Written by Paige
The last few weeks have brought a crispness to the air as Berlin transitions into autumn/winter. We thought this would be an ideal time to reflect on our summer and how we spent our weekends. With the sun shining (almost always) but the threat of COVID-19 always looming, we spent our summer weekends exploring the natural wonder around Berlin.
One of the many things that we (and Tessa especially) love about Berlin is the access to green spaces. We’re not 100% sure if the creation of parks came because so much of the city was destroyed during WWII, if there was so much undeveloped space when the city was divided (for example Mauer Park), or if it’s simply the cultural belief that access to even a little nature is everyone’s right. But we have been taking advantage of the green space as much as possible this summer.
Victoria Park and Park am Glesdreieck
We ended June by revisiting Victoria Park. It was a perfect place to begin our summer exploration; it was the park we visited just as winter began in 2019. Victoria Park is one of the highest points in very flat Berlin, standing at 66 meters. The park includes a monument dedicated in 1821 to symbolize the victory over Napoleon. It is from this monument that the park was created around it.
One of the most lovely parts of the park is the man-made waterfall that runs through it. Tessa enjoyed a quick break there and it inspired some artwork!
In the fall, the waterfall was filled with leaves from the surrounding trees; in the summer, children were playing in the water to stay cool. We quickly learned that any body of water in Berlin can become a bathing pool, especially for kids.
After a refreshing and cool beer in the park Beer Garden, we walked just a short ways to Justin’s favorite park — Park am Glesdreieck. I am confident that this park made Justin fall in love with Berlin 3 years ago upon our first visit. The park, if you know your German, was built upon a triangle of train tracks. It’s an old railway area and traffic junction. The tracks can still be seen and are built into the greenery of the 64 acre park that also includes a dog park, beach volleyball courts, gym equipment, play structures and swings, and (of course) cafes and beer gardens. It’s the perfect mix of open green space right in the middle of a city; you can literally watch the U-Bahn and regional trains rush overhead while still basking in the serenity of the park.
Grunewald
On the 4th of July, we headed west — far west — to Grunewald (Green Forest). We previously explored part of Grunewald before (see our post about the Spy Tower). But as the largest forest in West Berlin, there is still plenty of new space to wander. From the U-Bahn station, we walked into the forest heading further West. The forest had nice clear paths and were covered well by all the trees. Plenty of people were out walking, running, or cycling through.
Our first destination was Grunewaldturm. The tower was built in 1897–99 to mark the 100th birthday of the German Emperor Wilhelm I; it originally opened to the public as Kaiser-Wilhelm-Turm (Kaiser Wilhelm Tower). On the front of the tower, it still reads the Kaiser’s name in memory.
After WWII, the tower was renamed for the forest where it lives. Unfortunately, the tower was closed for viewing, but we still got to enjoy the shade it offered in the cafe/restaurant that is located behind.
Our walk continued to the Havel River. The Havel River is about 58 miles long and runs through several German states, but it meets up with Spree right around Berlin. In the summer, people flock to the Havel (as well as the Spree and many lakes in the area) for fun in the sun. We could see people setting up little beach sites in the sandy areas along the water, catch all types of boats and swimmers taking advantage of the cool water. Just before the Havel meets with the very popular lake, we cut back into the forest and towards town.
Because it was the 4th of July, we couldn’t miss an opportunity to get a hot dog…. Or rather a curry-wurst sausage at a beer garden and a rest of Tessa before hopping on a train back East.
While there are wild boars in this forest, sadly we did not see any. Some of you may have seen photos of a naked sunbather chasing a wild boar that stole his backpack with a laptop in it. This happened at a swimming lake in Grunewald.
Tegeler Forst
The following weekend, we traveled to take in the greenery to the North — in Tegeler Forst. Unlike our previous weekend in Grunewald, there weren’t as many landmarks we were walking towards this Saturday. The walk began along the Tegeler See. After crossing a bridge we began moving our way through the forest, often walking along the lake.
Simply taking in the greenery, the different vegetation, and the Tegel See was relaxing enough. We crossed a great bridge, saw swimmers and ferries, and tried to stay cool among the large trees and ferns.
Mugglesee
We had gone West and North, so on 18 July we went East. Mugglesee is a far lake area in East Berlin, about 45 minutes from our apartment. The trains were full early in the morning with people looking to escape the “city” and head toward the water for sunbathing, boating, and swimming. After picking up a pretzel from a bakery that won The Golden Pretzel award, we followed the crowds to the first dock where folks could rent boats or hop on a river cruise.
We opted to walk under the water — via the short tunnel — and begin our hike. Unlike our other walks through Berlin’s forests and lakes, Mugglesee had a single paved path that lead walkers, bikers, and runners around the lake.
There was less of a chance to go off on our own, but we also were able to stay on course easily; plus, the paths were divided for bikers and pedestrians so there were never any concerns about getting run over by a cyclist!
To achieve our goal of walking around the whole lake, we actually had to take a ferry. The ferry runs on the same system as the subway — one ticket applies to all. We hopped on (Tessa does great on big boats) and joined the other motor boats, row boats, and even ice cream and beer selling boats, to get to the other side.
Once safely on land again, we were joined by more crowds. As this was the section where the beaches are. While the area is very dog friendly, Tessa wasn’t allowed on the actually beach. So this time we skipped dunking our feet (or any other part of us) into the water.
It’s all about keeping moving especially when Tessa is this hot and soon we found ourselves back where we started. A currywurst und pommes (curry sausage and fries) and a lot of water for Tessa gave us the energy to get back into main Berlin. The hike took a lot out of all of us and Justin began feeling run down. So we ordered a pizza (which he cut into slices miserably), took off our shoes, and enjoyed the couch for a quiet evening. Walking 21 kilometers (13 miles) in the heat was enough.
Canal Exploration
While our weekend walks in the wilderness are rejuvenating, Justin found a way to get sick. He had a flu/cold/sinus infection like symptoms. You can read about his experience with the COVID testing on Facebook.
Once he was feeling better, we continued our weekend explorations. Our next Saturday explore-on-foot day we stayed closer to home. The goal was to keep it light and short — able to get home quickly by just hoping on any subway in a few minutes. Little did we know we would be out again all day — and walking 12 miles.
Tessa did not know we would be walking so far otherwise she wouldn’t have burnt so much energy at the beginning of our walk.
From Postdamer Platz, we walked along the canals of Berlin. Through our exploration of Berlin, we’ve been seeing different neighborhoods, sights, and cafes. But we didn’t always put those pieces together; this walk helped show us how each of these neighborhoods interconnect and meet — while also showing us some new areas.
We had a VERY slow lunch where the canal met the Spree, grabbed some craft beer at one of our favorite spots, and opted to skip taking the train for more walking through the city. So much for a light day!
There is so much history, art, and culture that we want to absorb within Berlin — and I am sure that we will be back in museums and galleries as the weather colder. Until then, it’s been lovely to get to know our city through the green paths.
