Green Spaces in the Southwest

Pack your bathing gear and get outside …

Berlin means adrenalin and chilling out, city lights and tranquil forests, wild nightlife and lazing in the park. Steglitz-Zehlendorf has many places where you can spend a day relaxing in the countryside or beside the water.

Bathing at the lake

Every summer, Berliners and visitors pack their bathing gear and join the queue at Strandbad Wannsee. The bathing beach is made of white Baltic sand, and with its sweeping view over the water, you could almost believe that Berlin is by the sea. You can also take a refreshing dip at one of the supervised bathing beaches on the opposite side.
Krumme Lanke and Schlachtensee are also bathing paradises where students from the nearby FU Berlin, local residents, Berliners and their guests can lounge on the grass by the lakeside lawns.
From Strandbad Wannsee you can also set off on a walk along the Havel – dotted with fantastic views across the water, the Havelhöhenweg takes you to Charlottenburg. Or you could wander through the shady greenery and tall trees of the Grunewald.

Wassersportcenter Berlin - Ideal for an excursion — Wassersportcenter Berlin: Boats on lake Wannsee

view over the lake Wannsee in Berlin — Ronnebypromenade

Mother Fourage Courtyard Café and Culture Barn in Berlin — Mother Fourage Courtyard Café and Culture Barn

Beer garden at Schlachtensee in Berlin — Restaurant Fischerhütte at Schlachtensee

Plants from all over the world

Take a trip around the world at the Botanischer Garten in Dahlem: as well as the flora of Europe, you can visit Asia and admire the plants and flowers of the jungle.

There’s even more horticulture to enjoy next door at the Königliche Gartenakademie – where you can also have a nice cup of coffee and a slice of cake in the greenhouse. There are gardens and agriculture to discover at the Domäne Dahlem open-air museum. All year long on the former manor farm, there are market festivals and other events for the whole family.
Mutter Fourage harmoniously combines flower-growing, art and an eco-friendly café.

Parks for aviators and poets

The Fliegeberg in Steglitz had far-reaching effects, because it was where Otto Lilienthal launched his aviation experiments. A pavilion on the hill commemorates the legendary pioneer of flight. Stadtpark Steglitz near Schloßstraße is a green oasis in the city. The park borders the picturesque Teltow Canal, itself a popular place for leisurely walks and rambles even beyond the city boundary.

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