Build your company in Berlin #2: The Outdoors
The arrival of Summer inspired our second article from the Build your company in Berlin series and we decided to cover the best outdoor spots.
Antler Berlin’s lifestyle series
Welcome back to the “Build your company in Berlin” series where we cover the various aspects of life in Berlin and highlight some of the reasons why founders love the city. At Antler, we would like to show aspiring founders why Berlin is just the right place to found and build a company, not only due to the vibrant ecosystem but also because of the personal perks the city brings. This content series covers different areas of Berlin life, such as nightlife, arts, history, sports, and more.
In the first instalment of the series, the mythical Berlin nightlife was in the spotlight. As the suns shines brighter the days get longer, Berliners begin to increasingly spend their time outdoors. This is only natural as Berlin is blessed with a number of green areas, scattered all across the city. No matter if during the week, or on the weekend, you can find Berlin’s parks busy with cheerful groups of friends, families, couples, inspiring musicians, or sport enthusiasts.
The city of thousand parks
We are not sure if this nickname has been used to describe Berlin, but it definitely suits our city well. Berlin has to offer both large open areas as well as smaller, more cozy park spots. Whether to play beach volleyball with your friends, to sit down and read a book under a tree, or simply to wander around — there is an outdoor space here to do any of this and more!
At Antler, we work with founders directly, from the earliest stage of their venture, so we did not have to look far to find out what founders consider the best parks and outdoor spots in Berlin. Once again, we have asked all Antler Berlin current founders and alumni for their recommendations in an attempt to boil down the countless options the city presents. In addition to noting down their preferred places to relax outside, our founders have also shared what their favorite activities are when spending time outdoors in Berlin.
Park am Gleisdreieck
- Frequented by founders in: FinTech, web3
- Best for: having a beer after work, going for a run
While some of the other entries on this list emerged as parks after having another purpose in their previous life, this is not the case for Park am Gleisdreieck. This outdoor place was specifically designed to be a park and it was developed in three stages, with each stage adding a new area. The best aspect about the planning process was that the public was heavily involved. As a result, in 2013 when Park am Gleisdreieck was opened, it quickly became one of the most beloved and visited parks in Berlin. Located between the Kreuzberg and Schöneberg neighborhoods, the park is easily accessible through the Gleisdreieck station, making it also a favorite after-work spot. Park am Gleisdreieck was awarded the German Landscape Architecture Prize in 2015 and hosts the Rose Scent Garden which features flowers from all over the world.
Mauerpark
- Frequented by founders in: Enterprise SaaS, ClimateTech, CleanTech
- Favorite park activities: checking out the flea market, playing an instrument
Mauerpark, or “The Wall Park” as it translates in English, is located in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood of Berlin, north of the city center. As the name already suggests, the Berlin wall used to lie at the site of the what-is-today Mauerpark. In the past, the Soviet and French sectors were on each side of the wall, with the notorious Death Strip in the middle. Nowadays, Mauerpark is famous for its Sundays. In the park’s southwest corner, the flea market takes place offering shoppers a wide range of second-hand and self-made clothes, accessories, and art. Also in the west of the park is where the open-air stage hosts various independent artist on any given Sunday. Barbecues, drums, frisbees are all easily distinguishable in the typical Mauerpark atmosphere. For the more sportive Berliners, the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn stadium, a venue for different sport activities, is located in the east of the park.
Teufelsberg
- Frequented by founders in: Mental Health, MedTech
- Best for: one-day getaway, picnic
Teufelsberg is actually an open-air art gallery, located within the large forest park of Grunewald. Like most of Berlin’s outdoor areas, this one also has an interesting history. Teufelsberg is an artificially created hill built in the vicinity of the Teufelsee (Devil’s Lake). While it lay in the British Sector, within post-war Berlin, Teufelsberg served as a listening station of the American National Security Agency. From the towers, whose skeletons still remain, the U.S. military would try to intercept telecommunications from the Soviet side of Berlin. Later on, Teufelsberg would be abandoned and would become the stage of skillful street artists. Hence, nowadays the hill hosts the Teufelsberg art gallery. Situated well to the west of Berlin’s center, Teufelsberg is very suitable for a day trip.
Tempelhofer Feld
- Frequented by founders in: Marketplaces, ConsumerTech
- Best for: skateboarding, dancing, volleyball
It should come to no one’s surprise that this is the clear favorite of our founders. Tempelhofer Feld is the temple (pun intended) of outdoor enjoyment. This park, located in the south of Berlin, has an epic status because of many reasons. The ground where the current park lies used to host the Tempelhof airport which was iconic on its own, even before being transformed. Tempelhof airport was an emblematic pre-World War II airport along with those in London and Paris. After the war, it played a central role during the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and 1949. The Tempelhof airport was still operational until 2008. Amid political controversy, protests and counter-protests, the airfield was then officially closed and turned into a park. Since then, it has become a paradise for all kinds of outdoor enthusiasts. Skating, biking, football, dancing, yoga, gardening — it is all possible at Tempelhofer Feld. Visiting at sunset always helps at making the most out of your Tempelhof experience!
Honorable mentions: Tiergarten, Viktoriapark, Hasenheide, Treptowerpark, Monbijoupark.
In addition to all the parks that Berlin has to offer, there are many outdoor areas in the city which also provide a space to relax, re-charge, and cool down. Some of the best urban outdoor spots that the Antler founders also mentioned were: Urbanufer on the canals of Kreuzberg and the riverside lawns at East Side Gallery.
What’s next in the series?
The “Build your company in Berlin” series has already outlined the best nightlife spots in Berlin, as well as the city’s most beloved outdoor areas. Our next articles will cover other appealing aspects of life in Germany’s capital: the buzzing arts and concerts scene, important historical places to visit, museums to wander all day in, and more. Still, we are only covering a handful of the reasons that make Berlin the best place to found your company, join us here to discover it all!
- Are you an aspiring founder who wants to find the best balance between work and life?
- Do you wish to connect with other like-minded individuals and form a strong co-founding team?
- Would you like to leverage one of Europe’s best startup ecosystems all while having the opportunity to properly let steam off when you need to?
If this sounds like you, then apply for Antler’s upcoming cohort in Berlin and start your journey as a new founder. We can’t wait to meet you.
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This article was written by: Rashko Angelinov, Visiting Investment Associate at Antler, a startup enthusiast, and a “Genießer” of Berlin life.
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About Antler
By joining one of our cohorts, you will have the chance to make your venture part of the global Antler portfolio, encompassing more than 450 companies with 35% of these being founded by women. Antler is backing ventures across 30 different industries and it remains true to its global image by supporting founders from more than 70 nationalities. The founders themselves join an aspiring group of over 3,000 founders, spread across 17 office locations and six continents.
Learn more about Antler here and become part of our worldwide founder network.
