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Berlin Parks and Berlin Gardens (Berlin, Germany)



Berlin can really boast about its wide variety of parks, ranging from the largest to the smallest. You would never imagine that the city of Berlin would have so much green and open space throughout. Most parts of Berlin have at least one park or square, whether it is just a small pool with surrounding trees or a huge park of several hundred acres.

Here are some of the most popular parks in Berlin that provide a calming and tranquil area, right in the heart of hectic city life.




Berlin Gardens: Botanical Garden and Museum (Botanischer Garten und Museum) - Königin-Luise-Strasse, Berlin
Tel: +49 (0) 30 8385 0100
The Botanical Garden is spread over 108 acres / 43 hectares and is home to over 20,000 different species of plant from all over the world. There are vast hothouses and also 16 large greenhouses, which are full of exotic plants and each greenhouse focuses on a different climate region. The gardens are over 100 years old and are beautifully arranged. The grounds are also home to the Botanical Museum, which provides scientific background information about plants. The stunning gardens are a 15-minute walk east of Dalhem-Dorf (U1) U-Bahn station.

Berlin Gardens: Grunewald - Berlin, Germany
In the south-western corner of Berlin is a large forest, bordered on the west by the River Havel. This expanse of woodland contains many paths that lead to several lakes and also to the Grunewaldturm Tower, which was built at the end of the 19th century as a memorial to Kaiser Wilhelm I. This tower is 55 metres / 180 feet tall and contains a restaurant with view across the lake. Large areas of this forest have become important nature reserves and these animal havens are full of a whole range of wildlife. There is also an old lodge that contains a museum displaying antique furniture, Dutch and German paintings and one of the outbuildings is a small hunting museum.

Berlin Gardens: Tierpark Berlin-Friedrichsfelde - Am Tierpark 125, Berlin
Tel: +49 (0) 513 8141
This large, well laid-out park contains the castle, Schloss Friedrichsfelde, which was completely restored between 1973 to 1981. After the second world war, parts of the castle were actually used to house animals from the adjacent Tierpark Zoo, which opened in 1954. There are now over 8,000 animals in this large zoo, representing almost 1,000 different species. Most live is open habitats, surrounded by moats and there are many rare and endangered species at this zoo, including wild horses and oryx-antelopes.

Berlin Gardens: Peacock Island (Pfaueninse)l - Pfaueninselchaussee, Berlin
Tel: +49 (0) 30 805 3042
The gardens of Peacock Island were built in the early 19th century by well-known landscape designer Peter Lenné, who created a typical English garden on this small island. The garden surrounds a palace known as 'Schloss Pfaueninsel,' which was constructed in 1794 for Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm II and his many mistresses. Although it appears as a ruin, this was actually intended and it was designed to appear this way when it was originally built. This palace, together with the garden and its many flowers, give Peacock Island a romantic atmosphere and it has become a very popular summer retreat. It can be reached by ferry to Pfaueninsel.
Gardens open: daily
November to February - 10:00 to 16:00
March and October - 09:00 to 17:00
April and September - 08:00 to 18:00
May to August - 08:00 to 20:00
Palace: April to October - Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00
 
Berlin Gardens: Animal Garden (Tiergarten)
The Tiergarten is Berlin's central park and covers a vast area of more than 630 acres / 252 hectares. Originally a hunting preserve for royalty, it is now full of playgrounds, marble sculptures and over 14 miles / 23 km of pathways, providing a great place to get away from the city. With a strong feeling of the countryside, there are beautiful flower gardens, mature trees, shady areas, benches galore, canals and even a lake in the south-western part, near to the world's oldest zoo, where you are able to rent a rowing boat. There is also a café and beer garden, and probably most surprising of all, a secluded area set aside for nudists, who often come here to sunbathe in peace and quiet. The World Culture Centre can be found in the centre of the park, which is nicknamed the 'pregnant oyster' because of its design. Nearby is the tall Victory Column, which is 69 metres / 226 feet high and provides superb views across the city. This scenic park is a great place to come for a walk, bike ride or picnic and is popular with both locals and tourists alike.
Transport: Bus 100, 187, 200 or 341, S-Bahn Tiergarten.
Opening hours: daily, 24 hours
Gardens admission: free

Berlin Gardens: Zoological Gardens (Zoologischer Garten) - Hardenbergpl. 8 and Budapester Str. 34, Berlin
Tel: +49 (0) 30 254 010
Since they opened in 1844, the Berlin Zoological Gardens have grown into the world's largest zoo, with over 14,000 animals and more than 1,700 different species. Situated in the south-western corner of the Tiergarten park, it is the oldest zoo in Germany and after being destroyed during World War II, the zoological gardens were carefully redesigned to create surroundings as close to the animals' natural environment as possible. The result is very successful breeding programmes, including high birthrates for rare and endangered species. The main entrance to the zoo is through a picturesque Asian-style Elefanentor (Elephant Gate). Next door is a large aquarium centre, with an impressive collection of fish and also some reptiles.
Gardens open: daily
November to February - 09:00 to 17:00
Early March - 09:00 to 17:30
Late March to September - daily 09:00 to 18:30
October - 09:00 to 18:00
Gardens admission: charge, combined zoo and aquarium tickets are available

 
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