Guest Blogger on Parks in Berlin

Often dubbed “Venice of the North“ Berlin actually contains more canals than the Italian legend, owing to its numerous bodies of water which are sprawled out over a much vaster area. The other prevailing landscape in Berlin are its countless parks. These make up for the fact the city is also universally known for its greenery. While all parks get major recreational use there are a handful of major hotspots. Each park has something of its own – a distinct landscape, atmosphere and crowd.

Mauerpark

This is a must-see for those interested in Berlin’s young, trendy, specially hippie & hipster! scene. Unless you’re claustrophobic Sunday is the day you should come here. There’s a flea market with hundreds, if not thousands of stands, some regulars, some just trying to get rid of their latest junk. You can buy original art work, first and second hand clothes, instruments, vinyls, even furniture and bikes. After a long-winded walkaround you’ll be about ready for a snack at one of the many food vendors or a cup of fresh juice.

The park is not very big at all. Its lawn is maybe equivalent to the size of two football fields. The flea market lies adjacent to the left of it and a hill to the right of the lawn. At the top of the hill a majestic wall of graffiti overlooks the whole park. People come here after a long night of partying. Some to picknick and socialise in the sun, others to pick up right where they left off, grooving to a random beat blasting from the middle of the lawn.

I usually go here to support my label’s artist, a singer/songwriter, who’s a Mauerpark regular, or my friends, a HipHop duo, selling their album for them to spectators as they perform. The right positioning is key for a good turnout so we usually set up shop by the boardwalk next to the entrance into the park. On a mild, sunny day like this past, business can prove to be lucrative for artists at Mauerpark. Both of the “bands“ I support pretty much make a living off of their weekly earnings alone!

Spreepark

This park is neither public nor in use anymore. Many Berliners, in fact, will not be familiar with its name or former use at all. Nevertheless, due to its beautiful location within the larger Treptower Park along Berlin’s main river, the Spree, this park attracts many passers-by – such as my friends and I this past Saturday. This happens for one good, if sad reason.

Spreepark is a former amusement park of East German fame which was closed over ten years ago. A fairly sized compound surrounded by woods on the one side and the river bank on the other it is officially “cut off“ from the public. This is because today it is an abandoned, devastated and eerie-looking place dictated by decaying memorabilia and rusty fun rides. Everything from knocked over, larger-than-life dinosaurs to faded circus tickets was left in the same spot as the day the park closed. Easy access can be attained by any homeless person who can jump the broken fence. What used to be every kid’s dream place has long acquired a sinister touch.

When we decided to pay the park an unannounced visit – well aware of the legal implications – we came across even more sinister facts. The former carrier who still owns the plot of land lives in an RV right in the center of the park, surrounded by his own life’s shambles; a grotesque, film-like display of failure. His helplessness and apparent fatigue of reporting intruders to the police proved reminiscent of the entire state of his former livelihood. We were calmly advised that the most peaceful solution would be to leave the property. As we were accompanied by the man himself on our way out, he pointed at a sign at the front gate to let us know we are welcome to come back for a guided tour (15.00 Euro, given every Sunday). We were not sure what to make of that offer or whether to take him up on it. However, I sure knew what an odd encounter we had just had!