Peacock Island Berlin

With the recent visit of my mother in law, we tried to find some new activities to do in Berlin. One friend recommended a visit to Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island) which I discovered is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It’s a bit outside the Berlin area that we’re familiar with, but overall I’d say it’s well worth the visit. There’s only one bus that goes to the island’s ferry connection, and make sure to check your timing as it only goes once an hour.

The last ten minutes or so of the bus trip drives through a beautiful forest and by the time you get to the ferry you feel wholly outside of the city. The Havel River flows lazily past and Pfaueninsel’s verdant greenery calls to you from the other side. The ferry itself is a classic small river ferry which only takes about three minutes to make the crossing. You need to buy your tickets at one of the machines on the mainland or online before. It’s €6 per person return.

The island itself is gorgeous and remarkably peaceful. As the name might lead you to expect there are peacocks just meandering around the place, very tame and comfortable with the visitors.

But it wasn’t just the peacocks, it’s a beautiful verdant place, filled with old trees and a huge variety of plant life. There are some beautiful gardens too.

And we saw woodpeckers, and other familiar bird species enjoying the summer bounty.

And were surprised to see multiple foxes as well, sometimes just hanging out very near to the peacocks and silver pheasants.

One suggestion I would definitely make though is to bring a good packed lunch. There is one small snack grill type place at the centre of the island (at least whilst the castle is undergoing restoration), and the food was fairly disappointing and expensive – so you’re definitely better off bringing a picnic!

There is a slightly incongruous caged area on the island as well called the “Volière auf der Pfaueninsel”, which has a number of peacocks of different types alongside strange furry hens and other fowl, but after having seen so many different creatures freely walking around it seemed a little strange to suddenly see a caged area. Though I am sure there are good reasons for it.

There are also various beautiful old buildings and fountains, all surrounded by lush greenery.

I was delighted as well that as we were leaving we were lucky enough to see one of the peacocks put on a full display!

And after we caught the ferry back and were waiting for the hourly bus to arrive, I got lucky and saw a cormorant hunting in the river.

What a beauty!

Anyway, highly recommended for any nature lover visiting Berlin, especially in late spring, summer and early autumn, when you’ll get the most immersive experience.

You can find out more information on the Visit Berlin website. The castle will apparently be reopened in 2024.