If you’re looking to leave the city for the day and spend it with less crowds, a trip to Peacock Island followed by a stop in Potsdam is the way to go.

In the late 1700’s the Prussian King, Frederick William the II, had a castle built for him in what served as his summer residence, the castle still remains.

While walking around the island, you’ll be surrounded by nature, some historic buildings, as well as some peacocks and other birds.

The island has gone through a number of changes over the decades. In 1821 it was landscaped by a famous landscape architect who added some unique features such as a dairy, gothic monastery pieces, and a temple.

One of the fun stops here is the biergarten. Although the island is very relaxing, this particular area allows guests to sit, drink, eat, and be surrounded by some venturing peacocks.

From Berlin, you can hop on the S-Bahn to Wannsee and then transfer on to a bus then ferry. Bikes aren’t allowed so make sure to bring some comfortable shoes. There are plenty of fields to picnic on and a designated area for doing so actually, right by the biergarten.

After spending some hours on the island, we ended our day in Potsdam. We took a ferry then a bus from Pfaueninsel. This city has close to 200, 000 inhabitants and is right on the border of Berlin in the state of Brandenburg. This city is mainly known for the palaces and beautiful parks. For the couple of hours that we planned to be there we decided to visit Sanssouci Palace.

This palace was built around 1745 for Frederick the Great and served as his summer palace. It has a number of temples, gardens, and follies surrounding it. It is designed in the Rococo, or late Baroque style.

The palaces’ name refers to a French phrase meaning “care free”, which references the type of location this was meant to be, a relaxing place to rest. Exploring the grounds can take hours. We enjoyed climbing the large stairs on the south facing facade, passing by and through the beautiful plants, and soaking in the summer weather.

One of the notable structures on the ground is the historic windmill. It is not the original mill, it has gone through quite a bit of damage and was set ablaze during the war. The current mill is a replica of the one that was built in the late 1700s. There are many urban legends about the mills that stood on this land. It is worth googling the various accounts about Frederick the Great and nearby tenants and farmers of the land.

If you find yourself in Berlin and wanting to take a day trip, these two places are ideal. Peacock Island is currently under going some renovations but will be up and ready by 2024.