Südpark Wilhelmstadt

Südpark in Spandau's Wilhelmstadt was laid out in 1923 on drained swampy terrain and, at six hectares, is one of the smaller parks on this list. In return it is one of the very few in Berlin with permanently installed picnic tables and benches beside its lawns. A pond lies at its center, crossed by a low wooden bridge.

A Park from 1923, Between Heerstraße and Scharfe Lanke

The very existence of a park here is the result of drainage: The area between Heerstraße, Börnicker Straße, Jordanstraße, and Plathweg was swampy before it was designed in 1923 under General Building Director Richard Woy. The result was a roughly six-hectare park that wraps around a pond, with paths all around and a small, flat wooden bridge over the water. The pond is explicitly not suitable for swimming; those who want to swim should go to the neighboring Kombibad Spandau Süd. Between the flowerbeds stand two sandstone sculptures by Hans Hauffe from 1957, a snail and a fish, along with a weather mushroom. Beyond Heerstraße, the Havel bay Scharfe Lanke begins, with several sailing and rowing clubs, making a visit easily combinable with a walk to the water. The street “Am Südpark” serves as a suitable address, as the park itself has no house number; officially, it is registered via the intersection of Pichelsdorfer Straße and Heerstraße. If searching for the name, you should add Spandau or Wilhelmstadt, as there are several parks with this name in Berlin and Brandenburg.

Picnic Tables Instead of Blankets, Plus Playground and Football Pitch

Südpark is particularly interesting for a picnic list for a specific reason: The large lawns feature permanently installed tables and benches, with explicit picnic sets provided. This is rare in Berlin parks, where picnicking usually means a blanket on the grass. Those who come with children or simply prefer not to sit on the ground have an advantage here. In the northwest, there is a children’s playground and a fenced football pitch, along with table games and benches along the paths, and the facility is barrier-free. Grilling is also not permitted here, as it is only allowed in designated areas in Berlin’s green spaces, and Südpark is not one of them. One limitation remains: A train station is not within walking distance; the park is accessible only by bus. However, it is the only entry on this list that allows a visit to Spandau at all, and it is significantly quieter than the large public parks in the city center. A portion of the park also serves as a pilot project for good green space maintenance, so the condition of the meadows is no coincidence.