Berlin-Tegel

Tegel is Berlin's second-largest neighborhood, located in the northwest of the capital in the Reinickendorf district. The area is defined by the waters of Lake Tegel, which contains seven islands and is fed by the Tegeler Fließ stream. Historically, the settlement most likely began as a dead-end village on the lakeshore and is first mentioned in documents in 1322. Over the centuries, the village belonged to various rulers before it was incorporated into Greater Berlin in 1920. Tegel played a special role in aviation history: Tegel Airport was built here in 1948, later becoming West Berlin's most important airport, and it did not close until 2020. On the former firing range, space travel pioneers carried out early rocket experiments in the 1930s, in which Wernher von Braun also took part.

For visitors, Tegel offers a varied mix of nature and cultural highlights. The Greenwich Promenade on Lake Tegel is a popular starting point for boat tours on Berlin's waterways. The new Tegel Harbor is home to the Humboldt Library, an architecturally interesting building designed by international architects. On the Reiherwerder peninsula stands Villa Borsig, which now serves as a guesthouse for the Federal Foreign Office. Another landmark is Tegel Palace, also known as Humboldt Palace, whose park makes for a quiet retreat. Near the palace stands the "Dicke Marie" (Fat Mary), an oak tree considered one of the oldest trees in Berlin, with an estimated age of around nine hundred years.

The neighborhood is also shaped by further cultural and historical sights. The Alt-Tegel village church stands on the original village green above the waterfront promenade. On Veitstraße you'll find the Berlin Fire Department Museum, which opened in 1911. The former Borsig works are protected as a complete heritage ensemble and today house, among other things, the Borsig Tower and the Hallen am Borsigturm shopping center. The Alte Waldschänke is considered the oldest inn in Berlin within its present-day boundaries. The area is well connected to public transportation, with S-Bahn stops and the U6 subway line, making Tegel an attractive destination for a day trip in northern Berlin.