I've been to Berlin twice and love the city but I'm thinking of possibly returning to the area next month and seeing something other than the city center this time. Maybe stay in the outskirts, or up to 20 miles out, and maybe, or maybe not, go into the city for a day.
Can you recommend a nice place to visit in the outskirts of Berlin or the countryside for 3 - 4 days?
You could consider staying somewhere around the Grunewald Park if you are travelling somewhere between March and November. Other options include the Köpenick district on the Southeast. Berlin has a lot more to offer than the attractions around Mitte by the way.
If you want to stay close to Berlin the most obvious answer is Potsdam. You can easily spend 3 or 4 days in this lovely city, which is surrounded by lakes and several royal parks, not just Sanssouci. And between and around these gardens are often interesting objects, like the church in Sacrow, the Belvere on the Pfingstberg, the Ruinenberg in Bornstedt or Lindstedt palace. Really a wonderful region. -> http://www.spsg.de/index.php?id=c903b6409fb214ec75740017f0000011&sessionLanguage=en All other interesting places are at least 1h away from Berlin, which lies a bit in the middle of nowhere. If you want something completely different you could explore the Spreewald in a boat for example (1h away from Berlin). Or hike in Saxon Switzerland (2:30h). Lie on a white sandy beach on Usedom island or explore the medieval towns along the coast (4h).
Hi, Staying outside of Mitte I would also suggest in Berlin Köpenick along with Wannsee and Wilmersdorf. Outside... stay in Potsdam, a very interesting and nice walking town. "...outskirts of Berlin or the countryside for 3-4 days?" Any particular direction? I assume you will have a car (it's a alot easier) to get out to these outlying towns, such as Fürstenwalde, Zossen/Wünsdorf, Wustrau bei Berlin, Potsdam, Seelow, or Neuhardenberg, esp if you're interested in history. If you're interested and have the time to see another city to the east of Berlin, I absolutely suggest Frankfurt an der Oder. Very doable walking from the train station to the Oder River bridges.
Thank you all. Good suggestions which I will now look into. We are based near Amersfoort, NDL but are taking a train up to the island of Fohr, Germany and before returning to the Amersfoort area, were looking to check another area for the 3 - 4 days we have. All by public transportation.