Kopenick

With a half day to spare it behoved me to find an area in Berlin that I hadn't visited to potter around in. And so I caught the S-Bahn out to Kopenick in the Eastern suburbs on the River Spree. Indeed I toyed with he idea of a boat trip there, but none of the times quite worked for me. However, I saw a bit of the river coming in from the station and crossing bridges. This is a very pleasant spot in Berlin and deserves to be better known.

 

the Rathaus

I feel this statue was sculpted by someone who hadn't quite got the hang of the female nude. Or else someone over familiar with East German shot putters. In any event, just not captured the best of femininity.

Anyway, I had a pleasant lunch in front of the Rathaus in a pavement cafe.

Then I wandered on to the main feature of a visit out here  to Schloss Kopernik which houses the Kunstgewerbenmuseum. The Schloss was denuded of most of its original furnishings, but not its decorative ceilings etc. Bereft of original fittings it houses a history of interior designs and furniture, starting with the Renaissance. It is actually a very absorbing museum and well worth the effort.

 

A wonderfully over the top porcelain chandelier

 

 

The Schloss is perfectly attractive as a piece of architecture too, especially on a sunny day like this. Indeed it was being used as a wedding venue at one side so had to take the photos trying to dodge wedding guests and photographers in the grounds.

  

With a little time to spare and given what a warm day it was, I found a little Italian restaurant by the river for a cold beer and large ice cream to finish off my afternoon.

That just left me to have a little wander through the backstreets of the Alstadt, originally a fishing village

I treated myself to dinner back near my Airbnb, at the brasserie. No cardboard menu, just a blackboard with everything meticulously written out. Yum.