city life · Berlin Guide Editorial Team · 7 min ·
The Most Beautiful Parks in Berlin: Green Space for Every Taste
From the Tiergarten to Tempelhofer Feld and the Gardens of the World: Berlin's finest parks, with notes on location, activities and what makes each one different.
Berlin is one of the greenest capitals in Europe. Roughly a third of the city’s area is park, forest, water or green space. If you want a break from the noise of the city, it is usually only a few subway stops away. Here are the finest parks in Berlin: baroque palace gardens, a decommissioned airport and botanical collections of international rank.
Which is the biggest park in Berlin?
The Grosser Tiergarten in the city center is, at around 520 acres, Berlin’s largest inner-city park and also one of its oldest. Originally laid out as a hunting ground for the electors of Brandenburg, it was reshaped into public parkland from the 18th century onward. Today broad avenues, narrow paths and small lakes run through it.
At its center stands the Siegessäule (Victory Column), whose observation platform opens up a view across the treetops to the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate). Hidden highlights include the English Garden, the rose garden and a walking path along the Landwehrkanal. The Tiergarten borders the government quarter and the Reichstag directly, which makes it an ideal stop on a tour through Mitte.
Tempelhofer Feld: an airport turned park
Tempelhofer Feld is one of the most unusual green spaces in Europe. Planes took off and landed here until 2008; since 2010 the site has been open as public space. The old runways survive and are now used by cyclists, skaters and kitesurfers.
The wide meadows are excellent for picnics, kite flying or simply enjoying an openness you rarely find in a big city. Parts of the grounds are designated nature reserve and provide habitat for skylarks and wild plants. The field lies between Neukölln and Tempelhof and is easy to reach by subway.
Which park works best for families?
Volkspark Friedrichshain is Berlin’s oldest municipal park and especially popular with families. Playgrounds, water play areas and sports facilities are spread across the hilly grounds. Its best-known feature is the Märchenbrunnen, an ornate fountain complex with figures from the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.
If you are out with kids, the park combines well with a wander through Friedrichshain. Treptower Park on the bank of the Spree also has plenty of room to run around. There is boat rental, the small Insel der Jugend (Island of Youth) and the imposing Soviet War Memorial, one of the largest war memorials outside the former Soviet Union.
Parks for plant lovers
If you want botanical range, the Botanical Garden in Dahlem is the place. More than 20,000 plant species from every climate zone grow on the grounds in the southwest of the city. The historic greenhouses, including the imposing Grosses Tropenhaus, are among the finest of their kind in Europe. Regular tours and workshops go deeper.
The Gärten der Welt (Gardens of the World) in Marzahn present garden design from different cultures: a Chinese, a Japanese, an Oriental and a Balinese garden sit side by side. A cable car floats above the site and offers a panoramic view. The park is in the Marzahn district and is easy to reach by S-Bahn.
Baroque elegance at Schloss Charlottenburg
The palace park behind Schloss Charlottenburg was laid out at the end of the 17th century and combines a strictly geometric baroque garden with a later English-style landscape garden. Symmetrical flower beds, sculptures and a carp pond define the front section, while the rear parts invite a walk along the Spree.
The park also holds the Belvedere with its porcelain collection and the Hohenzollern mausoleum. It sits in the west of the city in the Charlottenburg district and is a quiet contrast to the bustle around the nearby KurfĂĽrstendamm.
Tips for visiting the parks
Most Berlin parks are open all day and free. Only the Botanical Garden and the Gardens of the World charge admission. In summer it pays to come early in the day or in the evening, before the popular lawns fill up. Picnicking is allowed almost everywhere; grilling only in designated zones.
Many parks connect well on foot or by rental bike with nearby attractions. If you are planning guided bike tours or boat trips, you will find options through tours and tickets. For the best route through the green corners of the city, our trip planning hub helps.
After a long day outdoors, it is worth stopping at one of the city’s best cafes or street food markets, which often sit right next to the major parks. Our food and drink section has the shortlist.