Berlin-Blankenburg

Blankenburg is a rural neighborhood in Berlin's Pankow district, set on the Barnim plateau within the Berlin glacial valley. Its settlement history goes back to the 13th century, when Low German settlers founded the village. The village church, which still stands today and has late Romanesque features, dates to around 1250 and, together with the well-preserved village green, forms the historic center. Many of the buildings around the street Alt-Blankenburg are listed historic monuments and shape the look of this suburban settlement. The original layout as a green-village (Angerdorf) was altered over time by the construction of a manor estate, which left a dead end in the western part of the village street. In the 20th century, after several administrative changes, Blankenburg finally became part of the Pankow district again.

For visitors, the neighborhood offers a quiet, nature-oriented atmosphere. Of particular note is the former allotment garden colony, which at 84 hectares (about 207 acres) is one of the largest contiguous garden settlements in Germany and was redesignated as a recreational settlement in 2005. Here you can experience the green idyll, which is maintained by the association of garden and settlement friends. In the northeast of the neighborhood you will find Blankenburg Cemetery, which also holds a memorial grove for victims of war and tyranny. The buildings of the nursing home run by the Albert Schweitzer Foundation, which play an important role in the local townscape, are also worth a look. The infrastructure has steadily improved over time, as can also be seen in the regulated Panke River and the connection to the public transit network with S-Bahn and bus lines.

In the eastern part of the neighborhood, you will find Golf Resort Berlin-Pankow, one of Berlin's three golf courses, which offers outdoor sporting activities. Also of historical interest is the memory of the Dog Museum, which existed from 1982 to 2001, was built up systematically by a couple from the neighborhood, and was even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Currently, the so-called Blankenburger Süden is in the planning stage in the area between Blankenburg and Heinersdorf. It is a large new development area conceived as an urban district of diversity, and it will significantly influence the region's urban development in the future.