Märchenbrunnen im Volkspark Friedrichshain

About the Fairy Tale Fountain in Volkspark Friedrichshain

The Fairy Tale Fountain is a fountain and garden complex at the western tip of Volkspark Friedrichshain in the Berlin district of Friedrichshain. It was completed between 1901 and 1913 after twelve years of construction by city architect Ludwig Hoffmann. The Fairy Tale Fountain is surrounded by 106 figures from nine Grimm’s fairy tales and is considered the largest public fountain complex of the imperial era, designed in neo-baroque style and listed as a historical monument.

A water basin laid out in four shallow cascades contains one larger and nine smaller fountains, plus seven water-spouting frogs, one of which is highlighted as the Frog Prince. In total, 106 figures from the children’s fairy tales Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, and Puss in Boots can be admired around the fountain. The Fairy Tale Fountain is open daily from 8 AM to 10 PM, but the water only splashes from March to October.

If you want to do something else after visiting the fountain, Volkspark offers many possibilities. A favorite spot for many is Café Schönbrunn near the Great Pond, which is set up in a former GDR pavilion and surrounded by a rose garden. In summer, young people especially gather here to enjoy coffee, cocktails, or Austrian-Mediterranean dishes. There is also the open-air cinema in Volkspark Friedrichshain, whose season runs annually from mid-May until the first week of September.

Why is the Fairy Tale Fountain a great place for a first date?

Because it has exactly what a first date needs: conversation starters, atmosphere, and a natural rhythm. You arrive, look at the figures, wonder together which figure belongs to which fairy tale, and suddenly the conversation flows naturally. Architect Ludwig Hoffmann was inspired by the early Baroque gardens of Italy for the complex and traveled specifically to Rome, Tivoli, Frascati, and Florence for this purpose.

Additionally, the Fairy Tale Fountain is free. The entire complex is surrounded by a beech hedge, and the access path, paved with mosaic flooring, widens after a few meters into a forecourt bordered by flowerbeds.

Afterwards, you can simply stroll on. Lovers watch the TV Tower at sunset from Mont Klamott. Or you can sit in Café Schönbrunn and turn the first date into a long evening. Volkspark Friedrichshain allows for all of this without having to make a decision. That’s rare and precisely why it’s so good.