Tropical Islands: Berlin’s Surreal Beach Paradise on a Former Airfield

Summer in the City explores what summer means to us around the world.

When planning a winter break in Berlin, you’d probably be surprised to find yourself outside an aircraft hangar armed with a beach towel. One of Berlin’s more curious day-trip options, Tropical Islands has made a name for itself as an escape for Berliners and sunseekers from across the Polish border. The fully self-contained resort resides in the third-largest building in the world by volume – an old zeppelin hangar on the former Luftwaffe Brand-Briesen Airfield – and hosts 600 species of plants in its rainforest ecosystem, along with a mangrove swamp, flamingos, peacocks, turtles and butterflies. Guests can sweat it out in a sauna housed in a miniature Angkor Wat, marvel at the Balinese Temple Gate (the largest outside of Bali) or attempt to count the mammoth Buddha statues that adorn the resort.

With a consistent air temperature of 26C (78F), this is a full-blown holiday destination – visitors staying more than a day can sleep under the “stars” in a tent on the beach or book a guest room, while some take a more DIY approach and camp outside the complex. Berlin-based photographer Robert Rieger travelled to Tropical Islands to capture the kitsch and sheer surreality of the resort, which now draws visitors from around the world.

Culture Trip’s Summer in the City explores what summer means to us around the world. Discover, among other delights, unlikely summer retreats, US state fairs, the great British seaside and how to re-create an Italian Job-style road trip.