TRAVEL GUIDE: 7 places to visit in Germany if you're a fan of 'Queen of Tears'
While a star-studded cast, witty banter, and fantastical narratives draw us in, Korean dramas also surprise us with stunning backdrops. These locations fuel our wanderlust with dreamy scenes beyond South Korea.
Case in point: tvN's Queen of Tears featuring A-list stars Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won.
The romance drama, which is now the third highest-rating drama in tvN history, follows the "miraculous, thrilling, and humorous love story" of Baek Hyun-woo and Hong Hae-in, a couple facing marital burnout.
Queen of Tears features Germany prominently—a location that holds special significance for the on-screen couple as it was their honeymoon destination and the place where their love story reignited.
From The Neptune Fountain to the Taoasis Garden, discover the places that captured Ji-won's heart and became her "most favorite scenes" in the series. Read with caution though, this article may contain spoilers!
Neptunbrunnen (The Neptune Fountain)
The series kicks off with a scene where the press interviews the two couples about their married lives. While Hyun-woo narrates the "wedding of the century," the show offers a montage of the couple on their German honeymoon. One of which is Berlin's Neptunbrunnen, or the Neptune Fountain.
The Neptunbrunnen, by German artist Reinhold Begas, with its 18-meter-wide swimming pool and a ten-meter-tall statue of the Roman sea deity Neptune, is one of the world's largest fountain sculptures.
Spree River
Another scenic place presented in their honeymoon is their romantic sunset kissing scene on the banks of the Spree River, where the original center of Berlin was built.
Many major monuments are located on its banks, so a boat ride is highly recommended to enjoy your trip and discover the city. If you want more physical adventure, bike rentals are also available in the area.
Sanssouci Palace
In the following episodes, Kim Ji Won's character traveled to Germany to seek approval for a new cancer therapy. Subtly hoping that Baek Hyun Woo would accompany her, she concealed her true sentiments by acting as though she was more at ease traveling alone.
But after she had departed, Hyun Woo couldn't stop thinking about his wife and ended up taking a plane to Germany to find her. This resulted in a beautiful, serendipitous reunion at Sanssouci Palace, a location that carried sentimental memories from the couple's honeymoon.
ICYDK, Sansscouci is a historical building in Potsdam near Berlin. With its name literally translating to "without worries" in French, the historic structure was constructed for Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace between 1745 and 1747.
The complex, which includes the palaces and park, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its exceptional architectural design and landscaping.
The Rooftop Terrace — Hotel de Rome
With its expansive views of Berlin, the Hotel de Rome's rooftop terrace provides an emotional backdrop for the lovers' attempts to rekindle their romance in episode six. This includes the moment when Hae-in asks Hyun-woo if he would cry during the former's funeral, making the latter want to feel sad.
Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom)
Hyun-woo offers a prayer to Hae-in in the Berlin Cathedral, one of the city's most prominent spots, following the latter's search for cancer therapy.
Though it is not totally seen in the series, Berliner Dom "marks the spot of the impressive basilica housing the city's most important Protestant church."But even though it was called a cathedral, it has the status of a parish church.
Eiserner Steg
Episode six continued with Hae-in beginning to look for the love locks she and her husband had secured on the Eiserner Steg or the Iron Bridge railings three years ago.
Located in Frankfurt, Germany, which is over five hours away from Berlin, Eiserner Steg is one of Frankfurt's iconic landmarks, which was "opened in 1869 to alleviate the heavy traffic on the only bridge between the north and south parts of town."
Using this bridge, you can explore Frankfurt's exquisite old buildings and fascinating museums without having to walk very far.
Taoasis Botanical Scent Garden
This botanical garden, which has over 500,000 plants used to extract aromas and essential oils, provides a tranquil setting for the K-drama's first episode.
Likewise, Taoasis houses the lavender Lavandula angustifolia, "from which the unique harmonizing and calming lavender oil is obtained."
Moreover, the place caters to "almost all the important aromatic medicinal plants and herbs such as rosemary, hyssop, lemon balm, peppermint, oregano, St. John's wort, yarrow, and much more Fascinating Mediterranean plants and fragrant exotic plants," according to its website.