center
Berlin
Victory Column
Berlin
Charlottenburg Palace & Gardens
Berlin
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial
Berlin
Potsdamer Platz
Berlin
Humboldt Forum
Berlin
Oberbaum Bridge
Berlin
Red Town Hall
Berlin
Nikolaiviertel
Berlin
Marienkirche
Berlin
Nikolaikirche
Berlin
Ephraim-Palais
Berlin
Knoblauchhaus
Berlin
Hohenschönhausen Memorial
Berlin
Allied Museum
Berlin
German Resistance Memorial Center
Berlin
Tränenpalast
Berlin
Tempelhofer Feld
Berlin
Anhalter Bahnhof
Berlin
Bellevue Palace
Berlin
Karl-Marx-Allee
Berlin
Dead Chicken Alley
Berlin
Teufelsberg
Berlin
Luiseninsel
Berlin
Monbijoupark
Berlin
Lustgarten
Berlin
Gedenkstätte Günter Litfin
Berlin
The Story of Berlin
Berlin
DDR Museum
Berlin
Jewish Museum Berlin
Berlin
German Historical Museum
Berlin
German Museum of Technology
Berlin
Museum für Naturkunde
Berlin
Gemäldegalerie
Berlin
Neue Nationalgalerie
Berlin
Hamburger Bahnhof
Berlin
KW Institute for Contemporary Art
Berlin
Berlinische Galerie
Berlin
Brücke Museum
Berlin
Bauhaus Archive
Berlin
Urban Nation
Berlin
Computer Games Museum
Berlin
German Spy Museum
Berlin
Museum for Communication Berlin
Berlin
Museum of European Cultures
Berlin
Musical Instrument Museum
Berlin
Museum of Photography Berlin
Berlin
Schwules Museum
Berlin
Museum at the Kulturbrauerei
Berlin
Märkisches Museum
Berlin
Bode Museum
Berlin
Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenberg
Berlin
Altes Museum
Berlin
Pergamon Museum
Berlin
Neues Museum
Berlin
Alte Nationalgalerie
Berlin
Berggruen Museum
Berlin
Museum Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind
Berlin
Anti-War Museum Berlin
Berlin
Humboldt Forum
Berlin
Bröhan Museum
Berlin
Filmmuseum Berlin
Berlin
Illuseum Berlin
Berlin
Magicum Berlin
Berlin
Museum für Asiatische Kunst
Berlin
Gropius Bau
Berlin
Topography of Terror
Berlin
Labyrinth Kindermuseum Berlin
Berlin
MACHmit
Berlin
FEZ Berlin
Berlin
Museum of Medical History at the Charité
Berlin
Veterinary Anatomy Theater
Berlin
Museum of Letters
Berlin
Lipstick Museum
Berlin
Zucker Museum
Berlin
Tiergarten
Berlin
Volkspark Friedrichshain
Berlin
Treptower Park
Berlin
Görlitzer Park
Berlin
Mauerpark
Berlin
Viktoriapark
Berlin
Park am Gleisdreieck
Berlin
Britzer Garten
Berlin
Gardens of the World
Berlin
Botanischer Garten
Berlin
Babelsberg Park
Berlin
Grunewald
Berlin
Volkspark Hasenheide
Berlin
Humboldthain Park
Berlin
Schlosspark Charlottenburg
Berlin
Köpenick Palace Gardens
Berlin
Biesdorf Palace and Gardens
Berlin
Körnerpark
Berlin
James Simon Park
Berlin
Natur-Park Südgelände
Berlin
Schlachtensee
Berlin
Müggelsee
Berlin
Rummelsburger Bucht
Berlin
Prinzessinnengärten
Berlin
Urban Spree
Berlin
Holzmarkt25
Berlin
Unter den Linden
Berlin
Winterfeldtmarkt
Berlin
Kollwitzplatz Market
Berlin
Mauerpark Flea Market
Berlin
Boxhagener Platz Flea Market
Berlin
Nowkoelln Flowmarkt
Berlin
Markthalle Neun
Berlin
Archenhold Observatory
Berlin
Wilhelm-Foerster Observatory
Berlin
Planetarium am Insulaner
Berlin
Zeiss-Großplanetarium
Berlin
Military Aviation Museum
Berlin
Camera Work
Berlin
Galerie Newman
Berlin
Contemporary Fine Arts
Berlin
Daadgalerie
Berlin
Flutgraben e.V.
Berlin
Galerie Thomas Schulte
Berlin
Galerie Wedding
Berlin
Haus am Lützowplatz
Berlin
Haus am Waldsee
Berlin
Julia Stoschek Collection
Berlin
Johann König
Berlin
Sprüth Magers
Berlin
Galeria Plan B
Berlin
Zilberman Gallery
Berlin
Galerie Buchholz
Berlin
Galerie Albrecht
Berlin
Boros Collection
Berlin
Carlier Gebauer
Berlin