Lietzenseepark

Lietzensee Park in Charlottenburg surrounds Lake Lietzensee, with paths leading all the way around the water. Between the shore and the street are sunbathing lawns where people picnic and play ball, along with benches with lake views, a playground, and a restaurant in the old boathouse. The park is protected as a garden monument, and barbecuing is not allowed here.

A Lake with a Park Around It, Between Wundtstraße and Sophie-Charlotten-Straße

In the middle of Charlottenburg, just a few cross streets from Kaiserdamm, lies a lake that many Berliners from other districts don’t even know. Lietzensee Park surrounds the water on both sides, with paths leading all the way around the entire lake, and whoever has walked around it once will have had a different view from each side. The Berlin Monument Database lists the complex as a garden monument. This is a grateful place for a picnic, because it offers both: open sunbathing lawns that are actually used for lounging and playing ball, and quiet corners with benches directly on the shore, where you can barely hear anything from the street. Sculptures stand between the lawns. Barbecuing is not allowed, as Lietzensee Park is not one of the seven areas designated by Berlin for this purpose. The official address leads to Wundtstraße, although the park is open from several sides and can be accessed equally from Sophie-Charlotten-Straße. There is no view in the actual sense; the charm lies in the water and the old trees on the shore.

Playground, Boathouse, and a Lake That Freezes Over

With children, the playground on Wundtstraße is worth a visit; the district lists it on its playground pages; there are swings and slides, plus a separate area for toddlers. If you don’t want to prepare anything, head to the former boathouse on the shore, which today houses a restaurant with a view of the water, greatly simplifying planning. A special feature that you wouldn’t expect from a picnic park: when the lake freezes over, people go ice skating and play ice hockey on the ice surface, so the park also functions when the blanket stays in the closet. The easiest way to get there is by U2 to Sophie-Charlotte-Platz, from where it’s just a few minutes’ walk. A note on classification: Lietzensee Park is not an untouched place, but a well-frequented district park with a very mixed audience, and on warm evenings, the benches by the water are occupied first. Those seeking peace should go to the opposite side of the lake, where it is significantly less busy than on the lakeside promenade.