Tiergarten

Tiergarten spreads across 210 hectares in the heart of Berlin, stretching from the Brandenburg Gate at its eastern edge to the Berlin Zoo entrance at its western end, and gives the neighborhood surrounding it its name. Originally laid out as a royal hunting ground for Prussian electors, the park was redesigned in the 19th century by landscape architect Peter Lenné into an English-style landscape garden of winding paths, ponds, and meadows shaded by mature oak and lime trees. At its center stands the Victory Column (Siegessäule) on the Großer Stern roundabout, visible from long straight avenues that radiate outward, while the Soviet War Memorial sits along the Straße des 17. Juni near the Brandenburg Gate end. Visitors typically spend 1 to 3 hours walking or cycling a loop through the park, stopping at the lakeside Café am Neuen See for a beer garden break, or at the rose garden near the Nelly-Sachs-Park section, which is at its most spectacular in June. Spring and summer are the best seasons to visit, when the meadows and rose beds are in bloom and outdoor cafés operate; the park empties out considerably in winter aside from joggers. Renting a bike at one of the stands near Zoologischer Garten station is the easiest way to cover the park's full extent, since walking corner to corner takes over an hour on its own. Weekend afternoons in good weather draw large crowds of picnickers and joggers around the lakes, while early mornings offer a much quieter atmosphere.