Nature

The Grunewald toboggan hill on Onkel-Tom-Straße is the only hill on this list that is not a rubble hill: it belongs to an ice-age meltwater channel and is located in Fischtalpark, a garden monument from 1925. The first fifty meters or so are steep, while the lower section becomes wider and flatter, making it suitable even for small children.

The Havelhöhenweg leads about 10 kilometers from Heerstraße to Wannsee Beach over the steep bank of the Havel in Grunewald. Along the way are the 55-meter-high Grunewald Tower, the Schildhorn peninsula, and numerous viewpoints overlooking the Havel. For an autumn stroll in Berlin, this means: golden foliage, water views, and constant ups and downs.

The Frohnau dog exercise area is located at the southern end of Welfenallee in Tegeler Forst and goes by two names: Berliner Forsten lists it as Frohnau, while the Berlin district directory calls it Hermsdorf. It refers to the same unfenced forest area where dogs are allowed to run off-leash as long as they are recallable.

Here, not only are plants collected, but also explained, smelled, and tasted: Waldsamkeit's herb walks provide concentrated plant knowledge with practical relevance and show what plantain & co. are really capable of.

Peacock Island in the Havel near Wannsee is only accessible by ferry, a connection that has existed since 1821. On 67 hectares of UNESCO World Heritage, there are around 400 old oak trees, the white pleasure palace from 1794, and Berlin's oldest rose garden, with peacocks roaming freely in between. As an autumn excursion in Berlin, this means: golden foliage, water all around, and hardly any traffic noise.

The Hakenfelde dog exercise area lies in the Spandauer Forst and is reached via Hubertusstraße. Behind the entrance at the Johannesstift, narrow paths lead through mixed forest and undergrowth, past two wildlife enclosures and the Kuhlaketeich. The area has been accessible since the 1920s, and there is no fence around it.

Located on the Havel island of Hermannswerder in the south of Potsdam, this owner-managed 4-star hotel is situated directly on Templiner See, far enough from the hustle and bustle of the city of palaces, yet close enough to reach it in seven minutes by car. Lake sauna, lake restaurant, and lake view: here, the water is not just a backdrop, but the main attraction.

Right on Lake Scharmützelsee in Bad Saarow, Villa Contessa offers arguably Brandenburg's most intimate luxury experience: only eight rooms and suites, an exclusive Royal Spa with lake views, and a kitchen serving daily changing Michelin-level menus.

Hair washing becomes wellness at Fräulein Schneider: thanks to a massage bed and herbal shampoo.

In Potsdam-Bornim, not far from Sanssouci Palace, lies the cradle of the modern perennial garden: Foerster Stauden combines over 115 years of breeding history with an unparalleled assortment. Anyone looking to buy hardy perennials, grasses, and ferns directly from the producer won't find a closer source anywhere else in Germany.

The Hahneberg in Staaken is half nature, half rubble: originally 66 metres high, it was raised to 87 metres after the war with debris and construction waste. Inside lies the sunken Fort Hahneberg of 1888, a public observatory stands at 83 metres, and all around lie 37 hectares of nature and landscape conservation area.

Anyone who wants to experience a real safari adventure with children will find one of the region's most charming destinations in Nedlitz near Gommern: Straußenland Nedlitz. On five hectares of pasture, the world's largest birds live here and can be petted, fed, and admired.

Directly on Lake Großer Döllnsee in the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve near Templin: The four-star Hotel Döllnsee-Schorfheide offers lake holidays in Brandenburg with its own bathing jetty, bathhouse, and plenty of surrounding forest, just an hour's drive north of Berlin.

Only an hour's drive from Berlin, the Wildlife Park Schorfheide is located in the middle of the woods. Right beside the wildlife park, visitors will also find a climbing park.

Volkspark Friedrichshain is Berlin's first municipal park, opened in 1848 and now covering 53 hectares. It features Ludwig Hoffmann's Fairy Tale Fountain, the two rubble hills Mont Klamott, and one of the city's few official barbecue areas. Among Berlin's parks, it offers the densest mix of history and everyday life.

Anne Rosenblatt is the master hairdresser in Berlin's Schillerkiez who brings natural cosmetics, artisanal precision, and genuine honesty under one roof. Her solo salon on Schillerpromenade in Neukölln stands for sustainable hair care with Fuente Organic Wellness products and cuts that still look great weeks after your visit.

Plänterwald is a forest on the banks of the river Spree in Berlin-Treptow and home to the former amusement park Spreepark.

The Werderaner Tannenhof in Werder (Havel) is an adventure farm on a 60-hectare fir tree plantation, attracting families from Berlin and Brandenburg year-round with animals, sports, and seasonal events in the forest. From a petting zoo to alpaca hikes and a mini-golf course among fir trees: there's something for every age here.

Bad Saarow is a mud spa and recognised health resort in the south of Berlin, directly on Lake Scharmützelsee, which offers a wide range of recreational opportunities.

Two stages operate in Volkspark Hasenheide: the old main stage for up to 800 guests, and the tent-like New Stage with 180 seats and a daylight-protected screen. This allows children's films, rare arthouse features, and the big evening show to run in the same location, almost all with subtitles, and cashless payments are accepted at the bar.

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.

The Wannsee-Düppel dog exercise area is a gently hilly stretch of woodland on the Pfaueninselchaussee, and one of the areas that give Steglitz-Zehlendorf its roughly 640 hectares, the largest share in the city. Bus 316 stops right on the corner. The Pfaueninsel directly opposite, however, is off limits for dogs entirely.

The bicycle tour through Marzahn-Hellersdorf is greener than its reputation: From Biesdorf Palace with its landscape park, it follows the Wuhle, Berlin's longest green belt, over the 300-meter-long Wuhlesteg to Kienberg with the Wolkenhain viewing platform. The Gardens of the World are right next door, but bikes must stay outside there.

In the heart of Kollwitzkiez, surrounded by historic buildings and the weekly organic market at Kollwitzplatz, The Organic Hairstudio has carved out its own niche as a natural hairdresser in Prenzlauer Berg. Owner Luise Siemens works with products that are 98 percent natural, delivering true master hairdresser quality without chemical compromises.

Twelve hectares in size, traversed by the Panke river, and public since 1907: Bürgerpark Pankow is the district's largest green space, showcasing botanical rarities like the bald cypress and tulip tree among oaks and beeches. In summer, the rose garden with its sandstone pergola, the splash pad, and the goat enclosure attract visitors.