Berlin

Gardens and a Gasthaus, country style

We're huge fans of Berlin's many allotment gardens, as much for their picturesque, countrified air as their quirky sense of design (if you've ever wondered who on earth buys all those weird and wonderful garden centre adornments, here's where you'll find the answer).

Charlottenburg's 'Bahnlandwirtschaft' gardens feel particularly special; improbably wedged between railway tracks and residential streets, they form an extensive yet secluded enclave that's only accessible via a nondescript gate in a wall.

Best of all, perhaps, is the fact that the society's clubhouse-stroke-cafe (above left) is open to all.

Sequestered in the midst of gorgeous greenery (although admittedly also perched next to a railway line) a visit to this modest eatery really does feel like being transported straight into a rural idyll.

Finding it is part of the adventure: flowers bloom, and the air is filled with birdsong. Stroll through the allotment's narrow lanes and revel in the fact that you're about to encounter one of Berlin's most secluded secret hideaways.

See also:
Lakeside views
Coffee and cake in a nostalgic setting
A hidden village

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