Volkspark Jungfernheide

Volkspark Jungfernheide in the Charlottenburg-Nord area, a Volkspark being a public city park, covers roughly 361 acres (146 hectares) and is one of the largest parks in western Berlin. The city of Charlottenburg bought the land from the Prussian state in 1904, and the head of parks Erwin Barth handled the design. After the plans were revised following World War I, the park officially opened on May 27, 1923, with the central features completed by 1927. Two bear sculptures in shell limestone by Hermann Pagels mark the main entrance.

The centerpiece is the artificial Jungfernheideteich pond with a lido on its southern shore, good for swimming and sunbathing in summer. Rising above the park is the water tower, built between 1925 and 1927 in the brick expressionist style, which now houses a café with a beer garden. If you want something more active, there is a forest high ropes course (since 2010), sports fields, play areas and a large off-leash dog area on the site of the former game enclosure.

With its wide sunbathing lawns, wooded stretches and water, the Jungfernheide is a popular local escape well away from the tourist routes. The park also has an open-air theater, the Gustav-Böß-Bühne, modeled on the ancient theater at Ephesus. The U-Bahn and S-Bahn station of the same name puts you right there. One tip: on warm days come early, while the best spots by the water are still open.