Tempelhofer Feld Guide

Tempelhofer Feld is the former Tempelhof airport, a field of more than 350 hectares in the south of the city. It is free and open from sunrise to sunset, with times changing by season, and it is one of the strangest and most enjoyable public spaces in Europe. The runways remain, now used by cyclists, skaters, runners and kite flyers, with grassland, community gardens and wide views in between. Locals vote with their feet: on a sunny weekend it feels like a beach without the sea.

What the place was

The airfield began as a military parade ground and became a civilian airport in the 1920s. The huge curved terminal, built under the Nazis, is still one of the largest buildings in Europe. In 1948 and 1949, Tempelhof was the main landing point of the Berlin Airlift, when Allied aircraft supplied West Berlin during the Soviet blockade. A monument at Platz der Luftbrücke, nicknamed the "hunger rake", commemorates it. Flights ended in 2008, and the field was opened to the public in 2010. Guided tours of the terminal exist, but check the official site for the current programme.

How to visit

The easiest entrance is from Platz der Luftbrücke on the U6, where you can look at the airlift memorial first and then walk through the gate. Another entrance on Oderstraße, near the U8 station at Boddinstraße, leads to the Neukölln side, with its cafés; from there you can continue into Neukölln. The north-western edge is also close to Kreuzberg, so a long afternoon can combine both. Bring a hat, sunscreen and a windproof layer, because there is almost no shade and the wind across the runways can be strong. Rent a bike or bring skates if you want to cross the field quickly, though walking the edge path gives a better sense of the scale.

We would pick a clear afternoon, ideally one with a picnic, and avoid it in cold, wet weather, when it is empty and exposed. Follow the signs about protected grassland and dog rules. It is one of the best free things to do in the city, as we note in our budget guide.