A walk in the Tiergarten

To be honest, I did not appreciate too much the advantage of living quite close from the lovely Tiergarten area. It is a gorgeous natural spot in the middle of the busy city, where you can spend hours walking, jogging or biking. During the weekend it may be crowded, especially during the summer when many are picknicking or reading on the grass or sunbathing - some of them exposing various degrees of nakedness - but during the morning, all you can find are tourists, busy people commuting at work Berlin-style and homeless people sleeping around. 

One of the main reasons why I love Berlin is the high concentration of parks and green areas. The air is fresh most part of the time and every time you need some retreat you don't need to travel for hours. It may be less than one hour away from home.

 The construction of the Tierpark started at the end of the 19th century, but was finalized around 1920. It looks very well organized, with a lot of walking areas, but also dead-ends where you can go, rest on a bank and admire the nature.

Tiergarten is situated in the middle of the embassies' quarter, close to the Ku'damm and the Zoologische Garten, Postdamer Platz, the Reichstag and the museum area. There are regular buses coming and going, but if you want to walk, you will discover that all those top-notch objectives are within one hour of reach. 

In the park you can also see a collection of street chandeliers, brought from all over Germany, but also from the Netherlands. I've been once on an organized tour and learned a lot about the history of public lightning in Germany and the beginning of the street design.

If you are around Tiergarten and you have some minutes free, don't hesitate to take a short walk. A full tour of the park can last for one hour, and if you are tired, hungry and thirsty, you can easily find a beergarten or two and even some restaurants that may help feel you happy.