Berlin is one of the best ecological cities in Europe. It prioritizes the preservation of natural resources by protecting open spaces. Almost 30% of Berlin is green space and forests. This capital is ideally suited to a healthy lifestyle: there are plenty of stunning parks, a convenient system of bicycle paths and bike rentals, and a vegetarian eatery or organic food store on almost every corner. On weekends, you can find fruits and vegetables of all colors and shapes at farmers’ markets. In addition, Berlin has an interesting cultural scene that thrives in almost every neighborhood in the city. In this article, you will find information about the best places that will ensure you a sustainable vacation in the German capital.
Eco-Park Marienfelde (Freizeitpark Marienfelde)
It is no accident that Marienfelde Park is located on the outskirts of the city. Until 1981, there was a waste dump here. Then they decided to close it down and bury the garbage. Then what was supposed to happen happened: new life emerged on the wasteland freed from the ravages of human activity. New biotopes appeared here: marshes, ponds, meadows, and bushes. Trees and grasses have grown. Lizards and birds, including rare species, settled in the place of the former garbage dump. Now there are rose hips and sea buckthorn, oaks, and poplars.
The German Nature Protection Union NABU has opened a station for young naturalists in the park. They organize thematic outdoor lessons for school children. There is a nature trail through the park with nine information stations. There’s a free breeze and an amazing feeling that nature has won.
Sea Life Aquarium
In the center of Berlin is one of the most interesting attractions of the German capital, the Sea Life Aquarium. Visiting this place is one of the best things to do in Berlin. It is a great place for family fun in the big city. The advantage of the aquarium is that it is accessible in any weather and at any time of the year. Perfect for those traveling with family.
At the entrance to the oceanarium, guests are greeted by fairy-tale characters with whom the child can have his or her picture taken. In the aquarium, there are quite a lot of fish, octopuses, moray eels, and sea stars. The aquariums are beautifully decorated, like small fragments of underwater life. Besides, there are open water tanks, the inhabitants of which the guests can watch from above.
One of the main objectives of the oceanarium is the ecological education of young guests, so much attention is paid to children’s entertainment. For example, some inhabitants of the complex are allowed to touch them. There are also magnifying glasses, through which it is interesting to look at fish.
Natur Park Südgelände
This place has a frenzied energy. Until 1952, it was a marshaling yard of the Angalta Railroad – not a bush or a tree. Only rails, the clatter of cars, a depot for 69 locomotives, a workshop, and a water tower. After the closure of the Berlin-Anhalt branch line, the site fell into disrepair, and nature took its course. Trees grew in place of the dismantled tracks. Fifty years later, it was home to a record number of insect and bird species for a metropolis.
In the 1970s, the station was going to be restored, but a civic initiative prevented it. The “southern section” (as the Südgelände translates) decided to turn it into a nature protection zone. In 2000, a unique park was opened here, which became a “world project” at EXPO-2000. Sculptors created art installations made of rusty metal as a reminder that nature is primary and industry will lose.
The Südgelände Park regularly organizes educational activities for children: bird watching, playful recycling lessons, workshops, and excursions.
Prinzessinnengarten
“Princess Gardens” is one of the most famous community vegetable gardens in the world. Not long ago it was a landfill that everyone in the neighborhood has been avoiding for the past half-century. The idea to create a community garden in the middle of the concrete came from two friends, Marco Clausen and documentary filmmaker Robert Shaw, who got the idea for the mobile vegetable gardens in Cuba, where he lived and studied for two years. So, with the help of volunteers, in just a couple of years, Marco and Robert have transformed an abandoned concrete wasteland into a blooming garden that now has more than 400 species and varieties of different vegetables, herbs, and other plants (including almost forgotten crops that you can’t find in supermarkets or even farmers’ markets). People who want to relax from the hustle and bustle of the city surrounded by potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, and, of course, like-minded people come here. Here you can just walk around, pick in the ground, attend an interesting lecture, master class, discussion, or concert, as well as buy biosemens, and books about urban gardening and have a snack in the cafe, where they prepare inexpensive vegetarian food, which, as you have already guessed, was grown on local beds.
Ökowerk
The eco-workshop in Grunewald is located in the building of Berlin’s oldest waterworks. The workshop has a large area with a lake. There is an apothecary garden with poisonous and medicinal plants, a flower garden, an orchard, and several ponds. The site borders the Teufelsfenn Nature Reserve and nearby is the famous Sandgrube, Berlin’s largest natural sand formation.
The center specializes in ecological events. It regularly organizes environmental-themed weekends, family hikes in the forest, seminars on urban ecology, exhibitions, and other events.
Haus Natur und Umwelt
The Nature and Environment House is a beautiful oasis tucked away in the Wuhlheide Park. It serves the purpose of learning about ecology, the environment, and respect for nature – in a playful way.
It is home to Berlin’s third largest zoo, which is home to fallow deer, peacocks, marmots, and wild boars. There are pony rides and playgrounds in the forest. The building houses a café and a small forest museum with aquariums, incubators, stuffed animals, and even meteorite fragments.