Flying kites in the autumn wind on Teufelsberg

Right next to Teufelsberg in Grunewald lies Drachenberg, a 99-meter high rubble hill with a treeless plateau, where kites of all sizes take to the wind in autumn. 280 steps lead up from Teufelsseechaussee, admission is free. For autumn activities in Berlin, the rule here is: no branches in the string and a view all the way to the TV Tower.

Kite Flying on Teufelsberg: Wind, Open Space, and Rubble History

If you want to fly a kite in Berlin in autumn, it’s best to go to Grunewald. Right next to Teufelsberg is Drachenberg, also known as Kleiner Teufelsberg (Little Devil’s Mountain). Unlike its forested neighbor, it has an open plateau without large trees, where the wind blows unimpeded. This is precisely why it is the city’s most popular kite-flying spot on windy October and November days.

From Teufelsseechaussee, 280 steps lead up to the plateau at 99 meters high. From the top, the view extends over Grunewald and the Havel, and on clear days, the TV Tower can be seen on the horizon. Drachenberg is freely accessible and costs no admission.

Teufelsberg: From Rubble Hill to Listening Station

Both hills consist of rubble from World War II. From 1950, over 22 years, approximately 26 million cubic meters of rubble were piled up on Teufelsberg, and subsequently 480,000 trees were planted. From 1971 to 1992, the NSA operated a listening station on the summit, whose radar domes are still visible from afar today.

If you have time after kite flying, you can visit the former listening station. The heritage-protected site now features a large street art gallery and a 360-degree viewing platform; admission costs 12 Euros. From November, there will also be a flashlight tour through otherwise closed rooms, all the way up into the radar dome.