Our favourite places in Treptow-Köpenick
The Industriesalon Schöneweide museum shows you everything about an important chapter in Berlin's history: Industrialisation. Then take a refreshing dip in Müggelsee, Berlin's largest lake, where you can swim, paddle and row to your heart's content.
What you need to know about Treptow-Köpenick
Proportionally, Treptow-Köpenick has the largest area of forest, waterways and lakes of any Berlin borough. And with its rivers and lakes, beautiful parks and the charming old town of Köpenick, the south-east of Berlin is like a weekend trip, every day, any day. But it also has many other fascinating facets, from the history recounted in its old industrial buildings to the popular FEZ leisure centre, renowned as a paradise for families. Treptow-Köpenick is also highly rated for the space it offers for sports, with perfect conditions for windsurfing, sailing, jogging and cycling.
Stretching from the eastern edge of the city to green Treptower Park, Treptow-Köpenick is Berlin's largest borough in terms of area. Its neighbour to the west is Kreuzberg, famed as the heartlands of Berlin’s alternative culture, but Treptow-Köpenick is also home to a vibrant nightlife and arts scene. The Arena is one of the city’s hottest venues for parties, events, and concerts, while the hipsters can be found hunkered down with laptops and coffee in the cafés and bars along Lohmühlenstraße.
Down along the eastern River Spree, the borough becomes increasingly idyllic. Tour boats depart from the Treptower Park jetty for the inner city, and paddle boats often criss-cross the quiet waters at the Insel der Jugend (Island of Youth). If you prefer stargazing to messing about in boats, head for the nearby Archenhold Observatory in Treptower Park to explore the mysteries of the universe.
Towards Schöneweide, the old brick industrial buildings have gained a new lease of life as home to start-ups and the studios of art students. At Berlin’s leading technology park in Adlershof, which attracts scientists from around the world, the future is also high on the agenda.
The Captain of Köpenick
In the early 1930s, Köpenick town hall and old town were immortalised on the stage. Carl Zuckmayer’s classic play, based on real events, recounted the exploits of an imposter known as “The Captain of Köpenick” (Hauptmann von Köpenick). Even today, the town hall is a regular venue for readings from the play. Close by, you can find a beautiful baroque palace on a little island.
For a break, head for the cosy Altstadtcafé Cöpenick and treat yourself to the sorts of delicious cakes you might find in a Viennese coffee house. Afterwards, stroll down Bölschestraße in Friedrichshagen, window shopping in the many little outlets selling hand-made goods.
Our tips for Treptow-Köpenick
Delve into a dark chapter of Berlin's history, the forced labour that was practised in many places. The Nazi Forced Labour Documentation Centre at an original site will bring you closer to the past in an insightful way.
Woodland and water
At Müggelsee lake, you can explore the many waterways in this borough – on a canoe tour through the canals criss-crossing the Neu-Venedig area, on a boat tour or windsurfing, or just by making a bigger splash at the lakeside bathing beach.
But there is still more to discover in Treptow-Köpenick! Across Müggelsee lake to the south, the Müggelturm viewing tower offers a stunning panorama of the woods. Further south, you can see the Grünau district on the other side of the River Dahme. Hardly surprisingly, with so much water in the Treptow-Köpenick borough, Grünau is famous for its sailing regattas!
You can find more of our recommendations here.
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