abandoned places

Summer in the city or: my top 5 outdoor destinations around the Berliner Ring

/ lusofonetica / 9 Comments

Since I arrived, I have heard ‘just wait for it, summer in Berlin is truly magic’. It seems like everyone’s setting up in parks for BBQs, biking all day long, kayaking or dancing the night away (and day anyway) in the open airs. All of the sudden you discover so many great spots for the nature lovers all over the Berliner Ring and get almost the holiday-like feeling stil staying within the city limits. Let me share with you some pics and impressions about my top 5 fave ones as for June 2015. Disclaimer: some photos were taken earlier in the spring, hence the trees are still not looking as spectacular as for now!

1. Pankow & its surroundings.

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It’s not an exact place, it’s a neighbourhood. There is a cute cycling path that leads from Pankow to Barnim region (i.e. Bernau and its wonderful lakes) or even, for the most triathlon-loving ones, all the way up to Copenhagen! For those that want to spend time in parks, feeding ducks and goats, and take a breathe in the green surroundings and still staying in the city’s limits, I fully recommend the short trail around Panke river, being also a part of Berlin’s Mauerweg. You will see a lot of interesting reinvented buildings. Perfect combination of how urban and post-urban landscape could look like.

2. Tempelhofer Feld.


 The biggest empty spot in the city’s map as for 2015. Not sure if this will last for much longer (?), so enjoy the empty runway, and green grass surrounding it. Perfect for cycling, skating, wind-skating, sun-bathing, BBQs and what-not.

3. Potsdam & Babelsberg.

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Needless to say, the royal town, situated only 30 minutes away from Berlin is a must for the history-loving people or the ones that love to discover the beauty of the past (which got already destroyed in the WWII). An interesting spot nearby would be Babelsberg park, where the citadel locations for Tarantino’s ‘Inglorious Basterds’ and many more were set. Definitely deserves a separate post, coming up soon!

4. Rummelsburg.

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If you’re tired of hanging around Friedrichshein’s bar and clubs (my fave party Kiez around Ostkreuz), you can follow the path on the northern side of Spree till you reach the Rummelsburg lake. Post-industrial architecture interchanged with  endless green spots makes it a perfect location for a Sunday Open Air.

5. Along the Spree and Spreepark.

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    On the other side of the Spree river, the magic still happens but you need to be quick to still spot it. One of the best abandoned  locations, Spree Park is about to disappear from Berlin’s map. Make sure you hear the abandoned wheel still spinning, notice dinosaurs, rainbow cats and GDR-era toys. A very interesting documentary about Spree Park’s history will be screened on 29th June in the Freiluft Kino on the Spree nearby.

New Year’s on the Devil’s Mountain

/ lusofonetica / 2 Comments

On a sunny 1st day of January together with my visiting friend, we decided to discover one of the most quirky building in Berlin: Teufelsberg Abhoerstation. Back in a day it used to serve as CIA’s listening station, even though it was maybe not the most discreet Cold War time place one could imagine. Nowadays it’s owned by a private investor, turning slowly but surely into a derelict building.

Located in the Western part of the city, it is easily accessible by S- and U-Bahn (the closest station: Heerstrasse) and 30 minutes walk through the Grunewald forest. Teufelsberg (literally translated as: Devil’s Mountain) is an interesting place itself, given its origin. This highest peak of Berlin was constructed on the ruins dating back the II WW.

The easiest but not cheapest way to access the Listening Station is to take part of the tour which gathers every full hour and costs 7 EUR per visitor. There are also night tours offered with a more detailed description of the history. During the tour one can enter the building, including the highest standing tower. From my perspective, I would recommend wearing warm clothes and a lantern as there are strong winds and not all the staircases are lit up by the daylight.

This mysterious, abandoned place leaves our imagination play with what sort of messages were circulating in the Station back in the day, and offers spectacular views over the magic skyline of Berlin. Way to start 2015!