If you walk from the main station towards the government quarter and over the Gustav-Heinemann-Bridge, the green meadow of the Spreebogenpark stretches before you. The perfect starting point for our little summer excursion along the Spree. Put on your sunglasses and lean back.
Here we show you the 11 most beautiful places along the Spree, to sip coffee foam or beer froth. Enjoy!
Tip 1: Monbijoupark at the Bode-Museum and Museums Island
Only a few steps away from Hackescher Markt, a green park of about four hectares awaits you, which is popular with residents and visitors alike. It offers sunny green areas to relax, sports facilities and a playground. But the highlight is the beautiful boardwalk from which you can watch passing ships. From the promenade you also have a good view of the Bode Museum on the Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, directly opposite. In a romantic historical ambience, other impressive museums await you.
Where: Oranienburger Straße, Mitte
Tip 2: Buchkantine - Bookshop and Café on the Spree
A little further west on the banks of the Spree in Berlin, not far from the Tiergarten, you'll find a special mix of café, delicatessen and bookshop. With a direct view of the Spree, the Buchkantine invites you to drink coffee and eat cake. But that's not all: the Buchkantine is also a bookshop. Every day from 10 a.m. you can not only get cakes, quiches and soups there, but also pick up a special read or a suitable champagne for a sunny day on the banks of the Spree or in one of Berlin's many parks.
When: Monday to Friday: 10am to 9pm (bookshop until 7pm) Saturday: 10am to 7pm (bookshop until 6pm) and Sunday 12pm to 7pm (café only).
Where: Dortmunder Straße 1, Moabit
More cafés in the sunshine in Berlin
Tip 3: Beergarden CapRivi
Three curves of the Spree further west, the CapRivi beer garden welcomes you with sunny urban cosiness on the northern bank of the Spree. As a beer garden and restaurant by the water, the CapRivi is the perfect place to take a refreshment break on your Berlin trip - with snacks, drinks and convivial beer tables. You can also relax in a beach chair on the promenade and enjoy the midday sun or the sunset, with a view of the Spree and the opposite pier.
Where: On the Spreebord, Charlottenburg
Tip 4: Oberbaumbrücke
The Oberbaumbrücke is probably one of the most famous photo motifs of Berlin, it connects the two Statdtteil Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg as well as the east and west of the city. From the bridge you can enjoy a unique panoramic view over the Spree and the city center. And then you're not far from the East Side Gallery or lively Kreuzberg. By the way, you also have a great view from the trains of the U1 subway line.
Where: Oberbaumbrücke, Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain
11 Tips for great views at the waterfront
Tip 5: Insel der Jugend (Isle of Youth)
Dreamily situated on an island next to colourful little boats is one of our favourite places for the summer. More precisely, on the "Insel der Jugend", which you reach after a nice walk through Treptower Park. Here in the island café there is cake and mostly a small choice of warm meals. Those who like it active can also rent their own boat and go for a ride around the Rummelsburg Bay.
When: the Inselgarten opens depending on the weather
Where: Island garden, Old Treptow 6, Treptow
Tip 6: Badeschiff and Molecule-Man
The place where the districts of Treptow, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg meet is marked by the Molecule Man. Three metal figures rising 30 meters high from the Spree, visible from afar, symbolize each of the three districts. From there on run a little further downstream on the Treptowers side and you'll arrive at the bathing ship. The extensive pool floating on the Spree (Badeschiff) with sunny beach area, bar and music on the shore reminds you of warm summer days in Ibiza or the Caribbean - but with a Berlin panorama. Here you can also rent SUP boards and paddle to Molecule Man.
When: the opening hours depend on the weather
Where: Eichenstraße 4, Treptow
More information about the Badeschiff
Tip 7: Rummelsburger Bucht (Rummbelsburger Bay)
On the north side of the Stralau peninsula lies the Rummelsburger See, which is also known as the Rummelsburger Bucht because of its bay-like location on the Spree. The kilometre-long riverside path invites you to take long walks, and if the weather is fine, there are also numerous small boats romping on the water. This urban lake idyll was already immortalised in the 1970s in the DEFA film "The Legend of Paul and Paula", after which the northwest shore is named today.
Where: Paul-und-Paula Ufer, Friedrichshain
More information about the Rummelsburger See
Tip 8: Altstadt Köpenick (Old Town Köpenick)
In the town hall of Köpenick, at the confluence of the Dahme and Spree rivers, an unemployed cobbler, disguised as a Hauptmann (captain), is said to have arrested the mayor and robbed the town treasury in 1906. Today a bronze statue in front of the entrance reminds of the "Hauptmann von Köpenick". Around the town hall, inaugurated only one year before the "Köpenickiade", you can experience a lot of authentic historical flair in the old town of Köpenick - with more than 200 year old houses in the Fischerkietz and the baroque Köpenick Castle on the castle island. Numerous cafés, often located directly on the waterfront, give you many reasons to stay.
Where: Alt-Köpenick 21, Köpenick
More information about Köpenick
Tip 9: Haus der Kulturen der Welt
On the terrace on the Spree side, the music festival Wassermusik: Mississippi takes place on the weekends in summer. Make yourself comfortable in the deck chairs and listen to jazz, blues, Cajun ... It's also worth stopping at the House of World Cultures, as you'll have a great view over the Spree, the Chancellery and the main train station. And you can take one of the many passing ships for a ride on the Spree.
By the way, in the opposite Zollpackhof you also sit very idyllic with a view of the Spree.
Tip 10: Historic Harbour Berlin
The Fischerinsel in the heart of Berlin, which has been continuously populated since the 12th century, has a special highlight: At the historical port of Berlin, at the southern tip of the Spree Island, you can discover several generations of historical inland waterway vessels, which are being elaborately restored and preserved by an association. This also includes the tug Andreas, built in 1944. It is one of the oldest still active steam tugboats in Europe and in the meantime even served as a heating plant - today the ship with its striking, folding chimney is on its way as a pleasure steamer on the Spree in Berlin.
Where: Fischerinsel 3, Mitte
Historical Boat Trips in Berlin
Tip 11: Mellowpark
The Mellowpark in Köpenick offers 60,000m² of fun. Here you have enough space for all kinds of sporting activities, great facilities for BMX and skateboarding, for playing basketball and many other activities. And with the GreenKayak you can paddle for free and clean the Spree of rubbish at the same time: The MellowJam cultural festival will also take place on 20 and 21 August.
Where: An der Wuhlheide 250, Köpenick
