Think of Tiergarten as the equivalent of New York City’s Central Park. Located in Mitte at the heart of the city. The Tiergarten is massive and borders many different areas of the city including many of Berlin’s most visited monuments and buildings. The entrance by the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, and Museum Island are particular well visited. However, this massive park offers many places to get away from the crowds in. Just head away from Strasse des 17 Juni, the street running through the middle of the park. Or for some historical sights head along the street down to the Victory Column. There are so many things in and around this park we could run a whole tour. From restaurants to major historical landmarks. The Tiergarten is at the heart of downtown Berlin.

The river Spree runs through the middle of the city. The actual river is 400KM long and starts way up in Brandenburg. But we are talking about the inner Berlin section on the river here. The Spree often offers some amazing areas no matter what district it runs through. The Mitte area is full of beer gardens and areas to eat and or sit and relax by the river with locals and tourists. Some of Berlin’s most well-known clubs and nightlife areas are along this section down to Kreuzberg. We talk about that area in the next section as well. Other areas of the Berlin Spree offer great historical sightseeing and city architecture. From Museum Island to the Berlin Cathedral. There are literally thousands of sights and history to explore around this infamous river. Even the bridges are well known like the Oberbaumbrucke linking the districts of East German Friedrichshain and West german Kreuzberg. Along with all this Berlin has done a good job at making the spree walkable and it’s an almost continuous green area. To hang out and catch some sun head towards the Spree!

The Flughafen Tempelhof is one of Berlin’s most interesting green spaces and a Berlin Parks Guide would not be complete without a mention of the old airport. Once the biggest airport in Europe it ceased operation in 2008. Since its retirement from aviation service the area has been reclaimed by local Berliners and is now a massive open recreation area. From riding your bike down a runway to catching some of Berlin’s best open-air concerts. Tempelhof has become host to numerous local events, sports fields, and one of the best places in the city to meet up and catch some sun. This unique park is one of the best to visit if you’re looking for a true Berliner park experience.

This infamous Berlin park is in the middle of Kreuzberg. Some people find it scary and we will admit that there are some elements here that some find unsavory. However, on weekends and sunny days, the park is a great spot to grab a beer and catch some sun. Many locals and tourists alike end up here, playing frisbee, having a beer from the Spati located around the park, or a cocktail from the bar located by the entrance. The bar can often times have live music or a DJ as well. This park is more of a party park due to its location. Sitting in the middle of one of Berlin’s most well-known nightlife and culturally diverse areas.

The Mauerpark or “Wall Park” is located along an old section of the Berlin Wall. It is also one of the most lively parks in the city. There are always people in the park, grilling or relaxing with a beer. It is particularly crowded on Sundays when there is a well-known market and the infamous “Bear Pit Karaoke.” The park is also home to a sportsplex with a football stadium and indoor arena that regularly hold events. Adding to this is the park’s location is very close to the Berlin Wall Memorial and in the relative middle of the city. There are restaurants and bars surrounding the southern entrance of the park and a great bar called Schonwetter “nice weather” inside the park itself. Mauerpark is a popular location for locals and tourists which puts it near the relative top of this Berlin park category.

This area of the spree is so packed with a nightlife that it deserves in its own section here. Starting on one end of the Eastside Gallery and extending south to Treptower Park (also in this post). The spree in this area hosts arguably Berlin’s most well-known nightlife destinations. North by the Eastside Gallery, the Friedrichshain side hosts well-known spots like Berghain and Katerblau. After the Oberbaumbrucke the Kreuzburg side is hosts to local favorites like Arena Berlin, Club der Visionaere, and Watergate. This area of the spree is walkable much like the rest, however, it offers a much different feel to some of the more relaxing areas.

Monbijoupark is at the center of everything in the city center of Berlin. It’s the green space that connects to Museum Island and Hackescher Markt. It also is a feature of the Spree river and connects to Oranienburger Strasse. That a lot of famous areas in Berlin and it combines to make this place a perfect meeting area for locals and tourists. The park serves as a shady refuge to all those who come across it and a great place to relax for a beer. The park lies on lands of the former Monbijou Palace that were sadly destroyed in the war. However, with so much around it, this park is still uniquely Berlin and a place many people end up in one way or another during a visit.

Much like Monbijoupark and located a stone’s throw south the James-Simon Park is located on the spree in a popular area. The small space is a protected green area and a great example of a cozy place along the river Spree in berlin. Due to its location, the park is a popular nightlife much like its connected bigger brother above.

Treptower Park is where you end up if you keep walking along the river from the area we just mentioned above. However, Treptower park is actually quite large and extends down the banks of the spree past the nightlife area. The party side of this park comes from its location close to spree and the aforementioned nightlife area. However, this is actually an awesome place to take a stroll. Walking along the river the scene develops into green trees and spans of open green grass. Along the river lie lazy homely houseboats and the nightlife side disappears. The dual nature and absolutely awesome location of this park make it one of our favorites in the city. Tourists also flock here during the day to visit the Russian World War II Memorial.

This is an oddly shaped park that lies in the middle of Moabit’s busiest area and street. Named after the famous central park we opened the article with Tiergarten, it hardly resembles its namesake. Due to its location, it is almost always loud and lacks real tree cover. This park is more of a stop-over for locals or people who happen to be walking down the main street. This is where it gets its party title from. However it’s not like there are people actually planning to party here, they just end up at the Kleiner Tiergarten. Unfortunately, the park has been in the news for crime-related incidents lately. One good thing about this place though is the Johanniskirche church located on one side of the park with its garden that doubles as a beer garden!

The Volkspark Friedrichshain “People Park Friedrichshain” is a large park in the east of Berlin. It is located east of Alexanderplatz in the popular district for which it is named and the border of Prenzlauerberg. The park is located in a pretty densely populated and lively part of the city and is actually Berlins oldest Public Park. However, the Volkspark has the size to offer everyone some space. There are small lakes and artificial hills made from demolished WWII bunkers and rubble. The location brings many locals out on sunny days, but tourists often also find their way here. Attracted by the green area full of sculptures and art, beer garden, and the fantastic Swan Pond with Märchenbrunnen “fountain of fairy tales.”

Viktoria is a little gem in the middle of Kreuzberg. It’s actually the district’s highest elevation and is the only park on this list with a waterfall. This park is one of the oldest in the area and it’s located in a densely populated part of Kreuzberg. On sunny days most tables and chairs will be taken quickly and the beer garden is normally full. However, the park is an amazing piece of park art from the 19th century and the waterfall and mountains landscape around it was created to resemble a real mountain landscape.

Viktoria is a little gem in the middle of Kreuzberg. It’s actually the district’s highest elevation and is the only park on this list with a waterfall. This park is one of the oldest in the area and it’s located in a densely populated part of Kreuzberg. On sunny days most tables and chairs will be taken quickly and the beer garden is normally full. However, the park is an amazing piece of park art from the 19th century and the waterfall and mountains landscape around it was created to resemble a real mountain landscape.

Park am Gleidreieck is a community lead park. Which means it was actively conceived and managed by local resident’s initiatives. The park sits on what used to be an inaccessible wasteland as has turned into an award-winning park. This might be one of Berlin’s most active local parks with tons of sports and classes that meet up here. From yoga to football they have a lot going on down at Gleisdreieck. The central lawn is surrounded by wooded areas with large trees and abandon rail lines run through a section of the park. It was so well designed and easy to forget that your actually right in the middle of Berlin, that the park won the German Urban Design Prize in 2014 and the German Landscape Architecture prize in 2015.

Tierpark Berlin is actually one of two zoos in Berlin, but we will include it here as it’s also an amazing green space, and has the word park in its name. The park was formed on the grounds of the Freidrichsfelde Palace which is still inside the park. The zoo now claims to be the most species-rich zoo in the world with over 10000 native and exotic animals. It is also Europes largest landscape garden and offers one of the best walks in the city. The park also hosts many events which draw thousands of locals and tourists every year. It is especially popular among locals during Christmas time as a great place to bring the kids.

Located in the not-so-touristy district of Wedding Rehberge Park it’s a slight surprise to the list of Berlin hot spot Parks. The park actually runs into Goethepark to its southeast and used to be a part of a forest. it makes this list as one of Berlins most-visited local parks. The park was earmarked to be a zoo before the first world war leading to the park’s natural-like animal display designs. The park houses indigenous wild boar and roe deer that run free in enclosures and also offers a 300 seat open-air cinema. Locals love this place but don’t worry, it’s also one of the friendliest parks in the city. 🙂

This is easily the biggest question mark in our Berlin Parks Guide but hear me out. Located in front of one of Berlin’s most iconic buildings is a large stretch of open grass. Now the history of the Reichstag is well documented on this site so I won’t get into it here, but the Reichstag is also one of the most visited landmarks due to its location. Hundreds of tours end or start here along with even more self touring visitors finding their way to the seduction of a lay down on the fresh green grass. Our guides have sampled the relaxation factor and rate it quite high! It therefore rightfully takes its spot on the list here.

This little slice of Prenzlauerberg was actually created when the Berlin Wall came down. Pieces of the wall are actually still up along some of it The walk itself is along what once was the death strip and patrol road. Follow the wall under the bridge to get to the green place we are talking about here. Surrounded by a large maze of a “gartenferien” or garden club on one side and the S Bahn train tracks on the other. This little strip of open land is quite quiet. The trail is lined with hundreds of cherry trees donated by Japan after the fall of the Berlin Wall turning the whole place into a magical scene when they bloom. There is live music and a bar in the garden club if you can find your way through the maze. Although walking through is also ok and fun as Berliners love to show off their skills! Top tip the southern end of this walk leads to Mauerpark!

The Burgerpark “Mayors Park” is located in a quiet residential area a short walk from the Pankow Train Station. The Ubahn line ends at the Pankow station so many consider this the end of the world. This park makes our list as being a great example of a local community park. It has live events in summer and magnificently restored outdoor theater, goats, and a selection of rare and old trees. It is also the starting place of the next area on our list the Panke River Walk. The park also opens up when walking north into another much larger park called Volkspark Schonholzer Heide which features a rather large and mostly unvisited by the mainline tourist Soviet War Memorial.

This may be the best-hidden spot in our whole Berlin Parks Guide. The Panke river actually starts north of the city and runs into the spree (well it used to). However the area we are talking about lies from Burgerpark in the north down to Mitte. It is little known because it’s not marked on any map, but the river is actually walkable the whole way. Staying along the river banks you very rarely lose sight of it and are only first to cross one or two small streets. Traveling this far in the city without leaving the green cover is very rare. Combine that with the beautiful green areas and the charm of Berlin’s old buildings and you have yourself one of the best walks in the city. You can start at Burgerpark in the north and walk down or the other way around. Just remember if you get lost or end up on a street, just head back toward the Panke river!

The Olympic Park in Spandau is connected to the famous Olympia stadion. It has played many massive roles in Berlin’s history but makes this list due to its distance from the city center. The place was designated a sportsplatz back when Germany still had an Emperor who was also the king of Prussia. It then hosted the infamous 1936 summer Olympics just before World War II. After the war, the site was home to the British military until finally converted back into the Berlin sports epicenter it is today. The park hosts many sports complexes outside the 74,000 seat Olympiastadion. From tennis courts and an arena to an ice hockey rink and competitive swimming pool. If you are into sports this is probably a place you will end up or should definitely visit.

The people’s park Prenzlauerberg is a bit north of the main city and part of the district that attracts most visitors. Unlike the nearby Volkspark Friedrichshain, this park is located in a less densely populated area of Berlin as well. These factors combine to make our list here. The large park is a great place to avoid the crowds and get some fresh air. The popular swimming lake Wisensee is located nearby and the park is host to a vineyard that makes a Berlin Riesling. The wine however is not available for sale and rather can only be obtained from wine lovers who make a donation.

The Fritz Schloss Park is smaller than most parks in this guide but is still the largest in Moabit. The park was once a military cavalry ground and was completely destroyed in world war II. The rubel from the barracks and other destroyed buildings were piled up to form mounds and a park was opened. Unlike other Schloss parks, this one was named after a person, not a castle so there is n palace. However, the park is home to many sporting facilities for locals and with its densely overgrown vegetation is a great place to escape the city. The park is host to a public swimming pool, skate park, mini-golf course, climbing center, sauna, and tennis club.

The Schlosspark or “Palace Park” in Charlottenburg benefits from its location as being a short train ride away from most other busy cities areas. It also has an impressive size is separated by waterways. There are some Instagram-worthy places all over the Scholsspark including the palace itself. With its location and relative size, there are plenty of places to disappear from the crowd and wonder.

The Rudolph Wilde Park is definitely up there for one of Berlin’s most beautiful parks. Everything about this park was designed to look amazing and it shows. With beautiful water views of the Schonberg town hall and the 100-year-old architecture that makes up the landmark subway station and accompanying bridge offer breathtaking views. And the marshy section that separates two manicured green areas provides a unique flow. There are plenty of places to find a romantic corner or a great photo in this little beauty of a park. The whole place wasn’t designed for sports so it never seems that crowded. It also makes our list here as one of the best places to take a date.

The Grunewald isn’t really a park. If it was it would easily top the list as the largest in Berlin. The Grunewald is actually a forest and lies to the southwest of Berlin city center. The forest is home to many lakes and wild areas to explore. Top of our list is the abandoned spy station on top of Teflesberg mountain. You get excellent views of Berlin from the area and the forest is one of the best places to really escape the city.

Located in what used to be the Tempelhof airport railway yard. The Nature Park Schonberg still hosts many buildings from the era including a 4000 square foot locomotive hall, and water tower. The area was allowed to grow wild and is now home to a large number of endangered animals and plants and one-third of the park is a nature reserve. The park is also home to many various art projects that can be seen randomly throughout the park. The combination of history art and wild nature make this Berlin park truly unique.