Teufelsberg

Look to the east and see the TV Tower and cathedral sparling in the setting sun. 114 metres up on a hill of rubble, the view of Germany’s capital is uniquely beautiful. Teufelsberg played the role of its life in the drama known as the Cold War – as an American listening station.

Up on the slopes

In the early 20th century the area was covered in bogs and mud, but that all changed when the Nazis came to power. As part of the plans for Germania – Hitler’s vision for a completely renewed Berlin – work began on the construction of a university faculty for military technology, but it was never completed, and destroyed in the war. After the war, trucks brought rubble from the rest of the devastated city to the site near Heerstraße and it soon piled up to become the highest point in West Berlin. The dumping stopped in 1972, trees were planted to make the man-made hill more attractive, and a ski slope was built complete with a ski lift, a ski jump and a toboggan run.

The NSA era before the whistleblowers

The Americans also soon recognised the usefulness of the artificial hill. From the 1950s onwards, antennas and radomes were erected on its two hilltops for espionage and intercepting communications. Huge dishes were built for intercepting, listening to and jamming radio signals from the Eastern Bloc.The field station was used by the American forces until the end of the Cold War in 1989. The four striking radomes are what still gives Teufelsberg its mysterious aura today.

Over time, the eavesdropping facility developed into the most important and largest of the Allies' echelon spy network. It thus also functions as a career springboard in the field of intelligence for those who work there.

After the end of the Cold War and the departure of the allied forces, the complex was used for air traffic control until 1999, when the city government sold it. However, all the plans for a new use came to nothing. In 2007, the American film director David Lynch wanted to buy the complex in in order to set up a “Vedic Peace University” with the controversial Maharishi Foundation.

Today, tours are available where you can view the remains of the complex with its five large radar domes. The listening station is now probably the most well-known of Berlin’s formerly secret sites. The ruins of the station and its satellite dishes are covered in graffiti and exude a morbid charm. You can still feel the spirit of the Cold War which once permeated the city.

On the Teufelsberg there is the opportunity for all visitors to open up terrain and accessible parts of the building in various guided tours. An approximately 90-minute historical tour is offered as well as a flashlight hike or a quiet ascent. In addition, private tours can be booked. Further information can be found on the Teufelsberg website.

Street Art

The Teufelsberg is now home to a large Street Art exhibition with over 400 works. New works by international artists are added every month.

For many young international guests, the street art on display is currently the main reason for a visit.

You can also find out more about street art in our ABOUT BERLIN App

Declassified - The new temporary exhibition on the Teufelsberg

You can find out more about the entire history and development of the Teufelsberg in the new temporary exhibition "Declassified - The Secret of the Teufelsberg". It offers largely unknown but exciting insights into the history. Events that have taken place on the Teufelsberg over the last 100 years are highlighted in particular. From the myth of the rubble women to the Cold War, international espionage and how the site influenced global politics,

the story is told in a vivid and understandable way using multimedia stations in the former dark corridors of the station and interviews with contemporary witnesses. A highlight of the exhibition is the staging of the original preserved rooms. For those interested in history, culture and espionage history, "Declassafied - The Secret of the Teufelsberg" is a must-see.

Another highlight

The Allied Museum on the Teufelsberg is run by the "Alliierte in Berlin e.V." association. The museum deals with the history from the end of the war in 1945 until the Allies left Berlin again in 1994. The exhibition is partly interactive. So don't be afraid to take a seat in one of the vehicles on display.

A visit to the exhibitions is included in the regular admission price.
 

Opening hours

• Daily  (365 days a year) from 11 am to sunset (last admission one hour before sunset)!
• The site can be hired for exclusive events, film shoots or similar, please refer to the information on the provider's website for the resulting closing times. 
• Museum of the Allies in Berlin: Opening hours daily 12:30 - 18:30 (from October 2024 historical exhibition)
   

Tickets for tours

Experience the history of the West on a tour and enjoy the 360 degree view of Berlin.

Tickets for individual city tours

Grunewald

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View on Teufelsberg from Drachenberg

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Since reunification, Teufelsberg has become a popular destination for day-trippers. In winter it’s the perfect place for tobogganing and mass snowball fights. In summer, Berliners gather here to have a picnic and enjoy the beautiful sunset – as well as the nearby Teufelssee. All year round, people fly kites and go paragliding, mountain-biking and hiking in the Grunewald forest. Sailing boats glide over the Havel in summer. The Havelhöhenweg, the footpath along the Havel, goes all the way to the Wannsee open-air lido in Zehlendorf and affords beautiful views of the river and lakes.

Find out more about the city’s neighbourhoods with our Going Local Berlin app.