One of the best things about Berlin is its abundance of green spaces. From picnicking and sunbathing, to jogging, paddle boating, and dog walking, these areas can be used for a diversity of purposes. Some parks even make excellent venues for pickup games and sports of all kinds including football, frisbee, and slack lining. Yet, not all parks are created equally in this regard. Here are the best places for pickup games in Berlin.
Tempelhofer Feld
Building, Park, Historical Landmark
This park a whopping contains 386 hectares of flat lands. Plus, most of this area is comprised of fields and wide, paved roads that used to function as flight paths. Therefore, among other outdoor activities, it is an excellent spot to play a proper game of football or street hockey with friends. Tempelhof tends to maintain a steady breeze — thanks to its vast, flat landscape — so engaging in sport here is just a tad bit more refreshing, particularly during the hot and hazy Berlin summer. There’s also a space designated to barbecuing and picnicking, so a pick-up game at Tempelhofer Feld could easily transition into a meal with friends. Refueling is important after all.
Treptower Park
With its legendary Soviet War Memorial, riverside promenade and winding bike paths, Treptower is a beacon of outdoor fun for anyone living on Berlin’s lower east side. While many might not realize it, the park also contains smaller pockets at its western side that are often virtually empty, making them perfect for a fun pickup game with friends. Frisbee, for instance, is a popular pastime of the locals at Treptower. Furthermore, the park contains ping-pong tables and plenty of trees for slack lining — if those appear more enticing than traditional field sports.
Berlin’s biggest urban park, Tiergarten is centrally located in western Mitte. The park offers a number of attractions including a popular restaurant, Café Neuen See, a host of historic memorials, and plenty of jogging paths. In addition to all this, Tiergarten has some pretty well maintained areas where people can play football and other sports. Moreover, since the park is so big, there is plenty of space to go around and there’s almost always vacant space for playing a full-field game. It is also possible to hike and camp in Tiergarten’s pristine forests, which contain over 1400 species of plants and animals.
Volkspark Rehberge
Forest, Park, Stadium
Situated in Berlin’s northwestern-most district of Wedding, Volkspark Rehberge is among city’s most magical parks. It is complete with an outdoor theatre, hills for tobogganing in the wintertime, and a forest filled with woodland creatures like the wildgehege. In addition to all this, Volkspark Rehberge makes our list for its network of sports fields and other facilities. The park contains a stadium, a sports club known as BSC Rehberge 1945; and is also a popular spot in the city for disc golf.
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Berlin’s Gleisdreiek is an innovative park in Kreuzberg that was converted from an old train yard. Now, the western portion of the park is home to a set of unique spaces for both children and adults to play. The various multifunctional courts and green spaces can be used for volleyball, street ball, and trampolining. Additionally, there is a skate park, playground and a sandy area for bocce and other backyard games. Gleisdreiek is undoubtedly one of the most interesting and inventive parks in the city — making it an essential part of anyone’s Berlin experience.
Hasenheide Park
Park, Zoo
Located at the southern end of Kreuzberg, Berlin’s Hasenheide Park is full of many different attractions. In addition to plenty of picnic space and an impressive petting zoo, Hasenheide houses a pool and a sport area. Here, visitors will find basketball courts and an outdoor hockey rink; an obstacle course for skateboarding to boot. The park is largely comprised of individual ‘rooms’ linked by a central path. These clearings are ideal for playing football because no one space ever gets overly crowded, and they are just the right size for a full-field match.
A popular spot for young families, Volkspark Friedrichshain is located at the very north of the district. It is a serene park that boasts facilities for a variety of sports. There is a regulation basketball court, tennis courts, and even beach volleyball courts. Also available are a plethora of meadows, which serve as perfect spots for free play. What’s more, Volkspark Friedrichshain has a renovated hippodrome of 820, where skaters and joggers are free to do their thing. While you’re at the park be sure to check out the Märchenbrunnen, or the ‘fountain of fairytales’, which is a neo-Baroque ensemble of sculptures located near the park’s entrance.
Lily is a freelance writer and self-proclaimed social activist who recently moved to Berlin for love. You can find out more about her work at lilycichanowicz.com or via Twitter @liliaceaeflora.
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