TIERGARTEN

Description

Essentials about the Tiergarten in brief

New York City has Central Park, London has Hyde Park and Berlin has the Tiergarten – the green lung of the metropolis. The 210-hectare park is situated in the middle of the city center and right next to main attractions such as the Brandenburg Gate, the government district and Potsdamer Platz. By the way, this makes the Tiergarten larger in area than Hyde Park.

The history of the Tiergarten

The history of the Tiergarten dates back to the end of the 17th century, when Elector Frederick III had the former hunting grounds turned into a pleasure park for the people. Since then, the Tiergarten has been redesigned time and again, most extensively in the mid-19th century when it was changed into a people’s park based on the English model. During and after the Second World War, the Tiergarten suffered great damage. Already severely damaged by bombing during the war, the Tiergarten was almost completely stripped bare after the war by Berliners in search of firewood. Starting in 1949, it was painstakingly reforested with tree donations from all over Germany.

Sights and attractions in the Tiergarten

For Berliners, the Tiergarten is now a huge area for leisure activities of all kinds. Here you can go for a wonderful walk, ride a bike and skate, or just meet for a picnic or barbecue with friends. Of course, in the Tiergarten you can also wonderfully let your soul dangle while looking at the beautiful landscape. And for the physical well-being is provided in the Teehaus am Englischen Garten (Tea House at the English Garden) and in the Café am Neuen See (Café at the New Lake).

In addition, there are several memorials and monuments worth visiting in the Tiergarten, such as the Soviet Memorial, the monuments commemorating the murder of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, as well as the memorials to the Sinti and Roma of Europe murdered under National Socialism and the victims of the National Socialist “euthanasia” murders. And last but not least, on the northern edge of the Tiergarten, you can try to catch a glimpse of the German president in Bellevue Palace.