![Deutsche Kinemathek - Museum für Film und Fernsehen](/system/files/styles/visitberlin_teaser_menu_visitberlin_tablet_landscape_1x/private/image/_MST0911_web_0.jpg?h=bf5d81ba&itok=3-wE1_pY)
Charlottenburger Chaussee 109
13597 Berlin
030 3325772
marian@ich.ms
Nature park with a metropolitan connection
It’s well-known that Berlin is one of the greenest cities in the world. But the fact that over 4,000 hectares within the city limits belong to a nature park is truly something special. Other well-known nature parks in Germany include the Bayerischer Wald, the Erzgebirge, and the Teutoburger Wald parks.
Berlin’s nature park begins behind Schönhausen Palace in the district of Pankow and extends to the northwest to the picturesque Lübars neighbourhood. It spans approximately 750 square kilometres, almost as extensive as Berlin itself, stretching north of the city limits between Bernau, Bad Freienwalde, Eberswalde, and Oranienburg. Because of its location, the park enjoys access to several stations on Berlin’s S-Bahn lines, as well as almost 50 stations on the regional Deutsche Bahn network, making it possible to reach this green oasis by public transport in just 30 minutes from the city centre.
Chiefly thanks to its many clear lakes and romantic brooks, Naturpark Barnim has been a popular destination for getaways or hiking excursions since the 19th century. For over 100 years, the Heidekrautbahn has also brought guests directly from Berlin to their destinations in the heart of the park. On some of the lakes, locals still catch vendace, a fish considered a local delicacy. You can also observe the birds and the animals that make their home in the park, trek through the flowering heathlands, explore the mysterious moors, or savour the fresh forest air provided by the native pine, beech, oak, and alder trees. Remains of Slavic and German castles are scattered throughout the richly varied landscape. Impressive stone and brick buildings bear witness to ancient craftsmanship and historic waterways such as the Finow Canal reflect the turbulent history of the local economy. Germany is home to more than 100 nature parks, which together cover one-fourth of the whole country.
If you’re up for it, you can head north of the nature park directly into the Schorfheide-Chorin biosphere reserve, home to hundreds of square kilometres of forest, some of which have even been named UNESCO World Heritage sites.