Walks in Berlin
3 Unique Routes Beyond the Tourist Attractions
Where Can You Go for a Nice Walk in Berlin?
Some of the best walks in Berlin take you around the Berliner Balkon in Kaulsdorf and Mahlsdorf, through the Grunewald to the Grunewaldturm, and across the Schöneberger Südgelände. All three routes combine nature with unusual places and show you a side of Berlin beyond the usual tourist trails.
The Berlin locals recommend.
Which Walks in Berlin Are Real Hidden Gems?
Walks through lesser-known Berlin neighbourhoods, former railway sites and protected landscapes are particularly interesting. The Berliner Balkon in the east, the industrial nature of Schöneberg and the forest trails around Teufelssee offer very different ways to explore Berlin on foot.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Walks: Berliner Balkon, Grunewaldturm and industrial nature in Schöneberg
- Berliner Balkon: Lakes, meadows and historic village centres in Kaulsdorf and Mahlsdorf
- Grunewaldturm: Forest walk with views over the Havel
- Schöneberger Südgelände: Ice Age landscape, historic residential estates and former railway sites
- Ideal for: Berliners, newcomers and visitors who want to discover Berlin beyond the tourist attractions
- What makes them special: All three walks combine nature, history and different sides of everyday life in Berlin
Alright, friends,
Berlin is a city you can never fully know. It’s simply too big, too diverse and sometimes too full of contradictions.
Even after more than 30 years in this city, a short S-Bahn, U-Bahn or car ride can still take me somewhere I’ve never seen before.
And that’s exactly why I love going for walks.
In this blog, I’m sharing three walks from our Berlin Insider Guide. They take you through completely different parts of Berlin: from quiet residential neighbourhoods and Plattenbau housing estates to forests and old industrial sites.
But first, I want to share a few personal thoughts on why I think you should absolutely explore Berlin on foot, too.
Why Should You Explore Berlin on Foot?
Exploring Berlin on foot lets you experience the city beyond its famous tourist attractions.
Small streets, courtyards and residential neighbourhoods reveal a side of Berlin you barely notice from a train or car.
As a kid, we often cycled to other districts, parked our bikes, went for a walk and grabbed an ice cream somewhere. Even back then, these little adventures were part of what Berlin meant to me.
After more than ten years working in the hotel industry, I keep noticing that many visitors spend almost all their time travelling between their hotel and the famous sights: Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz, East Side Gallery, Museum Island and KaDeWe.
I think that’s a shame, because Berlin has so much more to offer.
How Can You Discover Berlin Beyond the Tourist Trails?
Get off the train one stop early. Walk the rest of the way. Don’t always stick to the main streets. Take a side street now and then.
Berlin isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it’s loud, chaotic, dirty or makeshift. But that’s part of what gives this city its character.
If you only visit Berlin’s tourist-heavy city centre, you’ll see just a small part of it.
That’s why I’ve deliberately avoided turning the following three walks from our Berlin Insider Guide into traditional step-by-step directions. You can simply enter the places mentioned into Google Maps and put together your own route.
3 Unique Walks in Berlin
Berliner Balkon: A Walk Through Kaulsdorf and Mahlsdorf
The Berliner Balkon lies between Kaulsdorf and Mahlsdorf in eastern Berlin. This walk connects the Kaulsdorfer Seen with meadows, small stretches of woodland and a viewpoint overlooking Berlin’s glacial valley.
Where Does the Walk to the Berliner Balkon Start?
The route begins at the Kaulsdorfer Busch allotment gardens. From there, a small path leads to Butzer See, one of the three Kaulsdorfer Seen.
The walk continues along a stretch of woodland and across open meadows to Habermannsee.
The lakes were formed through sand and gravel extraction. Today, they’re part of a landscape where you can barely tell that raw materials were once mined here.
Following Kressenweg and Hornungweg, you eventually reach the Berliner Balkon.
From here, you get surprisingly wide views across Berlin. On a clear day, you can look out over the Kaulsdorfer Seen towards the Müggelberge.
The walk ends at Gutshaus Mahlsdorf, which now houses the Gründerzeitmuseum. From there, you can catch tram 62.
What Makes the Berliner Balkon Special?
The Berliner Balkon is a largely undeveloped slope where the Barnim plateau meets Berlin’s glacial valley. The difference in elevation is approximately 15 metres.
The upper section sits around 57 metres above sea level.
What looks like an ordinary meadow landscape is actually a visible piece of Berlin’s geological history.
During the last Ice Age, glaciers and meltwater shaped the landscape around what is now Berlin. The Berliner Balkon makes the transition between the plateau and the glacial valley particularly easy to see.
Since 2012, the landscape has been protected as part of the Barnimhang landscape conservation area.
The surrounding area is unusual, too: together, Biesdorf, Kaulsdorf and Mahlsdorf form Germany’s largest continuous area of detached and semi-detached houses.
You won’t find Berlin’s typical perimeter-block buildings here. Instead, there are gardens, detached houses, old village centres and a surprising amount of greenery.
A side of Berlin that many visitors and newcomers probably wouldn’t expect at all.
Grunewaldturm: A Forest Walk with Views Over the Havel
The walk to Grunewaldturm takes you through one of Berlin’s largest continuous forest areas. Along the way, you’ll find sandy paths, a lake, varied woodland landscapes and, finally, a historic observation tower overlooking the Havel.
What Is the Walking Route to Grunewaldturm?
The starting point is Grunewald S-Bahn station at Schmetterlingsplatz.
From there, the route first takes you to the Kiesgrube, a large sandy area in the Grunewald.
The former excavation site has developed into a unique habitat. Its open sandy areas and surrounding woodland create a landscape that feels very different from Berlin’s carefully maintained parks.
Continue through the forest to Teufelssee.
The lake lies below the famous Teufelsberg, where an American-British listening station operated during the Cold War.
The route then leads uphill through mixed woodland, with pine, oak and beech trees, towards Karlsberg.
Here you’ll find the destination of the walk: Grunewaldturm.
What Makes Grunewaldturm Special?
Grunewaldturm was inaugurated on 5 June 1899 as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Turm. The 55-metre-high brick tower stands on Karlsberg above the Havel.
It was designed by architect Franz Schwechten, who was also responsible for the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche.
After the Second World War, the tower received its current name in 1948.
Climb the 204 steps to the observation platform and you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views over the Havel, the Grunewald and western Berlin.
On a clear day, you can even see as far as Potsdam.
That makes the tower more than just a beautiful destination for a forest walk. It’s also a piece of Berlin’s architectural history.
And if you still feel like walking afterwards, you can continue along the Havel.
Industrial Nature in Schöneberg: A Walk Through Ice Age Landscapes and Railway History
This walk through Schöneberg and Tempelhof connects historic housing estates, Ice Age ponds and a former railway site. What makes it particularly interesting is the contrast between densely built-up streets, green courtyards and overgrown industrial landscapes.
Where Does the Walk Through Schöneberg Start?
The starting point is Kaiserin-Augusta-Straße.
From there, the route leads to Alboinplatz, where you’ll find Blanke Helle, a small body of water dating back to the last Ice Age.
It is what geologists call a kettle hole.
These depressions formed when retreating glaciers left behind large blocks of ice that later melted, creating hollows in the ground.
Blanke Helle was also once used as a watering place for livestock.
Continue along Eythstraße to Krummer Pfuhl and then on to Lindenhof-Siedlung.
What Makes Lindenhof-Siedlung Special?
Lindenhof-Siedlung was built between 1918 and 1921 as a garden city with residential buildings, green spaces and a central pond.
Martin Wagner, who was Schöneberg’s municipal building councillor at the time, was involved in its development.
The idea was to combine affordable housing with healthy living conditions.
Instead of densely packed rear courtyards, the development provided homes with gardens and shared green spaces.
Lindenhofteich remains a central feature of the estate today.
Walking through the area, you’ll discover a piece of Berlin’s housing history that feels very different from the familiar historic neighbourhoods of Kreuzberg or Prenzlauer Berg.
What Can You Expect at Natur-Park Schöneberger Südgelände?
Natur-Park Schöneberger Südgelände occupies a former railway site near Priesterweg S-Bahn station. After railway operations ended, nature gradually reclaimed the tracks, buildings and technical facilities over several decades.
Today, paths lead through an unusual mix of woodland, open spaces and historic railway remains.
The old steam locomotive, water tower and overgrown railway tracks are particularly worth seeing.
This makes Südgelände one of the most interesting examples of how former lost places in Berlin can find a new purpose.
In 1999, parts of the site were placed under nature and landscape protection.
Alongside the industrial nature, you’ll also find art installations and graffiti.
Where Does the Walk Through Schöneberg End?
From Südgelände, the route continues to Insulaner.
Insulaner is an artificial hill made from rubble after the Second World War.
Wilhelm-Foerster-Sternwarte stands on top of the hill.
From here, you get another beautiful view across southern Berlin.
This brings the walk to an end, connecting several chapters of Berlin’s history within just a few kilometres: the Ice Age, housing development, railways, the Second World War and nature reclaiming the city.
Which Walk in Berlin Is Right for You?
The three walks featured here reveal very different sides of Berlin.
Berliner Balkon is particularly good if you want to discover quiet residential neighbourhoods, lakes and a lesser-known corner of eastern Berlin.
Grunewaldturm is a great destination for a longer forest walk with a historic observation tower.
And Schöneberger Südgelände is worth exploring if you’re interested in urban history, unusual landscapes and former industrial sites.
If you prefer walking by the water, you’ll find more inspiration in our article about Berlin’s most beautiful lakes.
These walks can also be a lovely alternative to the usual activities for a weekend together or a special date in Berlin.
Experience Berlin on Foot
Many of the things that make Berlin special won’t appear on a list of tourist attractions.
You discover them along the way. Walking down a street you’ve never seen before. Glancing into a courtyard or having a quick chat with someone on a park bench.
Sometimes, all it takes is grabbing a coffee, walking past a Späti or spotting some interesting graffiti and street art somewhere.
That goes for Berliners just as much as visitors.
And that’s exactly why I think walking through Berlin is one of the easiest ways to really get to know this city.
Read our blogs about 1UP, Oberbaum Bridge or Bebelplatz here.
Berlin isn’t a tourist attraction. Berlin is a city.
See you in the real Berlin – or here in the next blog.
Take care 🖤
Most images in this article are sample images and were not taken at the places featured.
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