Exploring Alt Reinickendorf

Since I've documented my article about the Most Beautiful Metro Stations of Berlin I wanted to return to a part of Berlin I did not have any idea about but which charmed me with the most colourful and elaborated decorations. One of the last weekends, I took my best walking shoes and my camera and started a long walking expedition into the (almost) unknown.

My adventure started at Lindauer Allee metro station, on the U8 line, direction Wittenau. As usual, I couldn't resist to have a look from the above and admire the colourful trees and geometrical shapes bringing colour and good mood to the otherwise boring waiting time for your next train. 

A couple of steps away from the metro station, the colourful garden colony of Pflanzerheim was getting back to life, with windows being slowly opened and gardens started of being cleaned and watered. 

Charmed by the manicured gardens of the colony we not even realized that we are far into a wild wood, such a quiet walk although the green-bordered avenues are often crossed by dogs and bikes on their quiet morning walks.

Half an hour of walk later, we landed on the Roedernallee and a different and completely unknown page in the history of Reinickendorf is being opened. Here are the headquarters of Berliner Seilfabrik, a local brand producing equipments for playgrounds. 

A couple of meters away, a red-bricked building hosts a company producing since 1981 fasteners for the automotive industry.

The alley has plenty of average foodie options, the usual variants of Turkish and Asian fast-foods, but also a couple of beer open air locals. As in many other quarters of Berlin, the intensive renovation works of the building announce some coming suprises for the local real estate market.  

The more we walk the more we are getting closer to the historical chore of Alt Reinickendorf. Part of the city of Berlin since the end of the 14th century, it was named for the peasant Reinhardt (Reineke in a German dialect), who first settled here in the first half of the 13rd century. Situated in the Nortwestern part of the city, it went through dramatic transformations starting with the 19th century, once the industrialization process began. The train station - nowadays S-Bahn - built at the end of the 19th century, created important connection from this part of the city to other Eastern areas of Germany.

Near the train station, one can walk to the local War Cemetery, dedicated to victims of the WWII, among which known and unknown soldiers from Italy, Netherlands, France, Russia, USA or Spain.

On a more positive note, history is present again at Industriehof, outlining another center where the engine of industrialization moved the city forward.

The small streets around Freiheitsweg offer a pleasure to the eyes, with the colourful, multi-storey houses surrounded by gardens and secret mews. For a moment, I completely forget where I am and the constrast with the grey constructions I noticed on the main street is noticeable. 

Back on the Roedernallee, we have a look at the famous Paracelsus Bad, the first built in Berlin after WWII, inaugurated in 1960. Since then, it permanently diversified the offer, being considered nowadays an attractive destination for swimming lovers in the Northern part of Germany. The complex also includes a sauna and beauty and hair parlours. 

As often happens during my travels, my hunger for learning means that I might stumble upon unknown bites of information that keep surprising me. As for instance, the encounter with the Weiße Stadt (White City). Of course I know and love the White City in Tel Aviv, but finding another one in Reinickendorf was more than a pleasant surprise. The outstanding examples of a massive construction including 1,268 residential units are to be found on Aroser Allee (former Schillerpromenade), Emmentaller and Genferstraße. 

Built at the end of the 1920s according to the principles of the 'New Objectivity' architectural style, the 3-5 storey buildings were aimed to offer a complete housing experience to the residents, which similarly with the housing complex in Frohnau, were also served by 2 Kindergarten, a heating central, an apothecary and more than 20 shops, spread on an area with significant areas covered by gardens. 

Part of the UNESCO World Heritage, alongside with Gropiusstadt, it offers the German architectural answer to the increasing housing needs of the 20th century. Everything looks very neat and well organised the inspiration for an equally clearly settled life. The charming blue doors were my favorite part of the area, bringing a joyous human feature into the strict white labyrinth of buildings.

The ambiance on Residenzstraße is less organised and white clear, with cheap colourful stores and the Babbel of languages. At the foodie stop at Tamra Chicken I recharged my batteries put on trial for the long walking hours with a halloumi cheese plate, accompanied by delicious mezze and a fresh lemonade prepared in Middle Eastern style. 

As the rain decided to pour shortly after my lunch was over, against my will, I have to make another stop - this time soaked in sugar, at La Femme, a family friendly restaurant part of a chain serving delicious breakfast and Oriental dishes spread all over Berlin. My kanafe was outrageously sweet, but pretty for the camera. 

 We reached the final leg of the journey, Franz Neumann metro station, but the trip is not over yet.

The next 45 minutes are well spent in the after-rain quietness walking around the Schäfersee, my thoughts interrupted only by the repeated noises of the huge airplanes overlooking the area coming and going from Tegel Airport. Around the lake there are many summer coffee places, as well as a mini-golf yard, but the most soothing view is of the quiet lake, with its lonely boats waiting to be driven. 

My walking adventure ended as scheduled at Franz Neumann, another colourful station on this metro line. True is that it took me a lot of time to come back to explore this area, but it just opened my appetite for more Berlin histories. 

Right now, I should think about what's next on my Berlin mapping agenda.

Another travel dream come true: Bad Muskau Natural Park and Castle

There were many reasons I wanted to visit Bad Muskau for years, besides many recommendations from expat friends and locals. Among them, the idea of a transnational park and the occasion to see a beautiful castle.

Arriving there is not that easy, First, I had to change the train twice and use a local bus until the destination. Everything went smoothly though so I did not have any serious reason to regret my almost 3-hours ride. I used the one day 44 Euro ticket plus another 7 Euro for the two-ways bus ride.  

Although in the middle of the week, tourists were all around, many coming from the neighbouring Poland. The name of the streets are usually bilingual - German and Polish. Although on the many central architecture, the traces of the ugly and dark coloured architecture from the time of communism is still predominant, on the side-streets, interesting shapes and vivid colours dare to offer the visitor a different impression.

The cobblestone streets recreate an ambiance of nostalgy and the feeling of being back in time. And with the horse carriages ready to start the visit through the Bad Muskau park, you feel like being send back by a time-travel machine. 

 First, we need to step on the other side of the castle gate.

The next seconds I am mesmerized by the brave red presence of the castle, whose front seems to  want to jump up in the high sky. One more look and two more pictures and I decide to go further on to see the famous gardens, built around the island where the castle is situated.  

Bad Muskau Natural park is the largest and one of the most famous English gardens in Central Europe, which goes on both sides of the border between Poland and Germany. For instance, 3.5 sqm. of the park is in Poland and the rest of 2.1 sqm. in Germany. A symbol of the post-war warfree Europe, the park is considered more than a beautiful sample of human work with - not against - nature, it means co-existence and sharing common values.

Without aware of the symbolical, historical and even political information, the visitor is offered the chance of an exquisite outdoor journey, crossing through huge trees expanding on big surfaces that you can explore through a small path in the middle.

Small waterfalls challenge the uniformity of the landscape and bring the music of nature as a background of a long ride.

Tucked near trees, white benches surrounded by flowers invite to meditation or just a break breathing hard the fresh chilly air.

A small rain kept us company for most of the 4-hour journey through the park, but the high trees are protecting us. We cross paths with small groups of visitors, or couples in love or bikers quietly nodding a 'hello' or just saying it loud. Obviously, we are not in a big anonymous city anymore and this feeling of small community of wanderers is recomforting when so far away from home in the middle of the nature immensity.

Designed starting with 1815 by Prince Hermann von Pückler Muskau, the natural park is considered an extraordinary sample of landscape architecture. Impressive is not only the balance between various types of trees and plants but also of natural habitats, from forests to small ponds and beds of flowers. 

As we walk slowly, we hardly notice that in fact we went one level higher. The terraces are easy to hike even if you do not have too much walking experience. 

The nature was not too much visibly changed. The manmade elements, such as stones in the middle of the river, are aimed to bring just a discrete touch. 

There are many small kiosks or picnic places where you can stop and have a meal in the middle of the nature. After so much hiking, I preferred to find a resting place with a view over the castle.  

German castles are my newest fascination and in a next post I will reveal some fantastic travel plans I have for the next weeks. In more than seven years of expat travel life in Germany, I visited a cople of castles, but Bad Muskau took my heart as one of the most beautiful I've seen so far. I am aware that most of the spectacular effect for the viewer is the result of the natural location and wild yet mancontrolled vegetation.

The Prince Germann von Pückler is a fascinating personality in itself, as the castle exhibition reveals it. He wrote travel books based on his journeys in Europe or North Africa, spent a lot of time in England where he become familiar with the rules of the landscape architecture, but was also a heart breaker. He even gave his name for an ice cream. 

There are many things that you can find out about the history or geography of the place and his former owners, but nothing tempts me more than the return outdoors and just another small tour before I have to go. A beautiful blue small bridge bordered by flowers is my reward.

The castle, that from 1245 until 1924 went through frequent reconstructions and embelishments, that melted quite well in an unique style, offered inspiration for my mind and the camera. My time spent here was short, for sure, and asks for a new visit in the foreseable future, but for now, I am happy that finally just another travel dream come true. And miraculously, it generated just another 5 more travel dreams.

For more pictures, check the dedicated Pinterest board here

Romantic afternoon at Peacock Island

My first return to Peacock Island (Pfaueninsel) after many years of absence, was not a happy one. On the way to the ferry from the bus station, I accidentally lost my phone. I noticed the absence of my precious smart one when I was about to go out of the ferry to the island. Using my tablet internet connection and the help of good people, I succeeded to localize the phone, that was found and took by some other good people and run on the other end of the city to recover it. Although my travel plans were twarted, my faith in humanity was restored. 

The next day I started the journey again, this time without any major occurences. The walk from the bus station to the ferry in the middle of the quiet woods was a kind of initiatic trip during which I left behind all the hardship and failures of life on the other side of the forest. 

The views over Havel complete the landscape of serenity, troubled only by the coming and going of leisure boats in spring and summer.

After the emotional day before and the long walk, I decided to have some asparagus (spargel) at the summer garden before the next leg of the trip. The idea of a stop was good, the foodie choice was overpriced and rather modest in terms of culinary raffinement.

After the five minute ferry hop - 4 EUR. both ways - very children pram friendly, I am finally back on what was considered to be "Prussian Arcadia". This one and a half km. long and half km.wide island is since 1924 a nature conservation area and part of the UNESCO World Heritage. The entire environment invites to love and mystery, with its secluded gardens and winding paths.

The highest attraction are the beautiful peacocks who are running free in the grass. When they have their moment of glory, showing their beautiful tails, everyone gathers around, camera and selfies mood on, to catch the moment. After a couple of minutes, it feels a bit of stress not only for the peacocks.

Romantic ruins hidden behind wild lawns bring the quietness back. Hopefully, the island is big enough to always find a corner where no one takes obsessively pictures. (Besides myself)

From far, the clean blue waters punctured by white boat points look like an exquisite polka dot canvas.

As farming is practiced here since the beginning of the 19th century, no surprise that you may cross path wit some cute wolly sheep. Cereals, root and leaf plants were also cultivated here. 

The gracious arches of bridges reflected into the clear waters in the middle of the vegetation are invitations to dream. As bikes are not allowed, during the entire trip you just learn to walk and see again, with all your senses.

Back at the peacock farm, a beautiful white bird has its moment of glory, this time, without too much audience around. 

The rosegarden is in full bloom only in September (a reason enough to return then) but the Romantic soul is fed by the view of half ruins. You may just wait to see a faun jumping in the front of you. 

The majestic point of the island is the castle, built in the 18th century by Friedrich Wilhelm the IIrd for his beloved Wilhelmina Encke. On the wrought iron, middle-ages bridge she was supposed to appear every evening when Friedrich was not there, to greet him. He, he was on the towers of his castle in Potsdam waiting for her.

We all need to write our own love stories, be it a never deceiving life-long love story for travel and beautiful places.  

For more inspiration, check the dedicated Pinterest board: https://de.pinterest.com/ilanaontheroad/peacock-island/