Favorite nature places
With over 3.5 million inhabitants, Berlin is the largest city in Germany. It's also incredibly green. Nobody has to drive far to experience nature. The proof: These favorite places.
Allmende Kontor
Viivi Haussala-Seppo of restaurant Palsta is a big fan of the nearby urban gardening project, Allmende Kontor, whose famous raised garden beds extend almost to her front door on the edge of Tempelhofer Feld.
Beach 61
Bastien Slovinski of La Käserie loves playing beach volleyball at Beach 61 in Park am Gleisdreieck.
Botanischer Garten
"My favorite place in Berlin is the Tropical Gallery of the Botanical Gardens. The vegetation, the colors, and the atmosphere all remind me of home," says Handoyo Oedi, owner of the Indonesian restaurant, Handoyo's Sate & Coffee.
Britzer Garten
Georgios Chrissides from Greece and owner of Restaurants Z enjoys taking his family on trips to Britzer Garten, one of Berlin’s most beautiful garden parks with its themed areas and special flower shows.
Golf- und Land-Club Wannsee
Adid Harb of the Harb Lebanese deli likes to spend his time at the Golf- und Land-Club Berlin Wannsee, where members can take on the 9-hole course.
Grunewald
Russian Ilja Kaplan, owner of Datscha restaurant, loves Grunewald, the 3000-hectare forest located on the Havel river in Western Berlin. He is known to take lengthy walks there.
Paddling on the Landwehr Canal
"I like paddling along the Landwehr Canal In Kreuzberg on mild summer evenings," says Sweden's Sten Rasmussenthen, owner of Scandinavian Objects furniture shop. Kayaks and canoes are available to rent from Kayak Berlin Tours and other companies.
Liepnitzsee
"I like Berlin’s natural areas, particularly the city’s many lakes," says Piotrek Ksiazek from concept store, Quadrat Shop.
Müggelsee
"My favorite place is Lake Müggelsee," says Barbara Saltmann from Jamaica. "You are walking through the forest and all of a sudden there is this huge lake. I probably like it so much because I love the ocean and it feels so free there." Saltmann runs the Ya-Man Caribbean restaurant.
Rhododendrons in Tiergarten
Kyla Boyle from Café Aunt Benny loves the rhododendron grove at Tiergarten Park. The bushes can grow up to four meters tall and the flowers bloom in pink and purple each May.
Viktoria Park
The Italian owners of Cento Passi wine bar, Francesca Balisteri and Fabrizio Frau, love Viktoria Park in Kreuzberg. At the park’s summit – the highest point in the center of Berlin – stands the cast iron Prussian National Monument designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
Volkspark Rehberge
One of Markus Shimizu's favorite places is Volkspark Rehberge. The inviting park features an open-air cinema, an animal enclosure, and multiple playgrounds. The half Japanese is the founder of Mimi Ferments.
Wannsee
"I like to go for walks at Lake Wannsee," says the Bulgarian Denitsa Popova. "I find the view inspiring because I come from the coast and often find myself missing the sea." Popova runs Perelic Woolen Goods.
Weisser See
Fabricio and Krithika do Canto, owners of the Meta Mate Bar, like to sit on the banks of the Weisser See with a mate in hand. The popular resort area has its own beach and a historic café, the Milchhäuschen.