Tiergarten

"Berlin's signature park and "green lung," Tiergarten Park is a leafy 519-acre oasis that was once used as the hunting grounds of Berlin’s rulers (“Tiergarten” means “animal park”). These days, the boars and pheasants have moved on, and in their place a series of lakes, hiking paths, English gardens, and even a biergarten attract joggers, cyclists, and sunbathers. Towering over the center of the park, the gilded Siegessäule (Victory Column) is the most famous of Tiergarten’s many monuments and commemorates Prussian war victories. Nearby, the white Schloss Bellevue palace is where the German president lives. Elsewhere, don’t miss the manicured English Garden and teahouse, and Berlin’s most attractive and romantic biergarten, Café am Neuen See, where lovers can enjoy a pint, a pizza, and a paddle aboard a rowboat on the lake. It would take you days to see all of hte park—we recommend downshifting and taking your time here with a bike, a blanket, and a book." - Krystin Arneson, Liz Humphreys

"The most famous park in Berlin is also its most central. Slap bang in the middle of the city, it connects major sights like Potsdamer Platz, the Philharmonie, the Brandenburger Tor, and the Berlin Zoo. It was formed by Elector Friedrich Wilhelm in the 17th century as a hunting ground. Today, it offers a vast network of cycling and running paths, pleasant meadows for sunbathing, picturesque lakes and flower gardens, and a couple of great beer gardens. Look out for interesting sculptures like the Global Stone peace project, historic memorials for murdered political activists like Rosa Luxemburg, and the park’s progressive cultural institution, the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of World Cultures)." - MATADOR_NETWORK

"Berlin isn’t exactly short of impressive parks, but the 520-acre Tiergarten, stretching westward from Brandenburg Gate, is one of the city’s largest, most central, and most historic. The area, originally a royal hunting ground, became a park in the 18th century, and prominent landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenné redesigned it in the 19th century with some English garden elements. Largely destroyed during World War II, the park was subsequently used to grow potatoes and other food for starving locals. Today’s replanted gardenattracts strollers, joggers, bladers, and cyclists with its landscaped meadows, lakes and gardens, and winding paths. There are also several historic monuments and a couple of excellent beer gardens such as the Café am Neuen See and Schleusenkrug, both perfect stops for pre- or post-stroll sustenance."

"Let’s start big picture. Give us some of the background on Tiergarten? Berlin's signature park and "green lung," this leafy 519-acre oasis was once used as the hunting grounds of Berlin’s rulers (“Tiergarten” means “animal park”). These days, the boars and pheasants have moved on, and in their place a series of lakes, hiking paths, English gardens and even a biergarten attract joggers, cyclists, and sunbathers. Beautiful. What are the highlights across those 519 acres? Towering over the center of the park, the gilded Siegessäule (Victory Column) is the most famous of Tiergarten’s many monuments and commemorates Prussian war victories. Paying visitors can ascend its spiral staircase for sky-high views over the forested surroundings. Nearby, the white Schloss Bellevue palace is where the German president lives. Elsewhere, don’t miss the manicured English Garden and teahouse, and Berlin’s most attractive and romantic biergarten, Café am Neuen See, where lovers can enjoy a pint, a pizza, and a paddle aboard a rowboat on the lake. Got it. What's the best way to navigate the park? It would take you days to see all of the park. Like Tempelhofer Feld park, the best way to take in Tiergarten is either on bike or by jogging. However, the No. 100 public bus conveniently picks up right at the Victory Column, goes past the Schloss Bellevue, and bisects much of the park. If you were to leave us with any final tips, what would they be? We recommend downshifting and taking your time here. (That’s the whole point of a park, right?) Bring a bike, a blanket, a book, and stay a while. If you’d like to hike to the top of the Victory Column, take the bus—it’s a deceptively long walk from the Brandenburg Gate, where it appears to loom closer than it actually is." - Eliot Stein