Tempelhofer Feld

Tempelhofer Feld is one of the most unusual parks in Europe: a former city airport, runways and all, turned over to the public. Tempelhof Airport stopped operating in 2008, and in May 2010 the airfield opened as a park. In 2014 Berliners voted in a referendum to keep the whole area as open space, blocking plans for building around its edges, and it remains one of the city's best-loved places to spend a sunny afternoon.

The scale is the first thing you notice. The field covers more than 300 hectares, so the sky feels enormous and the city skyline sits low on the horizon. The two long runways and the taxiways are perfect for cycling, skating, skateboarding and kite-surfing on wheels, and on windy days the air is full of kites. Away from the tarmac, the grassland is home to skylarks, and parts of it are fenced off during the breeding season. Sheep have grazed parts of the field since 2019 to help manage the meadows.

Around the edges you will find community garden projects, barbecue areas, dog zones and places for picnics, and there are snack and drinks kiosks near some entrances in the warmer months. The huge curved terminal building, completed in the 1930s and famous as the base for the Berlin Airlift of 1948 and 1949, stands along the western side; it is a separate site from the park and offers its own guided tours. The park itself also runs guided walks, including tours in English on selected dates.

The field is free and open from sunrise to sunset, with exact times that change through the seasons and are posted at the entrances; at closing time the gates are locked. There are several entrances, including on Tempelhofer Damm by Paradestrasse and Tempelhof stations, on Columbiadamm near the Sehitlik Mosque, and along Oderstrasse on the Neukölln side. There is very little shade, so bring water, sun cream and a hat in summer, and expect strong wind on cooler days. You can bring your own bike or rent one in the city.

Tempelhof station (S-Bahn ring and U6) and Paradestrasse (U6) are on the western side, and Boddinstrasse and Leinestrasse on the U8 serve the Neukölln side. The bars and cafés of the Schillerkiez in Neukölln are just east of the Oderstrasse entrances.