When I need a break from travelling and want to relax for a while in Berlin, I head to the gardens of Charlottenburg Palace.
![Charlottenburg Palace](http://www.castlephiletravels.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/charlottenburg_facade.jpg)
Named after Sophie Charlotte, the wife of Frederick the Great and the first queen of Prussia, the baroque palace was constructed in 1699 and is the largest palace in Berlin.
I first visited the palace while on a school trip in 2001. I have vague memories of a beautiful light-filled ballroom, a dark crowded chapel, and the first of what has now been many rooms that house royal collections of porcelain and china.
![The formal gardens at Charlottenburg Palace](http://www.castlephiletravels.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/charlottenburg_gardens.jpg)
But it’s the gardens that I really love. The formal gardens at the back of the palace are full of colourful flowers, manicured hedges, marble statues and water features. Beyond this ordered garden is a forest where you can spend the afternoon traipsing over bridges and discovering the monuments in the Charlottenburg Palace Park.
![The Belvedere at Charlottenburg Palace](http://www.castlephiletravels.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/charlottenburg_belvedere.jpg)
You can explore the Pavilion, view the porcelain collection in the Belvedere or make a more sombre trip to the Mausoleum of Queen Louise. If that doesn’t suit, perhaps try hunting for quirky objects hidden in the park, such as The Obelisk – a structure commemorating the date of March 11, for no particular reason other than it can.
![The Mausoleum at Charlottenburg Palace](http://www.castlephiletravels.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/charlootenburg_mausoleum.jpg)
My favourite thing is to do is to find a bench with a good view of the palace peeking through the trees, pull out a book to read and spend an hour or two chilling out, without anyone bothering me (something that never happens when I try the same thing on Museum Insel!). It is so peaceful and tranquil that the time slips by.
![My favourite view of Charlottenburg Palace](http://www.castlephiletravels.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/charlottenburg_fromthebench.jpg)
After spending a few hours of downtime with a view like this, I’m ready to head back in to the rush of Berlin life.
How do you recharge while travelling?
- Charlottenburg Palace is also known as Schloss Charlottenburg.
- While the gardens are free to walk around, there is a cost if you want to explore the palace. To find out more, visit the Foundation of Prussian Castles and Gardens in Berlin-Brandenburg website
- To get to Charlottenburg Schloss take the U-bahn and get out at the Richard-Wagner-Platz stop. Turn left and walk up to the end of Otto-Suhr-Allee and you will find yourself on Spandauer Damm in front of the palace.