A Guide to Berlin’s Best Urban Parks

photos: Liz Ketcham. 

One of the things that people who come to Berlin quickly notice is the amount of green all over the city. So many streets are lined with trees and every district has at least one if not several parks, some of which are gigantic and take up entire neighborhoods. The city has multiple green lungs which greatly contribute to the quality of life we have here in Berlin.

But a park is never just a park in Berlin. We have big green forests like Tiergarten, but don’t be surprised if you discover some gentlemen in the nude fooling around in the bushes. We have Görlitzer park which might very well be the least attractive park, but it certainly has the greenest “grass” in all of the city. There is the Park in Marzahn that feels like a trip around the world. And we have the hot mess that is Mauerpark that basically transforms into an open-air festival on every Sunday during the summer.

To give you an overview of the most interesting parks to visit we selected some of our favorites.

Gleisdreieckpark

 

This place is a relatively new park located between Gleisdreieck and Yorckstraße. It’s a quite modern take of a park including a skate rink, work out and game fields, chill-out areas, several cafes, restaurants, even a coworking space. The vibe is quite cool and youthful and certainly adds great value into the area. Note there is an East and West part that are both quite different, one being more of an open field, the other with more trees and forests.

Möckernstraße 26, 10963 Berlin-Kreuzberg

 

 

 

Alt-Stralau

 

Alt-Stralau is a peninsula on the river Spree between the districts of Rummelsburg and Treptow. If you go all the way to the end of it it’s like standing on the tip of the tongue. You have some great views over to some smaller islands (such as the so-called Island of Love) as well as to the old abandoned amusement park called Spreepark. The green tongue is perfect for a picknick or a stroll along the waterfront. There is also a little boat rental where you can rent paddle boats – maybe for a little cruise over to the Island of Love?

Uferweg, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain

 

 

Körnerpark

 

The Körnerpark in Neukölln might not be one of the most famous ones, but it certainly is one of the most picturesque ones. When you walk around the slightly urban neighborhood you would never expect the Victorian style garden with a waterfall, fountain, rhododendron bushes and a little gallery with arches and staircases along with some little angel statues. It really is one of the most romantic-looking spots in the city. The gallery also hosts a little cafe and there are also some music events taking place there every now and then.

Schierker Straße 8, Berlin-Neukölln

 

 

Tempelhofer Feld

 

Closed in 2008, this gigantic airport now hosts concerts and exhibitions. The surrounding area was rearranged into the Tempelhof Entertainment Venue. The remarkable fact is that despite €60 million of the state budget allocated for Tempelhof, it is a perfect example of Berliners’ independence in choosing leisure activities. Cyclists, skaters, bikers, kitesurfers, skateboarders, frisbee fans, runners, football players, kite flyers and soap bubble blowers coexist in harmony on the landing field. You can even join the community of truck-farmers, who plant small vegetable gardens to grow fresh vegetables. They even scheduled Gardeners and Truck Farmers Festival at Tempelhof for 2017, and strive to turn the enormous roof of the airport building into a planting area.

Tempelhof, 12099 Berlin-Tempelhof

 

 

Erholungspark Marzahn (Gärten der Welt)

 

Use a chance to escape the noise of the city at the Gardens of the World (Gärten der Welt), a recreational park in the heart of Berlin district Marzahn consisting of nine exotic garden worlds designed and built by architects from the respective countries, including Japan, South Korea, China, Bali, Marocco and others. The park is the perfect location for relaxing on a warm and sunny day and pretend you are not in one of the world’s great cities. Get lost in the maze of the beautiful gardens, relax by the lakes, or enjoy a picnic in the shade of a leafy tree and let yourself be transported to different cultures and time periods. Recent additions to the park are a cable car and a funky looking outlook tower on top of a hill.

Eisenacher Straße 99, 12685 Berlin-Mahrzahn

 

 

Tiergarten

 

Tiergarten (a German word for ‘Animal Garden’) is a park stretched for 210 hectares in the very heart of Berlin. You can go boating down the Spree River which runs through the park. A 500-year-old Tiergarten looks like an enchanted forest – wild and a bit scruffy. There are wilds and sunlit meadows, flower beds and vines, stubs and moss. The park is adjoined by the famous Berlin Zoo.

Straße des 17. Juni 31, Berlin-Tiergarten

 

Viktoriapark

 

The park is set on Kreuzberg Mount, which gave the district its name. The top of the mountain is crowned by the monument commemorating the victory over Napoleon with a magnificent view over Berlin. In summer you can relax by an artificial waterfall there.

Kreuzbergstr. 70, 10965 Berlin-Kreuzberg

 

 

Humboldthain / Rosengarten

 

Humboldthain is one of the biggest and most beautiful parks in the district of Wedding. There are a lot of opportunities for fun activities — there is a public pool, playgrounds for kids, climbing center on the facade of on old bunker, wine gardens and more. There is a lot to do and to explore in this huge green oasis. The Rose Garden at Humboldthain Park is probably one of the most precious gardens of the city and due to its secluded location on the side of the park surrounded by thick forest and with only one gated entrance, it’s pretty much a hidden gem that a lot of people in Berlin don’t even know about. Only accessible in the summertime the garden hosts a wide range of different roses arranged in beautiful Victorian garden structures with as many romantic scenarios you can dream of. There are also other types of flowers on a little hill facing the Flak Tower.

Brunnenstraße 108A, 13355 Berlin-Wedding

 

 

Wasserturm Prenzlauer Berg

Embedded between the Belforter and Knaackstraße this little stretch of green is one of the most picturesque places of the district Prenzlauer Berg. The water tower is located on a little hill that is surrounded by green gardens, a sports field, and a playground. On top of the hill, there is a little park with some smaller towers and a view to the big water tower that is occupied by luxurious apartments now, and in the distance, you can also see the TV tower. It’s such a beautiful little place, perfect for a picnic or just to take a little break from the surrounding streets.

Knaackstraße 23, 10405 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

 

 

Hasenheide

 

The Hasenheide is the biggest recreational park of the district Neukölln. All the hip young Berliners will stroll down the street of the same name from Hermannplatz and stretch out on the green grass for picnics and some beer. If you go deeper into the park you will also find a little lake and a cute zoo.

Hasenheide 19, 10967 Berlin-Neukölln

 

 

Görlitzer Park

 

Once an old railway station and home to anarchist art communes, this park has since transformed into a local hangout. With its graffiti embellished walls sitting on wide-open stretches of greenery, this run-down urban escape is a Berliner’s dream. The cafés, swimming pool, gardens and children’s petting zoo attracts a mixed crowd to the park, and its location makes it the perfect place to unwind after a long day in the city.

Görlitzer Str., 10997 Berlin-Kreuzberg

 

 

Do have a favorite park that’s not on our list? Let us know in the comments below 🙂

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This guide was co-written by Skylar Kang.

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Frank

Author

Frank is the founder and editor-in-chief of iHeartBerlin. He takes photos, makes videos, and writes texts mostly about what's going on in Berlin. His vision and interests have shaped iHeartBerlin since its conception back in 2007 - and he hopes to continue bringing you the best of Berlin for many years to come.