Despite the icy weather, many club members joined the first event of the WiB Group Palaces, Villas, Parks on 26 November 2025. The visit to the Old Charlottenburg Palace was the first visit for many members including the long-time Berliners. Following a warm and informative welcome by Thomas Weiberg, the Palace Area Director of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg, Susanne, the WiB group leader, led a lively tour, sharing the palace’s history and its significance as the favorite retreat of seven generations of the ruling Hohenzollern family.

Largely restored and refurnished after the severe destruction of World War II, the former summer residence is now one of Berlin’s key landmarks. Many were surprised to learn that the original wall paneling of the famous Amber Room was first commissioned for Charlottenburg Palace. The tour showcased magnificent halls with richly decorated walls, tapestries, silk damask, fine artworks and mirrors. Particularly impressive were the Porcelain Cabinet of Queen Sophie Charlotte, displaying more than 2,000 pieces from 17th-century China and Japan, and the palace chapel, adorned with elaborate stucco work and gold detailing.

After the tour, the traditional Christmas market in front of the palace with its twinkling lights and vibrant colors drew the group members in like a festive magnet. They spent the afternoon in a relaxed, cheerful mood, sipping warm mulled wine to fend off the chill, while the rich aroma of freshly baked pastries and sizzling sausages filled the air, adding to the enchanting holiday atmosphere.