Bullengraben

The Bullengraben is a historic watercourse in Berlin's Spandau district with roots in the Slavic settlement of the 7th century. It was originally built to drain the damp lowlands of the Berlin Glacial Valley, making pasture and hay farming possible. The name probably derives from the Slavic word for hay bale. Today the ditch runs for about five kilometers (3 miles) from the old village center of Staaken east to the Havel River. It once served as an outfall channel, but in the 1960s and 1970s it was channeled, and it now functions primarily as a drainage ditch for rainwater from the surrounding city neighborhoods. The buildings along the ditch reflect the settlement history of Spandau, from old village centers and former monastery grounds to modern housing developments.

Between 2004 and 2007, the previously neglected ditch was comprehensively restored and renaturalized as part of a compensation measure by Deutsche Bahn. The result is the broad Bullengraben/Lindenufer greenway, which extends up to 200 meters (650 feet) wide. Here you'll find a varied landscape with playgrounds and sports fields, recreation areas, bridges, and footbridges. An asphalt path about four meters (13 feet) wide, marked as one of Berlin's main green routes, invites you to stroll, bike, or skate. The final stretch leads into a promenade along the Havel that marks the transition to the water. The park was awarded the Gustav Meyer Prize for its outstanding design.

Nature lovers will find protected biotopes in the greenway, such as the Stieglake Basin and the Meadow Basin, both of which have been renaturalized. The vegetation is rich in species and is home to rare plants as well as a variety of birds and amphibians. The path runs through rural areas such as the Staaken fields and opens onto broad stretches of meadow before leading into the denser urban development of Spandau. One special attraction is the sculpture of a rust-brown steel bull, a symbolic nod to the ditch's name. The greenway is well integrated into Berlin's network of paths and offers a green axis that connects several city districts.