Schloss Köpenick

On a little island just south of the Altstadt (via Alt-Köpenick), the baroque Köpenick Palace served not only as a royal residence but also as a prison and a teaching seminary before becoming a museum in 1963. Since 1990 it’s been home to a branch of the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts). Exhibits showcase a rich and eclectic collection of decorative furniture, tapestries, porcelain, silverware, glass and other items from the Renaissance, baroque and rococo periods. Highlights include four lavishly panelled rooms and the stunning Wappensaal (Coat of Arms Hall). It was in this very hall where, in 1730, a military court meted out questionable justice against two soldiers accused of attempted desertion. The verdicts? The guillotine for Captain Hans and the throne – eventually – for Captain Friedrich. He just happened to have the good fortune of being the son of King Friedrich Wilhelm I. Entry is free for the last four hours on Thursday. East of the Schloss, you can spot the former fishing village called Kietz across the little bay called Frauentog, where a solar-powered boat rental station has set up shop. A stroll along the cobbled lanes of Kietz, past the nicely restored but modest cottages of the fisherfolk, is a tranquil diversion.