Berlin, Germany
Photo: Pedelecs, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The northwest of Berlin consists of the boroughs of Spandau and Reinickendorf was urbanized in the 19th century. Before that, it largely consisted of small towns. In the early 20th century, it was the working-class area with heavy industry where Siemens was founded; indeed, part of Spandau is still called Siemensstadt. The area is more residential today, though big industrial complexes remain.
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Zitadelle Spandau
A fortress built between 1560 and 1590 to Italian design on the site of a 12th-century castle. The Juliusturm housed part of the huge indemnity (in physical gold coins) France had to pay after the war of 1870/71 until what was left of it was returned to France after Germany's loss in World War I. The term "Juliusturm" remained in usage in German for a large "rainy day fund" into the 1960s. Museums housed within the citadel cover the history of the town of Spandau, monumental public art in Berlin, and artillery. There is also a gallery of contemporary art, displaying temporary exhibitions.
A splendid 15th-century Gothic church with many fine accoutrements.
Military History Museum; RAF Gatow
At a former Luftwaffe and Royal Air Force (RAF) airfield, RAF Gatow. The museum's focus is on military history, particularly the history of the Luftwaffe of the Bundeswehr, with a collection of more than 200,000 items, including 155 aeroplanes, 5,000 uniforms and 30,000 books. There are also displays (including aeroplanes) on the history of the airfield when it was used by the RAF. Aircraft include reproductions of Otto Lilienthal's gliders, of World War I planes such as the Fokker E.III, and World War II planes such as the Bf 109 and Me-262, as well as at least one aircraft of every type ever to serve in the air forces of East and West Germany. Most of those postwar aircraft are stored outside on the tarmac and runways, however, and many are in bad condition. There are long term restoration projects, including a Focke-Wulf Fw 190. RAF Gatow is notable as the "missing third airport" of West Berlin. Each sector used to have its own airport; the French sector had Tegel, the American sector had Tempelhof and the British had Gatow. However, RAF Gatow never saw much traffic of any kind, was more kept as a political statement than for transportation value, and thus was shut down after reunification. Tempelhof, after having been shut down for civilian traffic from 1975 to 1981, closed for all flights in 2008, while Tegel shut down in November 2020.
A remarkable medium-sized classical castle by the famous K.F. Schinkel built 1820 to 1824, also called "Humboldtschlösschen", because Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt (and their family) lived here once. Still privately owned.
Not far away from Schloss Tegel (at the "große Malche") you can take a look at the oldest tree in Berlin, an oak which has been growing there since about 1192 (so it's actually older than Berlin itself). The name ("fat Mary") allegedly stems from the brother Humboldt who named the tree after their overweight cook.
During the International Building Exhibition 1984 to 1988 a bunch of remarkable buildings were set around the old Tegeler Hafen. Architecturally diverse, the most important is the Phosphateliminierungsanlage (Gustav Peichl). Also some buildings by Charles Moore are interesting.
Ex-industrial buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century, nice clinker-architecture and the first (mini) highraiser of Berlin, the Borsigturm, 65 m high, built 1922-24. The area houses now offices, a shopping mall and some places for entertainment. The company Borsig has a very turbulent and storied history and while it has long since ceased being a "German" company or connected to the family of the same name, the investors that bought the name and assets after a bankruptcy keep producing in Berlin-Tegel.
One of the most authentic and oldest villages (1247) in the outskirts of Berlin, it looks the same way it did some hundred years ago. Take S-Bahn 1 to Waidmannslust and then bus 222 to Alt-Lübars.
Relaxing lake-side strolls on 'Greenwich Promenaid', a path named after Reinickendorf's twin town of Greenwich, London.
Sommerbad West-Staaken
An outdoor 25-m pool.
An indoor pool built 1911 in the neo-baroque style.
Sommerbad Spandau Süd
50-m pool
Bürgerablage Oberhavel
Unterhavel
Pferdekoppel, Groß Glienicker See Nord
Moorloch, Groß Glienicker See Süd
Freibad Lübars
A well-equipped beach
Seebad Heiligensee
Paracelsus-Bad
25 m pool
Indian-Singaporean food busy on weekends, reservation recommended
A fish place with a terrace with views of the lake
Maybe the sweetest little bed and breakfast place in Berlin. Outside the center in Spandau, close to lakes and rivers, to the Olympic Stadium and the convention center. The lady running it is really nice!
5 minutes away from U Altstadt Spandau.
A nice campsite and small hotel next to the river. The amenities are quite basic, but clean and sufficient. Not suitable for people who need absolute silence for a good sleep - but the noise from the nearby Tegel airport is not very hard to get used to.
A nice shopping mall located in Tegel. It's converted locomotive assembly halls turned into a typical medium sized Berlin mall with every shop you'll need. Additionally there is a cinema and other entertainment stuff.
Indoor food market. Fantastic fresh foods at local prices, including bakers, deli counters, and greengrocers.
The main mall in Märkisches Viertel
Geschwister Böhm Manufaktur
By public transport
}} The S-Bahn lines and end/start here as well.
By train
Both Spandau and Reinickendorf cover a pretty large area and as they are rather outlying, the U-Bahn is only of limited use. The S-Bahn meanwhile has stops too far apart to be useful for local transport in most cases.
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