Köpenick Old Town

Köpenick's old town sits in the southeast of Berlin on an island where the Spree and the Dahme meet, in the Treptow-Köpenick district. Köpenick was an independent Brandenburg town for centuries and was only incorporated into Berlin in 1920. Wander the cobbled lanes around the Alt-Köpenick core and you feel the change of pace immediately: small-scale buildings, old fishermen's houses, water at every turn and plenty of greenery along the banks.

The landmark is the brick Köpenick town hall, built from 1901 to 1905 in the North German brick Gothic style. It became famous through the "Köpenickiade" of 1906, when the cobbler Wilhelm Voigt, posing as an army captain with a squad of soldiers, occupied the town hall, had the mayor arrested and seized the town treasury. The story of the Captain of Köpenick traveled the world, and a bronze figure in front of the town hall still commemorates it. Right next door, on its own island in the Dahme, stands the Baroque Schloss Köpenick with the Museum of Decorative Arts.

The old town is ideal for a quiet walk away from the tourist crowds. From the Müggelheimer Damm and the Dahme waterfront there are good views over the water, and on warm days cafés and riverside restaurants invite a stop. One tip: Köpenick is a good starting point for a boat trip on the Dahme or out to the nearby Müggelsee, the largest lake in Berlin. Combine the walk through the lanes with a visit to the palace and a break by the river.