Just 20 minutes from the city center to one of the most discreet luxury locations in Germany: “This is where true Berlin nobility breathes” – a villa colony with private boat moorings on just 25 hectares with around 30 properties.

Whether Grunewald, Dahlem, Zehlendorf, or the centrally located Charlottenburg – we know that rents in Berlin are skyrocketing here. Villas with embassy residences near the lake, elegant apartments in old buildings, and luxurious new buildings in the city – these districts offer everything that defines luxury in Berlin. But that’s not all: the truly exclusive address, and at the same time one of the most discreet in Germany, is the island of Schwanenwerder in the southwest of Berlin, in the district of Wannsee. Schwanenwerder is located directly on the Großer Wannsee lake on the Havel river and is only about 20 minutes from Berlin’s city center.

Photo: @basz_berlin / Instagram

The island is connected to the mainland by a short bridge, giving it a secluded feel even though it is only a few minutes away from the famous shores of Lake Wannsee. With an area of around 25 hectares, Schwanenwerder is comparatively small. Geographically, it is located in the Havel River between Wannsee and Kladow. Access is exclusively via a single bridge, which has allowed the island to retain a particularly quiet and secluded atmosphere to this day.

The most important street on the island is Inselstraße, which runs in a ring around the entire island and connects all the properties. Overall, Schwanenwerder is a historic villa colony that is still considered one of the most expensive and exclusive residential areas in Berlin. The island enjoys a reputation as an extremely discreet, upscale address. Many houses do not have visible nameplates, and everyday life on the island is correspondingly quiet. Visitors usually only come to stroll along the water or pass through the island by boat.

Photo: @basz_berlin / Instagram

The island was first mentioned in documents in 1704. At that time, it was still called Sandwerder or Cladower Sandwerder. At that time, the area was largely uninhabited and consisted mainly of a barren sandy area with only a few bushes and trees.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Schwanenwerder developed into one of Berlin’s most exclusive residential areas. Numerous wealthy entrepreneurs, bankers, and industrialists had prestigious villas built here. Among the well-known residents were Rudolph Karstadt, founder of the Karstadt department store chain, Oscar Wassermann, CEO of Deutsche Bank, and Eduard Mosler of the Berlin Trading Company. The island thus developed into an exclusive enclave of Berlin’s upper middle class.

Today, Schwanenwerder is primarily a quiet and extremely exclusive residential island. It remains one of the most expensive addresses in Berlin and is still characterized by nature, water, and great privacy.