Peacock Island House

Berlin’s romantic gem in the River Havel

UNESCO World Heritage Palaces & gardens Architecture Parks & gardens Day trips from Berlin

Peacock Island is perfect for a romantic day out – a white fairy-tale castle and spreading parkland, complete with peacocks!

After extensive renovation work, the enchanting little palace on Peacock Island will once again welcome visitors starting Sunday, 25 May 2025.

Theodor Fontane once described the island in almost dreamlike terms: "A picture from my childhood days rises up before me like a fairy tale: A castle, peacocks sitting on a high perch or doing a cartwheel, fountains, shaded meadows, winding paths that led everywhere and nowhere..."

Even today, Peacock Island and its charming white palace remain one of Berlin’s most romantic places in Berlin. A secluded summer palace, nestled on an island with an idyllic park where peacocks roam freely—what could be more enchanting?

It comes as no surprise that this palace was originally built as a love nest for a king and his mistress.

History of Peacock Island Berlin

The island in the River Havel has been inhabited for thousands of years. Archaeological finds, such as Iron Age arm rings and bronze hair spirals, provide evidence that people were already settling here 2,500 years ago.

In the 17th century, glassmaker Johannes Kunckel moved to the island, where he conducted alchemical experiments with fire and glass in a glassworks commissioned by the Great Elector. However, disaster struck when the glassworks burned down and his patron died, leaving Kunckel ruined and dishonored.

For the next hundred years, the island remained largely forgotten. That changed when Friedrich Wilhelm II rediscovered it. As a young crown prince, he had already retreated to the island for secret rendezvous with his lover Wilhelmine Enke, who would later become Wilhelmine, Countess of Lichtenau.

Between 1794 and 1797, the king built a small summer palace on the island in the romantic ruin style that was popular at the time. Designed to resemble a “dilapidated Roman country house,” the artificial ruin is an architectural illusion—the walls are not made of white marble, but of carefully painted wood. Standing out as a striking focal point along the visual axis from the New Garden, the palace is distinguished by its two round towers, which are connected by a delicate wrought-iron bridge.

The interior was designed by the Countess of Lichtenau according to her personal taste, without adhering to a specific stylistic tradition. The furnishings, though eclectic, are of exceptional quality. However, after her death, the palace fell out of favor with Prussian rulers. Queen Luise, for instance, complained about the thin walls and preferred Paretz Palace instead. Despite this, the palace remarkably survived World War II unscathed and remains preserved in its original state.

Today, the Peacock Island is managed by the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation. Along with Glienicke Palace and the Potsdam palace landscape, the island and its small palace are part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

Die Pfaueninsel an der Wannsee-Babelsberg Route

Peacock Island Park in Berlin

The artistically designed garden landscape of Peacock Island is home to several other remarkable buildings, including the Luisen Temple, the Alte Meierei—built in the style of a Gothic monastery ruin—and the neo-Gothic Kavaliershaus. The latter served as a backdrop for several Edgar Wallace films in the 1960s, such as The Door with the Seven Locks, The Magician’s Report, and The Hound of Blackwood Castle. The garden landscape was designed in 1821 by Berlin’s renowned landscape architect, Peter Joseph Lenné.

In addition to the island’s namesake peacocks, which still wander freely and occasionally display their spectacular plumage, visitors can spot woodpeckers and cormorants or listen to the frogs' evening concerts. During the summer months, four water buffaloes also call the island home, assisting the gardeners by grazing the wet meadows.

Our tip to set the mood for your visit: Thomas Hettche’s wonderful novel Peacock Island.

How to get to Peacock Island by S-Bahn, bus & ferry

The best way to reach the island from Berlin city centre is by S-Bahn, then from the train station Wannsee continue by bus and ferry (ferry crossing and admission €8, reduced €6). Due to the protected flora and fauna, dogs and bicycles are not permitted on the island.

Opening times

March to October
Monday - Sunday:
10.00 - 18.00 hrs

The opening hours stated correspond to the operating hours of the island ferry.
Last crossing to the island 45 minutes before closing time.

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