4 Ways to Get Active in Berlin

Activities in Berlin

Landmarks tell you what happened here. These four activities let you actually do something while you’re at it.

Cycle the Mauerweg

  1. Pick one stretch, not the whole loop - The Mauerweg (Berlin Wall Trail) traces roughly 160km of the former border around the city; the Bernauer Straße-to-Nordbahnhof stretch past the Berlin Wall Memorial is the shortest section with the most to see along the way.

  2. Rent near Nordbahnhof - Give the stretch two to three hours, longer if you stop to read the outdoor documentation panels tracing the old death strip.

  3. Or ride with a guide - Book a Berlin Wall bike tour on GetYourGuide if you’d rather have someone point out exactly where the border ran.

Paddle the Spree

  1. Kayak or stand-up paddleboard - Sessions typically run two to three hours and put you at water level under the city’s bridges, a genuinely different angle than the embankment paths.

  2. Go warm-season - April through September is when the river is at its most pleasant for this.

  3. Check current sessions - Browse Spree kayak sessions on GetYourGuide for put-in points and dates.

Cook Something From Scratch

  1. German or Berlin-Jewish cuisine classes - Most run three to four hours, some starting with a market visit for ingredients before moving to the stovetop.

  2. You keep the recipe - The meal you make is the point, not just the meal you eat.

  3. Book ahead in summer - Browse Berlin cooking classes on GetYourGuide since peak-season slots can sell out about a week out.

Land-board Tempelhofer Feld

  1. Two free runways - Tempelhof airport closed to air traffic in 2008, and its former runways are now open, free public park space wide enough for kite-landboarders, skaters, and cyclists to share.

  2. No booking, no fee - Bring your own board or skates, or rent from a small operator at the park’s edges on weekends.

  3. Mind the exposure - There’s no shade anywhere on the runways, so early morning or evening beats a midday summer session.

Getting There

Every one of these starts within reach of a standard AB-zone transit ticket on U-Bahn, S-Bahn, or bus; check BVG’s route planner before you head out rather than book a car. Pack closed shoes for the Mauerweg stretch, a spare set of clothes for after the kayak session, and sun protection for Tempelhofer Feld, since none of it comes with the kind of cover a museum hall does. If landmarks are more your pace than a paddle or a pedal, the sightseeing guide covers Berlin’s checklist version instead.