There is no need to travel far away. With its twelve twelve different districts (Kieze), Berlin offers a lot of wonderful destinations for excursions. Here is a collection of many great tips and suggestions directly from the districts. Come with us on a tour and discover some of the not so well-known corners of the capital. 11 plus 1 insider tip for a postcard-worthy mini vacation in your own city.
Tip 1: Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf - Green Oasis
Although it is located in the middle of Charlottenburg, Lietzenseepark is a green oasis of peace. Here you can take a leisurely stroll and enjoy the view of the lake. A stroll around the park is definitely worthwhile, and at the head of the park, the beautiful cafés and restaurants invite you to linger. Here are three tips:
Where: Bootshaus Stella, Witzlebenplatz 1
When: daily 11 am - 8 pm
Where: Engelbecken, Witzlebenstraße 31
When: daily 5 pm - 12 am
Where: Café Manstein, Witzlebenstraße 32
When: daily 10 am - 10 pm
More about Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Tip 2: Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg - Pop-up bike lanes
Berlin has never been so bicycle-friendly as at the moment. Let the Pentecost sun lure you outside and try the new pop-up bike paths. In Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg alone, you can now cycle safely along Mehringdamm to Tempelhofer Feld, along Skalitzer Straße, Kottbusser Damm, as well as Tempelhofer and Halleschen Ufer. More pop-up cycle paths can be found at Lichtenberger Straße and Petersburger Straße.
Mehr zu Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
A real classic for a sunny weekend with children is a trip to the fairytale fountain (Märchenbrunnen) in the Volkspark Friedrichshain. And if you don't want to pack a picnic, you can get some food at the Schönbrunn snack bar. For older kids, a trip to the Computerspielemuseum (Museum for Computer Games) is currently worthwhile, because here you can currently try out all the games without long waiting times.
Where: Computerspielemuseum, Karl-Marx-Allee 93a
When: daily 10 am - 8 pm
Get discounts with the Berlin Welcome Card
Tip 3: Lichtenberg - Lake tour with history
Bathers were already cavorting here in the golden 20s. And even today the Strandbad Orankesee is a popular bathing destination in the east of Berlin. If you prefer a more peaceful atmosphere, you can enjoy nature on a walk around the Obersee under shady red oaks and maple trees.
Afterwards, a visit to the Orankesee Terraces is recommended. Get inspired to further excursions around the two lakes with the audio stories, which the Förderverein Obersee & Orankesee has compiled under the title Hörenschönhausen.
You want to discover even more? Then take a look at this bicycle tour through bicycle tour through Lichtenberg.
Where: Orankesee Terrassen, Orankestraße 41
When: daily 11.30 am - 11 pm
Tip 4: Marzahn-Hellersdorf - Enchanted idyll
Between single-family homes and prefabricated housing estates lies Biesdorf Castle, an enchanted gem in the middle of the city. The octagonal tower of the late classicist villa can be seen from far away. Surrounded by 15 hectares of land, you stroll along winding paths under 100-year-old trees towards the castle. The park was designed in the English style by the renowned landscape architect Alfred Brodersen. Relax in the reading garden or let yourself be spoilt in the castle café, which - like the castle and exhibition rooms - is open for you again.
The exhibition at Biesdorf Castle Sehnsucht nach dem Jetzt (Longing for the Now) is extended until June 4.
Where: Biesdorf Castle, Old Biesdorf 55
When: daily from 10 am to 6 pm, Friday 12 am to 9 pm, closed on Tuesday
More about Marzahn-Hellersdorf
Tip 5: Mitte - Time travel to the historical heart of Berlin
In Mitte, there is also a lot to discover away from the much-visited attractions. Travel back in time at the Mitte Museum and learn more about Berlin's historic centre. In the new exhibition Entstanden aus Sand, you will be presented with well-known and lesser-known aspects of the history and present of Berlin's Mitte district.
From 13 March to 26 June, the Gay Museum in the Mitte Museum presents the special exhibition Lesbian, Jewish, Gay - Life under National Socialism - Survival in the Postwar Period.
Where: Mitte Museum, Pankstraße 47
When: daily except Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm
Tip: If you are travelling by bike, you can start the Spreerunde to Spandau from the Nordhafen (7 minutes from the Mitte Museum).
Tip 6: Neukölln - Beyond the mainstream
Away from the mainstream, Neukölln invites you to take a walk in the Britzer Garten and the park around Britz Manor (Gutshof Britz). The area around the KINDL-Zentrum is somewhat more urban. Contemporary art can now be seen in the former brewery. Please book a ticket with time slot online in advance. After visiting the exhibition you can enjoy coffee and cake in Babette's garden.
If you are travelling in Neukölln on Saturday, you should definitely stop by the weekly market Die Dicke Linda on Neukölln's Kranoldplatz (10 am to 4 pm) and pick up a delicious picnic for a subsequent bike tour through Neukölln.
Where: Britzer Garten, entrances here,
When: from 7 am until nightfall
Tip 7: Pankow - The fine English way
Let yourself be surprised by the diversity of Pankow. A good place to start is the KulturBrauerei. Here you can see the permanent exhibition "Everyday life in the DDR". Every Sunday you can stroll through the Street Food Market from 12 to 6 pm. You can travel a little further back in time with a visit to Schönhausen Castle. In the castle park you can follow in the footsteps of Queen Elisabeth Christine. Garden lovers will also get their money's worth at the Blankenfelde-Pankow Botanical People's Park.
This bike tour through Pankow takes you through two other beautiful parks, Volkspark Humboldthain and Bürgerpark Pankow.
Where: KulturBrauerei, Schönhauser Allee 36, Prenzlauer Berg
When: Street Food Market, Sunday 12 - 6 pm
Tip 8: Spandau - Here you have by far the best view
In addition to the Spandau Citadel (Zitadelle Spandau), the Spandau Brewery (Brauhaus Spandau) with its spacious beer garden is a fantastic destination. The red brick building on the Havel served the Spandau garrison from 1880 onwards as an "Heeresdampfwäscherei“ and is the perfect meeting point for a short discovery tour of Spandau off the beaten track.
Only a short walk away you will find Berlin's oldest settlement area, the picturesque Kolk. The Spandauer Schleuse and Berlin's largest pedestrian zone in the Spandauer Altstadt is also within easy walking distance.
By bike, it is worth taking a tour north along the Spandauer See and the Altstadthafen towards the island of Eiswerder. You will find further inspiration on this bike tour through Spandau..
Where: Spandau Brewery, Neuendorfer Straße 1
When: Beer garden open from 10 am
Tip 9: Reinickendorf - Promenade with view on the lake
"The greenery sprouts, the water beckons - life starts in Reinickendorf!" Start your trip with a visit to the pedestrian zone Alt-Tegel, which you can easily reach by underground and suburban train. After a coffee in the sunshine you walk to the Greenwichpromenade at the Tegeler See. Here the little ones can let off steam on the large playground. How about a round of mini golf or a steamboat trip?
After a round in the pedal boat, you can let yourself be spoilt in the Tegeler Seeterassen in retro-70s flair with a view of the Tegeler See. Enjoy the view of the water during a walk, for example over the Sechserbrücke bridge or simply stroll along the promenade to Kanonenplatz. Here you can end the day on the terrace of the Fisherman`s Restaurant with a view of the lake.
Where: Tegeler Seeterassen, Wilkestraße 1
When: daily 12 - 8 pm
Where: Fisherman's Restaurant, Eisenhammerweg 20
When: Monday and Tuesday closed, Wednesday to Sunday 12 - 10 pm
Tip 10: Steglitz-Zehlendorf - Off into the nature
The best way to explore Berlin's southwest is by bike. Along the different routes you can expect not only beautiful nature, you can also discover interesting cultural highlights. Why not stop by the Brücke-Museum or the Haus am Waldsee. In addition, numerous beer gardens and cafés look forward to your stopover, such as the Fischerhütte am Schlachtensee. Right here you can also go swimming or rent a SUP board. Krumme Lanke is also not far away or the Königsweg cycle path through Grunewald, which takes you straight to Wannsee.
If you need to rent a bike for a trip into the surrounding area, get off at the Griebnitzsee train station in Potsdam. Here the Pedales offers you a great selection of rental bikes. From here you can also cycle along the Babelsberg Park back to Glienicke. Enjoy the peace and quiet along the riverside path and the water. Tip: You can also rent a canoe as an alternative to a bike.
Tip: With the Berlin WelcomeCard you can get up to 50 percent discount at pedals and other providers and attractions.
Where: Fischerhütte am Schlachtensee, Fischerhüttenstraße 136
When: 12 am - 11 pm
More about Steglitz-Zehlendorf
Tipp 11: Tempelhof-Schöneberg - A harbour for everyone
Fly over the Tempelhofer Feld by bike, stroll through the boutiques in the Akazienstraße, enjoy the view of the canal at the Tempelhofer Hafen or walk through the forest on the Schöneberger Südgelände along old railway tracks: You can experience all this and much more in Tempelhof-Schöneberg. For those interested in history, we recommend the places of remembrance (Orte des Erinnerns) in the Bavarian Quarter (Bayerisches Viertel). Several commemorative plaques tell in text and pictures how the Berlin Jews were gradually discriminated against more and more between 1933 and 1945. And the Regenbogenkiez on Nollendorfplatz is still the centre of the LGBTI community in Berlin today.
Where: Tempelhofer Hafen, Tempelhofer Damm 227
When: Monday to Saturday, 10 am - 8 pm
More about Tempelhof-Schöneberg
Tip 12: Treptow-Köpenick - Off into the woods
Dive into the dense green of the fairytale wetland of Krumme Lake. On its shores, many narrow paths lead from Karolinenhof in the south of Köpenick through the Grünauer Forst to the former radio station in Grünau. Start your trip with a ride on Berlin's most beautiful tram route, the Uferbahn: tram line 68 to Richtershorn stop. From the starting point you walk 400 meters into the forest in the direction of Krumme Lake.
Lined by alder swamp forests, sedge peace and reeds, you will walk along the river through untouched birch and English oak forests. Keep an eye out for frogs and newts, a total of seven amphibian species live here in the river. And guess how many different insects and butterflies live on the nearby meadows? There are 478! Especially beautiful are the clearings at the height of the beach Grünau, through which the Krumme Lake winds its way. At the end of your hike the rustic forest restaurant Hanff's-Ruh awaits you.
Where: Hanff's-Ruh, Rabindranath-Tagore-Strasse 25
When: Wednesday to Monday, 11am - 9 pm
Tip: Another nice excursion begins with the tram line 62 to the Wendenschloss. From here it is a 15-minute walk to the Schmetterlingshorst, embedded in the nature of the Köpenick Forest.
And for a quick overview of what's going on in Berlin, just take a look at visitBerlin.de.
