Fodor's Expert Review Pfaueninsel

Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm II whisked his mistresses away to this small island oasis on the Great Wannsee. Schloss Pfaueninsel, the small white palace, erected in 1794 according to the ruler's plans—and in accordance with the taste of the era—was built as a fake ruin. The simple building looks strangely cartoonlike; you can see the interior on half-hour tours. In the early 19th-century, garden architect Joseph Peter Lenné designed an English garden on the island, which ultimately became western Berlin's favorite summer getaway. The park, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is now a nature reseve.