Peacock Island in Berlin

Close to Berlin, on the Havel River there is a place, which looks like from a fairy tale. It has a castle, woods, beautiful rose garden and colourful birds. Moreover, it lies on the mysterious island, called Peacock Island (Pfaueninsel). Just its shape on a map resembles a peacock. But this is not where its name comes from. Initially it was called the Rabbit Island, because of rabbit breeding. At the end of XVIII century the name was changed to the present, followed by the increasing collection of exotic animals: monkeys, lions or kangaroos. Later on all of them were transferred to the Berlin zoo – the first zoo in Germany. Nowadays the animals collection is limited to peacocks and sheep.

To enter the island one has to take a ferry (ticket costs 3-4 €). It runs every 10 minutes and takes just 2-3 minutes to cross the river. Cycling is forbidden, so it is necessary to leave a bike on a land.

At the entrance there is a small souvenir shop, which also sells tickets to the castle and some snacks. It is also worth to take a map of an island. It is small, but easy to get lost. The castle is obviously the main tourist attraction. Looks impressive from afar, but when coming closer we can observe it is just like a wooden dummy, but still charming. Close to it there is a statue of Rachel Felix – French actress. Wandering aroung one can also find an old dairy, giant acorns and rose garden.  What gives the place additional touch are fountains and antient-like statues and columns. Noone can leave the island without seeing peacocks. Some of them are closed in a cage, but others are walking  freely.

The Peacock Island is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and definitely it is worth visiting, while in Berlin.