10 Best Parks in Berlin and What Makes Them Special

Summer in the capital – the best days to enjoy with friends in one of the best parks in Berlin!

There are an incredible 2,455 green spaces in the Spree metropolis, including over 70 major parks. We’ll help you choose with our top 10 with the best parks in Berlin.

Alternative Kreuzberg – The Görlitzer Park

10. Görlitzer Park

With only 14 hectares, Görlitzer Park is one of the smaller parks in Berlin, but still one of the most famous and infamous. For the park affectionately called “Görli” by Kreuzbergers is considered one of the best-known drug transshipment points in the city.

However, one should not judge the small park in the heart of Berlin solely by the amount of prohibited substances that are sold or consumed here. In the Görlitzer Park also come many young people, students and “”alternative”” visitors to relax together or have fun..

The center of the Görli is the well-known Café Edelweiß. This cafe also includes a restaurant and a party cellar, which you can rent for your own parties. Right next to it is a black light mini-golf facility. Here you can have fun even in rainy weather while diving into a colorful neon world.

Conclusion: Whoever is looking for alternative and slightly wicked Kreuzberg flair is exactly right in the “Görli”.

The Carl Zuckmayer Bridge in Schöneberg City Park

9. Rudolph Wilde Park / City Park Schöneberg

Also called City park Schöneberg, this elongated green space stretches like a snake through the neighborhood of the same name. From the elongated Fennsee in the west to the stag fountain on the eastern edge, visitors can soak up nature here.

The elongated valley shape of the park is explained by its natural history of formation. It is a drainage channel from the ice age. On the gently rolling meadows of this natural valley, joggers and walkers alike seek recreation.

The easternmost part is laid out like a small spa park. Central eye-catcher here is the deer fountain (1912), in the middle of which between water fountains a 9m high column rises, which is crowned by a golden deer.

This ”architectural part” of the Rudolph Wilde Park is bordered by the imposing Carl Zuckmayer Bridge, decorated with statues and stone vases. The lower part of the bridge is the above-ground subway station Rathaus Schöneberg, which can be seen from both parts of the park through the glazed sides..
West of this begins the ”scenic part” of the park with an idyllic duck pond and an extensive lawn for sunbathing.

Summary: With its elongated valley shape, the Rudolph Wilde Park is ideal for joggers and walkers and, moreover, one of the coziest best parks in Berlin.

Idyll in the Charlottenburg Palace Garden

8. Charlottenburg Palace Garden

For those interested in history and art, the 55-hectare Baroque palace garden is the most impressive of all the parks in Berlin. The park belongs to Charlottenburg Palace, but unlike the latter is freely accessible without admission and offers you the opportunity to stroll in royal flair.

The palace garden was created in 1697 as the first German garden in the French style and is thus today the oldest park in Berlin preserved in its original form. Particularly beautiful are the numerous geometric shapes, ponds and moats of the Baroque garden art.

In between, you can admire numerous historic buildings that belong to the palace complex. Highlights are the tea house Belvedere from 1788, the Schinkelpavillion from 1824 and the mausoleum of Queen Luise. Also the private apartment of Frederick the Great can be visited here.

Conclusion: The Charlottenburg Palace Garden is the dream of all history buffs and lovers of classical garden architecture.

The Gleisdreieck Park – A Paradise for Athletes

7. Park at the Gleisdreieck

The Park at the Gleisdreieck (size: 31 hectares) is, so to speak, the chick among the parks in Berlin. For decades, the area around the Gleisdreieck was inaccessible to the public: here there were only overgrown S-Bahn tracks.

Between 2011 and 2014, the three park parts were opened from which the park is composed: the East Park (17 hectares), the West Park (9 hectares) and the Bottleneck Park, so christened because of its shape.

The park at the Gleisdreieck is popular with visitors mainly because of the wide range of leisure activities. In addition to large lawns and small woods, there are numerous opportunities to engage in sports. Wide asphalt paths offer enough space for walkers, joggers and cyclists. On a multifunctional sports area, numerous trend sports such as trampoline gymnastics, roller sports, streetball and goal wall shooting are offered.

In addition, there are 25 beach volleyball courts that you can rent by the hour. In addition to beach volleyball, you can also play beach soccer, beach handball and beachminton. The 1,300 m² skateboard course is the paradise for all skaters..

Total: The Park am Gleisdreieck offers the perfect conditions for shared fun in sports and action.

Evening atmosphere in Mauerpark

6. Mauerpark

Today, the 8-hectare Mauerpark is absolutely cult. Where once the Berlin Wall separated the districts of Wedding and Prenzlauer Berg, and thus West and East Berlin, there is now an atmosphere of community and conviviality.

At the back of the Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Sports Park, you can still marvel at a 300-meter-long remnant of the Wall. But the death strip of the former GDR border fortification has now become one of the hottest spots on the creative scene.

Meanwhile, the year-round Sunday flea market attracts more tourists than Berliners. But the open air karaoke singing in the summer remains a cultishly celebrated pleasure of Prenzlberger. It takes place in a small amphitheater and attracts more than 1000 singers at weddings!

The Mauerpark is also one of the most popular parks in Berlin for outdoor parties, because it offers a huge barbecue area, a large playground and a rock wall for climbing.

Conclusion: Wall Park is the perfect playground for artists, musicians, karaoke enthusiasts, families, tourists and anyone looking for special atmosphere in the park.

Blooming in Viktoriapark

5. Victoria Park

Do you actually know why Kreuzberg is called Kreuzberg? There is actually a hill of this name, after which the whole district is named. It is crowned by a monument reminiscent of a Gothic church spire, the so-called National Monument to the Wars of Liberation from Napoleon’s rule over Prussia.

With 66 m height, the Kreuzberg can not keep up with the Alpine peaks, but together with surrounding green spaces, it forms one of the most beautiful and idyllic parks in Berlin: the Viktoriapark.

The 12.8 hectare Viktoriapark is a point of attraction for Berliners seeking recreation at any time of year. In summer, you can wonderfully cool your feet in the little stream, which picturesquely cascades down the hill and ends in a small waterfall.

On the large meadow below the Kreuzberg relax on sunny summer days Berliners of all ages. Whether for a picnic or after-work beer, for slacklining or playing diabolo – the Viktoriapark is one of the best parks in Berlin to let the soul, baumeln.
The park is also ideal for young parents: there is a small animal enclosure with goats, rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens. And the nearest ice cream parlor is not far away. 😉

When it has snowed in winter, the Viktoriapark attracts not only the families from the neighborhood to sled together. The gentle slope of the Kreuzberg is ideal for relaxed sledding. In addition, the snow-covered monument on its top and the frozen waterfall look just wonderfully romantic in winter, almost like a painting by Caspar David Friedrich.

Conclusion: The dreamy Victoriapark is the ideal place for romantic walks, chilling together at the after-work beer or a picnic in the countryside.

Deer sculpture in the Great Tiergarten

4. Great Tiergarten

The Great Tiergarten with the Victory Column is the most famous park in Berlin. It covers an area of 210 hectares, making it almost as large as 300 soccer fields. After Tempelhofer Feld, the Tiergarten is the second largest and oldest park in the capital. The history of the historic park dates back to 1527. Almost 500 years ago in the same place was the hunting ground of the Elector of Brandenburg, hence probably the name Tiergarten.

Here you will find especially a lot of forest, abundant water and one of the landmarks of Berlin, the Victory Column. The statue on top of the column represents Victoria, the goddess of victory, she is affectionately called ”Goldelse” by Berliners.

Other places worth seeing in the Tiergarten are the Luiseninsel, the Goldfish Pond, the Rose Garden and the Gaslaternen-Freilichtmuseum near Joseph-Haydn-Strasse. In addition, all the central memorials to the victims of National Socialism can be found in and around the Tiergarten.

You can then take a break with coffee or beer at the Café am Neuen See. It is definitely one of the best parks in Berlin.

Summary: The Great Tiergarten is the oldest and most famous park in Berlin and has many special corners to discover. Our tip: The beautiful rose garden!

Treptower Park – Bridge to the Island of Youth

3. Treptower Park

The Treptower Park in the heart of Berlin’s East stretches over almost 90 hectares. Here you can lie directly on the Spree and sunbathe in the summer. Berlin’s beautiful river offers opportunities for special leisure activities here. At the Rummelsburger Bay you can go pedal boat and rowboat or immediately rent a barbecue boat and combine the pleasure boat trip with the culinary.

Who walks through the Treptower Park, jogging, or cycling, can discover a lot. About fountains, sculptures, a rose garden, the historic Archenhold Observatory or the monumental Soviet Memorial..
A special highlight of Treptow Park is the idyllic “”Island of Youth””, which can be reached via a small pedestrian bridge. Here you will also find one of Berlin’s 3 houseboat colonies. Directly opposite the “Isle of Youth” is the traditional Gasthaus Zenner, from whose beer garden you have a wonderful view over the Spree. Just a bit further southeast, the park merges into the Plänterwald, one of the most popular forest pieces of the Berliners..

Summary: It is the ideal park for all boaters and explorers and offers imposing monuments such as the observatory and the Soviet Memorial to admire.

Urban Gardening on Tempelhofer Field

2. Tempelhofer Field

This park is unique in the world: the tarmac of the former Tempelhofer Airport has been delighting Berliners and tourists alike since it opened in May 2010. Sky, space and freedom seem limitless here, an unusual experience in the middle of a big city. With the conversion of Tempelhofer Feld into a public park, Berlin created the largest inner-city open space in the world and enriched the city with a special feature.

Where planes used to take off all over the world, there are now over 300 hectares of green open space for strolling, jogging, cycling, skating, picnicking, bird watching, kite surfing, playing mini golf, flying kites, barbecuing or growing vegetables. In the meantime, no Berliner wants to miss the feeling of freedom on the impressively spacious grounds. Therefore, any development by investors could be prevented so far thanks to petitions.

The Berliners love their Tempelhofer Field and use it in many ways. Thus, the park is now home to 19 citizen projects that successfully experiment with art, urban gardening and social ideas.

In addition, the site still surrounds a special historical charm. Here, during the Berlin blockade by the Soviet Union in 1948-49, the supply planes landed every 90 seconds. For over a year, the Western Allies thus maintained their claim to West Berlin.

Visitors can read the entire history of the Tempelhof field and airport on site at various information stations.

Total: A worldwide unique park and an absolute must-see in Berlin! Anyone who the big city is too stressful and crowded, comes in the vastness of the field to breathe.

Volkspark Friedrichshain – The Ideal Park to Relax

1. Volkspark Friedrichshain

The Volkspark Friedrichshain (size: 49 hectares) is located between the eponymous district and the “hipster district” Prenzlauer Berg (for Berliners simply Prenzlberg) and is, in our opinion, the number 1 of all parks in Berlin.

Whether for jogging, walking, playing, barbecuing or chilling – the Volkspark Friedrichshain is the perfect place to take a break from everyday life in the big city. He was already created in 1846 in honor of the Jubilee of Frederick the Great as the first municipal green space of Berlin,.

A special highlight in the Volkspark Friedrichshain is the beautiful fairy tale fountain from 1913, whose pool edge 10 figures from well-known fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm decorate.

On an open-air stage you can enjoy Volkspark Friedrichshain in the summer every Wednesday films in the open-air cinema. On special occasions, concerts and major events also take place in this one of the best parks in Berlin.

In winter, two tracks on the Bunkerberg invite you to swing on the sled. Especially the with about 150 meters somewhat longer track promises with numerous humps a rapid driving pleasure.

Summary: Here everyone finds what he is looking for: beautiful corners, sports, relaxation and culture – the Volkspark Friedrichshain offers everything. 

Berlins Grüne Orte: Reiseführer durchs Berliner Stadtgrün

Runze & Casper Werbeagentur GmbH (Author)

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By the way, on our website you can also find tips for ventures in Berlin. More generally, there are plenty of activities with friends, activities with kids and activities for two to discover on Abenteuer Freundschaft.

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