What a playground. Water play. Rope jungle. Huge animal statues. Clay making. Climbing areas that…read morego on and on. And that's apparently just one of three playgrounds here at Britzer Garten, a huge suburban park that's got a lake, a little train, plentiful benches and flower gardens, several snack stands and at least one very nice looking cafe on the small lake. This made a very fun outing for our crew of young European travelers (i.e., kids 4-8) who had enjoyed all the sightseeing but were also ready for a good place to just run around with the local kids. If you're going from downtown Berlin: it's only 20 minutes or so on the U-6 to Alt-Mariendorf, but you will then definitely want to take the bus to one of the park entrances. It's only a 5-10 minute bus ride -- and pretty easy to figure out once you arrive at Alt-Mariendorf -- but the distance is further than it looks on a map... and you don't want to use all your little people's energy just walking down a semi-busy street. Also, check out the map on the park's website before you go. I'd suggest aiming for one of the SW entrances (bus 179 as of this week), which are adjacent to the playground our kids enjoyed. (We entered from the North and bus 181, and there is not much up there other than flowers). Overall the park is plenty close that it's not a big deal getting there, but far enough that I'd consider it at least a half-day outing.

This is a wonderful place to see. Give yourself lots of time- it's over 90 hectares…read more There is a playground, lots of lakes, paths to stroll and sculptures to contemplate. Don't miss out on a great crepe while you're there! Bring your kite if it's breezy...

A true hidden gem in the middle of Neukoelln, this architecturally rich park has a beautiful…read morefountain (though unfortunately dry to lack of funding), and a wonderful space to get coffee in cake in front of the 1890's Orangerie, which now serves as an art gallery (free admission). Being sunken below street level cuts down on noise and creates of tranquil space. The neighborhood organizes concerts and other events there: check the web site. I really recommend swinging by if you're in the neighborhood, just for the fun of seeing this urban oasis appear in the midst of one of the less polished areas of Berlin.

I love love love Körnerpark. This is my neighborhood park, a…read morethree-block walk from where I live, and the perfect place to hang out when I want to get away, if only (and especially) for a short while. The park itself takes up an entire block, and is landscaped beautifully: fountains, trees, benches, and green green grass. Along one end of the park there is also the gravel area outside the Cafe and Gallery, which has tables with umbrellas, and plenty of seating for cafe patrons. While the cafe is a nice place to meet friends, I personally enjoy grabbing a beer or two and some snacks and spending time outside on the grass with friends. Beware of the area where sitting is forbidden of course, most of the time it's not enforced, so sit away. But during rare instances you will be approached and reprimanded, and then promptly kicked off. But don't let it discourage you there are plenty of other places in the park to sit. And regardless, time at Körnerpark is always time well spent.

Tiergarten is a very-very large park. And, when I say it it very large, I do mean it is truly very…read morelarge. It is one of the biggest city parks I have ever experienced. Located right in the heart of Berlin, Tiergarten is almost impossible to miss, as all roads lead to it or through it. Once inside this park, you'll you'll find a very large amount of all kinds of trees, plants, grass, and shrubbery. The park is truly a testament to a vast natural space in the center of a city. You will see people riding their bikes, running, walking, and just kicking back on the grass throughout the park. As urban as most of Berlin tends to be, this park is truly a space for a person to workout in nature or just commune with all that is natural. The one thing I will say, that I find very curious about this park, is that there are very few restrooms. You really have to walk a distance to one if you need to use the facilities. From this, I have seen a number of people, particularly men, just using the side of a tree to relieve themselves. I imagine, as vast as this park is, where there are numerous private places, this is not that uncommon of an occurrence. This is not a criticism, this is just something for your to keep in mind if you come to this park. Be aware, you should know where one of the few restrooms are located before you enter the park, just in case you realize you need to go. Overall, this a great park. A fun place to just walk and enjoy nature and some peace in Berlin.

One of the most disappointing parks I've ever been to. I was expecting something like Central Park…read moreor even at least something like Chapultepec Park in Mexico. Instead it's just a giant swamp filled with bicyclists, nowhere to sit, nothing to see. Very few benches. Sprinklers that spray pathways. It's right next to the Bundestag and Brandenburg Gate and absolutely does not share the magnificence of those places.

Admittedly I don't make it to Hasenheide too often, since I live close to a handful of other parks,…read morebut it's truly a great spot. The park itself is huge, so you can easily find sunny, grassy areas for picnics and lounging, spots for playing sports or slack-lining, shaded areas to cool off, and more. There's even a relatively elaborate petting zoo, and a cafe in the middle where you can buy drinks and snacks. And while there are some drug dealers, they are not anywhere near as aggressive or annoying as the ones at Görli.

Neighbourhood park with a skate park on the Columbiadamm side. We went looking for the café in the…read moremiddle of the park that was recommended to us locally but we didn't really know where we were going and ended up out the other side of the park. Apparently there's also an open air cinema. As others have mentioned, there are dealers at every turn on the paths and hanging around in the bushes.

Berlin-Flughafen Tempelhof (THF) is long gone. But coming here, you can almost feel the…read moreTempelhofer Feld history. Berlin Hauptstadt is trying to converted into something incredibly useful for the locals. But mind you, it's still a work in progress. We just enjoyed seeing it and walking around.

What do you do with a decommissioned airport? Make it into a huge park and nature preserve for…read moreeveryone to enjoy. So much history here, but folks from the western world may recall that during the height of the cold war, West Berlin was essentially cut off. This airport was the scene of many airlifted supply runs. There's also a pretty interesting monument in the front of the complex celebrating this.

We mainly ended up here because I wanted to see the Soviet War Memorial. The park is along the…read moreriver. There wasn't many people around. If you want to find some solitude, this would be the place to go.

Treptower Park is admittedly not a place I frequent so often, especially considering how close I…read morelive to it. However, it is a place that I am fond of and enjoy every time I am there. In particular, its location on the water is a major positive. There is almost always a cool breeze and plenty of things to see, such as people on boat cruises. The wide expanse of green lawns means that there are plenty of people picnicking, studying, or playing frisbee, but it never tends to be overcrowded - another plus point in my book. The park is also home to a beer garden (Das Zenner), a former amusement park (Spreepark), the Soviet War Memorial, rose gardens and fountains, and it leads over to the Insel der Jugend, another interesting place to check out. All in all, a great place to relax and take it easy without worrying about the crowds.