Berlin, the Green City

Lakes in Berlin

If you want to spend a day near the water, go to Lake Tegel.

It is in the north of Berlin and can be reached easily via Subway (Station: Alt-Tegel). It is the second largest lake of Berlin. Actually, it is no lake, but a bulge of the River Havel which flows through Berlin.
There's a nice promenade with benches to sit on and childrens' playground. Here are also the landing stages for "The White Fleet", boats which will take you for either short or longer trips across the water.

Lake Wannsee has been a traditional place for many Berliners to spend the Sunday together with the family, especially since the building of the wall in 1961. From that time on till the breakdown of the wall, it beloned to thefew places outside the city where you could spend a nice summer day.

As Lake Tegel Lake Wannsee is no real lake but another bulge of the River Havel. So you can take on of those nice white boats and get from one lake to the other.

There is a big public bath and many nice restaurants where you can sit outside. Or you can go to the landing stages, watch the ships come in and go out or go on board for either a longer or shorter trip.

I bet you won't find this place in a tourist guide! Lake Rummelsburg is situated in the east of Berlin, in Friedrichshain, which is a part of the district Friedrichshain / Kreuzberg. Friedrichshain belonged to the former Eastern part of Berlin. That is the reason why even Berliners living in the Western part of Berlin did not know this place for a long time!

As Lake Tegel and Lake Wannsee, Lake Rummelsburg is a bulge of a river. In this case it is not the bulge of the River Havel, but a bulge of the River Spree.

There is a nice footpath going along the lake, and after having enjoyed the marina atmosphere you can finish your afternoon in one of the trendy cafés of Friedrichshain.

Places to breathe

Berlin has many old graveyards. They are like green lungs in the noisy city - parks with old trees, where you can sit on a bench and forget where you are.

The Britzer Garten is a big park with beautiful flowers (it is famous for its tulipans in spring and for its roses in June and September) and a lake where you can watch ducks and swans and fish. It also has several nice cafés. You have to pay an entrance fee of 2 Euros, but with this entrance fee you can listen to wonderful music on a Sunday afternoon, ranging from Dixieland Jazz to Classic music.

water lilies by ullahennig
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The Gardens of the World in Berlin-Marzahn show an Oriental Garden, a Chinese Garden, a Japanese Garden, a Korean Garden and also a Renaissance Garden.

This photo shows the entrance room to the Oriental Garden. Oriental art does not show pictures of living beings. It is very ornamental, and blue is a most used color.
You can look at the ornaments for a long time and still discover new things.

Beauty just along the way

This is just some minutes away from where I live.
You will see that beautiful lavender on your way from the subway station Hallesches Tor to the Jewish Museum. I pass it every morning on my way from home to work, and I can enjoy it on my way back. Lavender is something I always associated with the Provence in the south of France, but now I've got the Provence in Berlin!

In Spring you can see them everywhere in Berlin - Japanese cherries blossoming. I took this photo directly in front of the house where I live. Unfortunately those fluffly blossoms are gone faster than you would want it. There is a short time when the earth is covered in pink - but then also this is history. But one thing is certain - they will come back in the next year!

Cherry Blossoms by ullahennig
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A place to breathe