Think of a visit to Berlin and you’ll probably conjure up images of the Brandenburg Gate or cool artists making funky works in East Berlin. But there’s (literally) another side to Berlin: the posh western side, which stretches to the lovely Wannsee (that’s a big lake to you and me).
Take a trip out to Villa Liebermann, the waterside summer house of early 20th century painter Max Liebermann, and enjoy a day of cake by the lake. Wander through his meticulously maintained gardens and note the colour of the annuals when you visit: they form a living, changing part of the artwork that is the house and its gardens.
Max was a local lad who did very well for himself in the art world but also made himself notorious by speaking out against the nascent Nazi regime. The villa is well curated, but it’s worth paying for an audio guide to learn more of the details.
Tucked at the side of the villa is a café, tiny in size but prodigious in its portions of cake, both traditional German (apple and nut, with cream) and modern (mango cheesecake), best paired with Teutonic-strength coffee.
