When researching things to do in Berlin, I knew I wanted to do something that wasn’t super touristy, and possibly something weird and different. I came across posts about this abandoned listening station from the Cold War, which is now a trendy place for hipsters and tourists to hang out. I immediately put this at the top of my list.
Getting There
I did A LOT of research about how to get to Teufelsberg. I found out it’s not very close to any of the public transit stops and I wasn’t exactly sure if it would be open or not. So I decided to make a day of it and have an adventure.
We hopped on the S-Bahn to Grunewald station. We walked down a cute road of suburban homes. From there we wandered into a forest-like park. We had packed lunch ahead of time, and it was the perfect day to enjoy our picnic lunch in this charming little forest.
a nice picturesque forest to wander through
After lunch, we headed towards the hill that Teufelsberg sits on. I had read online that there was another hill adjacent, that was worth climbing up to see views of Berlin. We climbed probably 200 steps to reach the top. We were both exhausted. The views were definitely worth the climb!
Teufelsberg from afar
that’s Berlin out there
Once we rested and took in all the views, it was time to head to Teufelsberg. Because it sits on another hill, you have to climb down and back up. Luckily, the hill for Teufelsberg is not nearly as steep, and has mostly walking paths that slowly incline, rather than hundreds of steps.
Inside Teufelsberg
Once you reach the front gate, you’ll have to pay to get in. We paid 5 Euro each to enter, and I had to pay an additional 10 Euro to bring my DSLR camera in with me. In my mind this was totally worth it. Once you’re in, you have the run of the place and can photograph anything and can venture anywhere. Back in May 2018, it was determined that the towers were unsafe, so you can’t go into the towers anymore but you can go everywhere else.
the entrance to Teufelsberg
There is so much to see here, it can be a little overwhelming at first. I found it helpful that there were a few other groups of tourists visiting at the same time as us. We followed them around for a bit, going where they did to see every nook and cranny of the place.
This woman eating döner kebab is my new spirit animal
It’s such a cool place to explore. It’s a little like exploring abandoned buildings, but with a little bit more security knowing that you’re allowed to be there, and knowing they’ll close down unsafe areas. I highly recommend a visit if you’re ever in Berlin.
