Between the banks of the Spree and the Soviet Memorial in Alt-Treptow lies one of Berlin's largest parks. Gustav Meyer designed the 88-hectare park starting in 1876. Today, it hosts Germany's largest Soviet war cemetery, the Archenhold Observatory, and the Zenner guesthouse from 1822. World history and sunbathing lawns on the same stroll.
Treptower Park: History you can feel
Anyone entering Treptower Park for the first time quickly understands why it is far more than an ordinary Berlin green space. Gustav Meyer designed it as a public park starting in 1876; it was his third major project after Humboldthain and Friedrichshain, and at 88 hectares, it remains one of the city’s largest. At its center lies the Soviet Memorial, built between 1946 and 1949 and the burial site for over 7,000 soldiers who fell in the Battle of Berlin. 40,000 cubic meters of granite were used for its construction. The monumental Red Army soldier, stepping on a broken swastika, stands at the end of an axis of stone sarcophagi and weeping birches. Inside the mausoleum beneath, painter Alexander Gorpenkow created the mosaic. The complex continues to polarize opinions and encourages reflection.
Archenhold Observatory, Rose Garden, and Zenner in Treptower Park
Right next door stands another Berlin original: the Archenhold Observatory, in operation since 1896, featuring the world’s longest fully steerable refracting telescope, with a focal length of 21 meters. Tours and observations cost 12 Euros; the museum of astronomy is free. Beyond the monuments, the park thrives on its meadows and avenues: the Rose Garden and Summer Flower Garden from the 1960s, the Carp Pond in the southeast, the Plane Tree Avenue of today’s Puschkinallee, and the riverside promenade along the Spree. Steamboat tours to the green southeastern districts depart from Treptow Harbor, and via the Abteibrücke, you can reach the Island of Youth with pedal boat and rowboat rentals. Food and drinks are available at Zenner, which opened as an inn on the Spree in 1822 and now has 1,500 seats in its beer garden, where a Currywurst costs 11.50 Euros and half a Pils costs 5.50 Euros.
Top10 Redaktion
Erfahrungsbericht vom 20.10.2026
Admission
The park and the Soviet Memorial are free of charge. Tours and observations at the Archenhold Observatory cost 12 Euros, reduced 8 Euros; the museum of astronomy is free.
Public Transport
S41 and S42 to S Treptower Park, bus 165, 166, and 265 to Elsenstraße, Soviet Memorial, or Alt-Treptow.
Parking
There is currently no managed parking in Alt-Treptow, but almost all parking spaces are permanently occupied.
Barbecue
Barbecuing is forbidden in Treptower Park. The former barbecue area on Bulgarische Straße may no longer be used.
Dogs
Dogs must be kept on a leash; there is no designated dog exercise area in the park. The nearest one is on Forsthausallee.
Highlight
The Archenhold Observatory's giant telescope has a focal length of 21 meters and is the world's longest fully steerable refracting telescope.
Food and Drink
Zenner on the Spree has existed since 1822 and has 1,500 seats in its beer garden. A Currywurst costs 11.50 Euros, half a Pils 5.50 Euros. Payment is by card only.
On the Water
Steamboat tours depart from Treptow Harbor; pedal boat and rowboat rentals are available on the Island of Youth.
Opening Hours
- Ganzjährig geöffnet: continuously
