Where to Run in Berlin
A Runner’s Guide to Europe, Part 4 of 5
The first time I visited Berlin I rented a bike because Berlin reached far and wide and I wanted to cover as much ground as possible in the short amount of time I had. I also stayed west of the Tiergarten, a very long walk from the center of town. So for my second visit to Berlin, I wanted to stay in Mitte, the city center, and since I was already familiar with the area, I decided to do some sightseeing on foot. I planned a 6.2mi (10km) loop along the Tiergarten, Spree River, and city center. This was a flat and easy loop that I started and ended near the Berlin Philharmonic.
Sightseeing highlights included the Berlin Philharmonic, Tiergarten, Bellevue Palace, Spree River, The Chancellery, and views of the Reichstag and Mitte
The Run
It seemed that I could not escape the rain on this mini-tour of Europe. Two out of three runs so far had been cloudy or rainy, and today I started my run with a light drizzle along the southern edge of the Tiergarten. I ran under the trees to keep from getting wet first passing the unique yellow building of the Berlin Philharmonic and later a monument to Richard Wagner. Not knowing much about Wagner, I looked him up after my run and recognized his pieces, Ride of the Valkyries and of course The Bridal Chorus.
At a major intersection, I turned right and followed the road into the heart of the Tiergarten, straight to Victory Column. At this traffic circle, I ran clockwise but exited a little too soon in search of the English Garden and ended up enjoying a short trail run through the park. After correcting course and discovering the Bismarck monument along the way, I finally made it to the Spree River. (Again, I didn’t know much about Bismarck but later I learned he was the first Chancellor of the German Empire.) By the time I reached the river, the rain had let up and I joined other tourists in shooting photos of Bellevue Palace.
I then crossed the river and ran along its northern bank, my favorite part of the run, partly because the rain had let up and partly because I had a solid mile and a half of pure sightseeing running with no intersections or tourist crowds. Several fitness enthusiasts joined me on this stretch and I kept leapfrogging with another runner and his trainer because of all my photo stops. One modern building with unique semicircles stood out on the riverbank, and I learned that because of these semicircles locals call it the Washing Machine building, also formally known as the Chancellery.
Just past the Chancellery, the road became a short bridge, offering an amazing view of central Berlin. I could see the Reichstag on the left (the domed building with the German flags), the Chancellery on the right (the Washing Machine building), and the high rises of Potsdamer Platz in the center (near the Berlin Philharmonic, the start of this run). Sometimes, people refer to Potsdamer Platz as Berlin’s version of NY’s Times Square. (Note: It looks nothing like Times Square.)
At one point, it looked like the path on the north bank diverged from the river, so I crossed a bridge and ran on the south bank for a stretch. I didn’t find the views as interesting and a traffic light broke my rhythm, so I crossed back over at the first opportunity. Near Museum Island, I looked for the Berlin Cathedral, my mark at which to turn right, and on the way, I ran right through a riverside bar and outside eating area. It wasn’t open at the time but the night before I watched a bit of salsa dancing on the open-air dance floor. Once at the Berlin Cathedral, I turned right to run along the main road all the way back to the Tiergarten, my least favorite part of the run due to traffic lights and heavy construction.
Several buskers entertained crowds in the park across from the Cathedral, and I stopped to let a lot of foot traffic pass. Because of the construction, several covered wooden walkways replaced sidewalks and congested easily with pedestrian traffic. I tripped over the uneven surface on one walkway, nearly ate it, and had a construction worker yell at me in German. So — I suggest walking through them.
I had planned to run through the Brandenburg Gate into the Tiergarten on the way to close the loop, but a chain fence bordered the park and blocked this entrance. They had recently re-sodded the grass and blocked off areas for upcoming events. So, I retraced my steps and noticed a makeshift memorial in front of the U.S. Embassy, remembering the victims of Orlando. I felt touched and slowly made my way back through the city streets to my starting point, appreciating how we are able to stay connected in these modern times despite the long distances around the world.
The Route
Interactive Map
Created in MapMyRun, no login required: Berlin City Loop: Tiergarten, Spree River, Berliner Dom 6.2mi / 10.1km.
Navigation Points
I run with a phone and a section of Google Maps available offline so I can view my location and correct course at any time. Below are key landmarks or reference points with rough mile-markers to help with this route.
- Mile 0.0/6.2: Start/End at the Tiergarten, near the Berlin Philharmonic
- Mile 1.0: Near the Victory Column traffic circle
- Mile 2.0: Near Bellevue Palace (Schloss Bellevue) on Spree River
- Mile 3.0: Bridge at the northernmost point of the route, great city view
- Mile 4.5: Near Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom)
- Mile 5.7: Near Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor)
And a Few Recommendations
Next Time
With a few unexpected detours, I added an extra half mile to my planned run, not terribly bad, but if I were to do it again, I’d stick to the main road in the Tiergarten to reach the river sooner. For example, entering the Victory Column traffic circle at position 6 o’clock, I’d run clockwise and exit at 2 o’clock onto Spreeweg, heading straight to Bellevue Palace and the river.
A Shorter Option
For a shorter loop, start near the Berlin Philharmonic as planned. At Victory Column, exit onto Spreeweg and head straight to the Spree river. Run along the river until reaching the first bridge (Marschallbrücke) after passing the Reichstag. Cross the bridge, make your way to the Brandenburg Gate, and then back to the starting point. This shorter route, roughly 3.8 miles, cuts out the construction, traffic lights, and pedestrian crowds I encountered in the last part of the run.
A Little Bit of Something Else
Berlin is gritty and dirty with a tumultuous past. It’s also lively and artsy and countercultural. On my first visit to Berlin, I took a city bike tour which covered a lot of ground and gave a great overview of the city. On this second visit, I wanted to dive deeper into history and joined the Sandemans Third Reich walking tour, which felt educational and certainly worthwhile. I also spent time in the Topography of Terror (FREE) history museum, a wealth of information about the Gestapo, the SS, Nazi Germany, and post WWII absorbed at one’s own pace.
Finally, because I really appreciated it on my first visit, I rode the S-Bahn out to the East Side Gallery, a 1.3 km stretch of the Berlin Wall, now an open air gallery with paintings and street art celebrating freedom. Unfortunately, many of the paintings have been defaced and are under restoration with chain fences surrounding them, but the gallery is still worth the visit.
