Babelsberg Palace

Schloss Babelsberg – © Cujo301 / Wikimedia

The views of the Havel river are breathtaking. The water glitters in the sun, steamers chug by and, in the distance, there's Glienicke Bridge. It must have looked pretty much the same here in 1833 when Prince Wilhelm, later to become Kaiser Wilhelm I, had Babelsberg Palace built. A picturesque construction in the English Tudor style with embattled walls, flanking towers and lancet windows – built to the plans of architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The palace is surrounded by terraces with mosaics, sculptures, beautifully arranged flowerbeds and a gothic fountain. This leads on to the English-style landscaped gardens designed by Peter Joseph Lenné and Hermann Fürst von Pückler-Muskau. Winding paths lead to Flatowturm tower, which was built between 1853 and 1856 and affords spectacular views.

The palace is closed at the moment due to construction works.