Tempelhof

Two pm on a beautiful spring Sunday, when the weather starts to get better after endless months of cold, the huge wasteland of the former airport Tempelhof is taken by the Berlin population.

Much of the Berliners – and the tourists that begin to swarm in the city – gather on the lawns in the surroundings of disabled tracks and spend the day relaxing, listening to music and reading books. Many practice various sports such as biking, skating and kite skateboarding. But what they most like to do during these days is to drink beer and make barbecue.

That’s it! You got it right, the Germans are quite fond of barbecue and, although not like the American or Brazilian one, it is quite yummy! As in all parks of the city, it is forbidden to barbecue anywhere. There are specific areas designated for this, called Grillplatz. People caught barbecuing outside the permitted areas may even lead fines.

The Tempelhof airport (Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof) is an icon in the history, not only in Berlin but also throughout Europe’s pre-war period. Situated in the south-central part of the city, the airport was built in 1927 and became worldly famous because of its monumental architecture, innovative for that time.

During the blockade of West Berlin between 1948 and 1949, the airport was the point of takeoffs and landings for aircrafts that provided the supplies to the city, a period that became known as the Berlin Airlift (Berliner Luftbrücke).

Today Tempelhof, which has finished its operations in October 2008, is widely used as a recreation area for sports and, more recently, had part of its facilities taken as emergency shelter to refugees. Its history is so representative for Berlin people that, in the same year 2008, there was a referendum to decide whether the area should be closed to the public and it was turned down.

If you are coming to Berlin during the next couple of months, be sure to personally check this very traditional and cultural event. The three entrances to the park remain open from sunrise to sunset, varying according to the time of year. You can reach Tempelhof using the following entrances:

Columbiadamm (Südstern – U7) | Oderstraße (Leinestraße – U8) | Tempelhofer Damm (Tempelhof Berlin – U6 / S41, S42, S45, S46).