Berlin

Country thatch, with a U-Bahn attached

The Berlin district of Dahlem has a reputation as one of the city's leafier, quaintly countrified suburbs, so the sight of a thatched cottage at its historic centre shouldn't really come as much of a surprise.

Except that this isn't an ancient abode (or not that old - it was built in 1913), but actually the local Metro station.

Part of Berlin's U3 line, which boasts far more than its fair share of show-stopping architectural goodies, Dahlem-Dorf's faux-folk fantasy continues inside the ticket office itself, where handpainted fixtures and wooden carvings do a great job of evoking the north German farmhouses on which the design was based. (We particularly love the winged railway-carriage wheel - an optimistic tribute to public transport if ever there was one).

And to complete the illusion of rustic German idyll, there's even a matching thatched 'Imbiss', or snack bar, right across the road.

See also:
Catch the U-Bahn to the farm
Berlin's sexiest seating
Neukölln's hidden village
Berlin's magnificent U3 Metro

Further facts

We'll admit that Dahlem-Dorf station isn't one of Berlin's leading attractions, but Japanese tourists have long appreciated its merits, voting it 'Europe's prettiest underground station' in 1987.

Locals don't seem to entirely share this view, as the temptingly combustible roof has twice been the focus of arson attacks. Luckily, it has recently been replaced with a non-flammable, synthetic thatch, so should still be around if you plan to visit.

An extra, unexpected highlight is provided by Dahlem-Dorf's platform benches, which have to rank as Berlin's cheekiest public seating.

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