Viktoriapark

A Mountain, a Vineyard, and an Animal Enclosure

In the heart of Kreuzberg, a mountain rises that gave the entire district its name. The Kreuzberg measures sixty-six meters, and the park surrounding it is named after Queen Victoria. Viktoriapark was laid out starting in 1888, expanded by Albert Brodersen between 1913 and 1916, and has been protected as a garden monument since 1980. From Kreuzbergstraße, the path leads past an animal enclosure, where goats, rabbits, and guinea pigs have lived since 1925, and a rose garden on the edge of Mehringdamm. On the northern slope, wine has been growing again since the seventies, reminiscent of the vineyards that stood here until the eighteenth century. Those who need a break can stop at the Golgatha beer garden, which has existed since 1977. A large playground with wooden climbing equipment is located in the western part, and a bronze sculpture by Ernst Herter stands between the paths. The park is accessible at all times and costs no admission.

Waterfall Below, Schinkel’s Monument Above

The reason why Viktoriapark is on this list lies both below and above. Below, a twenty-four-meter-high waterfall rushes over an artificial rock landscape, created in 1893 according to a design by Hermann Mächtig and modeled after the Hainfall in the Giant Mountains. Unlike its model, it is fed by a pump; the water collects in a pond in the so-called Wolfsschlucht, which was recently renovated and replanted. Above, at the summit, stands the National Monument for the Liberation Wars, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, whose foundation stone was laid in 1818 and inaugurated in 1821. It is made of cast iron, bears twelve figures, and stands on an eight-meter-high pedestal; its layout has the shape of the Iron Cross. Beneath the monument, there is even an extensive vault, accessible only during rare guided tours organized by the district museum. The ascent gives a shared walk a natural dramatism, and from the top, you have the city before you. Those who have reached the summit can see from there across Kreuzberg to the city center.