Köpenick Old Town

Köpenick sits on an island where the Dahme joins the Spree, a separate town until it was absorbed into Berlin in 1920, and it keeps a small old town with a brick town hall of 1904. In October 1906 Wilhelm Voigt, an unemployed shoemaker with a criminal record, bought a second-hand captain's uniform, commandeered a squad of soldiers in the street, marched them to the town hall, arrested the mayor and confiscated the treasury; the episode was reported worldwide as a comment on deference to uniforms and became a play and several films. A statue stands outside. The baroque palace on the same island holds a decorative arts collection.

The main sights

• The 1904 town hall - the building of the 1906 uniform episode, with a statue.
• The island old town - a small centre where two rivers meet.
• The baroque palace - a decorative arts museum on the same island.
• The waterways - rivers and lakes with boat traffic through the district.

When to go

April to October; boat trips run on the Dahme and Spree in season. The palace museum closes Mondays and reduces winter hours. The old town is small.

Practical notes

The old town is small and quickly seen. It is a long ride from central Berlin. The palace museum keeps limited winter hours.

Nearby

The Müggelsee lies east; central Berlin is northwest.