Peacock Island (Pfaueninsel)

Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island) in Berlin is a car-free island in the Havel River on the city's southwestern edge, reached only by a short ferry ride. It feels worlds away from the capital: a whimsical white palace, centuries-old oaks, open meadows and peacocks strolling freely across the lawns. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin," it makes a peaceful half-day trip and pairs well with a visit to Potsdam.

A royal hideaway

The island's story is full of surprises. In the late 1600s an alchemist named Johannes Kunckel ran a glassworks here until his lab burned down in 1689. A century later, King Frederick William II turned the island into a private retreat with his longtime companion Wilhelmine Enke. Starting in 1794 he built a small summer palace designed to look like a ruined castle. Queen Luise and her husband later used the island as an ornamental farm, and landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenné shaped the park from 1821. Exotic animals once lived here too, until they moved to the new Berlin Zoo in 1842; only the peacocks stayed.

What to see

• The palace: After years of restoration, it reopened on May 25, 2025. Much of its original 1790s interior survives, including a ballroom and a cabinet decorated like a South Seas bamboo hut.
• The dairy (Meierei): A farm building disguised as a Gothic church ruin.
• The rose garden: Considered the oldest in Berlin.
• Wildlife: Around 400 ancient oaks, protected meadows and, of course, the peacocks.

Ferry, tickets and opening hours

Island hours follow the ferry schedule (as of October 2026): daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from March to October, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from November to February. The last crossing to the island leaves 45 minutes before closing.

The round-trip ferry costs €6 (€5 reduced) and a family ticket is €12. Buy online or at the machine by the pier, which takes cards or coins; the ferry crew does not sell tickets. Palace entry is an extra €8 (€6 reduced), sold only on the day at the ferry house. The SPSG's free "SANSSOUCI" app offers audio tours in English, so download it before you go, as reception on the island can be weak.

How to get there

From central Berlin, take the S-Bahn (S1 or S7) or a regional train to Wannsee station, about 25 to 30 minutes from the center, then bus 218 to its last stop, Pfaueninsel. A Deutschlandticket or regular Berlin AB fare covers the trip. Drivers can use the public parking lots along Nikolskoer Weg, which fill up fast on sunny weekends.

Good to know

Because the island is a nature reserve, dogs (except assistance dogs), bicycles and drones are not allowed, and smoking is banned. Paths are partly sandy and manageable for wheelchair users only with a companion; the palace itself is not accessible. There is a small café garden for coffee and cake.

Nearby

• Nikolskoe: A log-cabin restaurant and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, a short forest walk away.
• Glienicke Palace and Glienicke Bridge: The famous Cold War "Bridge of Spies."
• House of the Wannsee Conference: A memorial on the lakeshore.