Volkspark Friedrichshain
by James Glazebrook
One for when (if?) the weather improves! Volkspark Friedrichshain is a beautiful park in the otherwise unremarkable area between Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain. Officially opened in 1848, the park continued to evolve well into the Cold War, when the DDR used the rubble of bombed-out East Berlin to build two artificial mini-mountains, one 48m and one 78m high. The larger one, Große Bunkerberg, is worth scaling if you’re feeling energetic, but don’t expect a view from the top – the trees that now grow there obscure what could be a wonderful panorama of the city.
Make sure you don’t miss the Märchenbrunnen, or Fairy Tale Fountain, which depicts the characters of the Grimm brother’s stories and was one of the few parts of the park to emerge from World War Two unscathed. For a bit of history and a great video about the Fairy Tale Fountain, check out Moving Postcard, and make sure to visit Volkspark Friedrichshain as soon as the rainclouds clear.
