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Berlin’s child-friendly attractions ooze enough charm to keep even the most exhausted parents as entertained as their little ones. Compared to other major cities, the more corporate ventures can be amusingly irregular, but there are, of course, plenty of left-field highlights, too. After all, that’s what you’re visiting Berlin for, isn’t it?
1. Head to the world-class zoos
Berlin has two zoos, but while the former-Soviet Tierpark is worthy of curiosity, the Berlin Zoological Garden is Germany’s oldest and one of the world’s best. Architecturally, it’s perhaps the most handsome too, and does a lot of good work in conservation and research programs. That said, the kids will undoubtedly be more appreciative of the 1,500 different species on show, and that’s not including the 800+ at its neighboring aquarium. Be sure to take note of the feeding times!
2. Get a headstart on Christmas
If you’re visiting Berlin over the festive season, then it’s essential that you squeeze in a Christmas market or six. Weihnachtszauber (Christmas Magic) at the Gendarmenmarkt is probably the prettiest, although the one at Charlottenberg Palace does come with a fairytale backdrop. However, for more nostalgic community spirit than you could stuff a goose with, try the one in Neukölln’s historic Rixdorf, which only runs for the second weekend of Advent.
3. Go on a GDR safari
The Trabant 601 was the most popular car in East Germany until 1989, when the Berlin Wall fell and other vehicles became readily available. They were a nightmare to drive for those who had no choice, but these days, courtesy of Trabi Safari, they can be driven from sight to sight by eager tourists with their tongues planted firmly within their cheeks. Your children probably won’t appreciate the irony, but they’ll enjoy the old-fashioned charm of the car’s retro design and grumbling engine.
4. Discover the blocks … not blocs
The indoor Legoland Discovery Centre at Potsdamer Platz provides the perfect rainy-day entertainment for young children, with plenty of opportunities to play and create. Alternatively, take them for Canadian Pizza at Ron Telesky’s, which over the years has become as much a shrine to Lego, Star Wars, and … erm … Lego Star Wars as anything else. The Canadian gag is merely a heads up: These guys are the opposite of pizza traditionalists – although you can lash your slice with their famous chili maple syrup. For younger palates, the regular stuff is also available.
5. Try your hand at luminescent ping pong and more
Much of what makes Berlin so intriguing is its unique spin on common activities. Case in point: Schwarzlicht Minigolf takes the family game underground (beneath Görlitzer Park’s Edelweiss café), paints it like a Lewis Carroll hallucination, and shines a blacklight on it. Like all good ideas, its genius lies in its simplicity. You can also play some luminescent ping pong, but whatever you plan on losing to your kids at, you’ll need to make a reservation.
6. Visit the best playground in the world
Kollwitzstrasse boasts several playgrounds, but you’d have to go a long, long way to find one cooler than Kolle 37. The various huts and playing apparatus were built largely by local children and continue to evolve. There are volunteer supervisors and craftsmen to help out, but parents themselves are requested to take a hands-off approach. The philosophy is to let the little ones come into their own, playing, building and even making fires among themselves – who cares about cuts and bruises! If you can let go of your protective instincts for just an hour, you may end up petitioning for one of these back home.
7. Visit a fortress
Located in Berlin’s northwesternmost region, the Zitadelle Spandau is a Renaissance-era fortress built upon a fascinating archaeological site. It’s as much a cultural center as it is a historical one, and at €10 for a family ticket, it’s an excellent value given just how much it offers both kids and adults. That said, your visit won’t be complete without forking out the little extra (€2.50 for adults, €1.50 for kids) to visit its marvelous bat cellar.
8. Check out the kid-friendly museums
It’s not always easy to get kids interested in museums, but Berlin has several enticing options, from visiting dinosaur skeletons at the Naturkundemuseum (Natural History Museum) or historic flying machines and interactive science exhibits at the Technisches Museum (Technical Museum). Older kids might appreciate the retro wonders at the Computerspielemuseum (Computer Games Museum), while the Labyrinth Kindermuseum (Children’s Museum) is designed to teach younger ones as they run hog-wild!
9. Visit Berlin’s Tropical Islands
If the weather’s gotten a little too … well … Northern European for your liking, why not spend some time in the world’s largest free-standing hall?! All jokes aside, the former airship hangar just 50km south of the city is home to Tropical Islands – an indoor resort where it’s summer 365 days a year. Tacky? Kitsch? Not for everybody? It’s all of the above, but avoid the busy weekends and it can rescue a misguided winter visit, or even an unfortunate summer one.
10. Discover the toy workshops
If the young ones have behaved themselves, then you’ll no doubt want to reward them with a treat. Try Onkel Philipps Spielzeug Werkstatt (“Uncle Philipp’s Toy Workshop”) in Prenzlauerberg, which was started by the eponymous Uncle Philipp in order to repair and refurbish old East German toys. Equally treasured is Neukölln’s Zauberkönig(“Magic King”). This magic and joke shop once served Friedrichstrasse’s entertainers and cabaret artists, but the one-two punch of Hitler and Stalin forced its relocation in 1952, where, among Hermanstrasse’s graveyards and kebab shops, it now stands out like someone sawn in half.
Charlie Pite
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Excellent read, I just passed this onto a friend who was doing a little research on that. And he actually bought me lunch because I located it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!