Peacock island
Faux-ruin summer palace of timber and stucco built for a king and his companion, its tower disguised as a Tahitian bamboo hut.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Peacock Island in Berlin tells how King Frederick William the Second built a castle here in 1793 designed to look like a crumbling ruin the day it was finished, a private retreat for himself and his companion Wilhelmine Encke. It follows the carpenter who dressed timber and stucco up as ancient stone, and the stranger chamber inside got up like a Tahitian bamboo hut. You'll hear about the private zoo of exotic animals later kings kept on these grounds. Look closely at the walls around you for the trick hiding in plain sight.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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