Britain's Prince Charles kicked off a two-day visit to Germany on Wednesday by having lunch with President Horst Koehler and receiving an award for his environmental campaigning.

Charles, accompanied by his wife Camilla, visited several sights in Berlin, including the newly restored Neues Museum and the Allied Museum commemorating the efforts of the U.S. and British soldiers during World War II.

Hundreds of people packed the barricades surrounding the British Embassy in hope of catching a glimpse of the royal pair, whose visit is taking place under heavy security.

Later Wednesday, the prince's commitment to a sustainable environment was honored with the German Sustainability Award, given in recognition of his efforts to promote ecological awareness.

In his acceptance speech, Charles praised German efforts to fight climate change.

"I have been enormously struck by the fact that there are 1.8 million people in Germany employed in providing environmental goods and services, and the delivery of the 40 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions is expected to create another half a million," he said.

"Such a shift of emphasis could not come soon enough because, as I said last month in Brazil, unless greenhouse gas emissions reach their absolute peak within about 100 months _ and now that is just 99 months _ it may well be too late to stop temperatures rising beyond dangerous levels," Charles said.

On Thursday, Charles will hold talks with experts on climate change in Potsdam, outside of Berlin, before he and Camilla visit the former Prussian palace of Sansoucci.