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Tiergarten – the green lungs of Berlin – is the most famous park in the city. It covers an area of 203 ha (500 acres) and is situated right in the centre of town. Originally designed, in 1833–40, by Peter Joseph Lenné as a hunting estate for the Elector, in the latter half of the 19th century the park became a recreation ground for all Berliners. Today it attracts a happy crowd of cyclists, joggers, sunbathers and Turkish families having barbecues, especially at weekends.

The Palace Park is one of the most attractive and charming green spaces in Germany. Immediately behind Schloss Charlottenburg is a small but magnificent Baroque garden, and beyond this extends a vast park, dating back to the early 19th century. It was landscaped in the English style and boasts artificial lake and river landscapes, small hidden buildings and idyllic shaded groves on the banks of ponds and streams. The park is ideally suited for strolling, and it is also a favourite place for sunseekers (see Schloss Charlottenburg) .

The Grunewald, or “green forest” as the public woods in the southwest of Berlin were known originally, is the least built-up area of woodland in the city. Parts of Grunewald are very quiet and isolated indeed, and there are even wild boar in the woods – which can be a nuisance to people who have gardens in the nearby district of Zehlendorf. Grunewald is excellent for hiking and horse-riding.

Peacock Island, an island in the middle of Wannsee that can be reached only by ferry, is probably the most romantic spot in Berlin. In the 19th century, the island served as a love nest for King Friedrich Wilhelm II. His charming folly of a palace ruin was in keeping with the tastes of the time. Today dozens of proud peacocks live in the area around the building (see Grunewald & Dahlem) .

The 19th-century Botanical Garden is a paradise of flowers and plants in the centre of town. The vast area with 15 greenhouses was built in the late 19th century around gentle hills and picturesque ponds. In the Great Palm House by Alfred Koerner you can see spectacular orchids and giant Victoria water lilies, reaching a diameter of over 2 m (6 ft). The museum introduces visitors to the world of microbiology.

The old municipal park, originally designed in 1888–94 as a recreation area for local workers, is today one of Berlin’s most popular green spaces. The meadows around Kreuzberg, which rises to 30 m (98 ft), are great for sunbathing. On top of the mountain, a monument recalls the Prussian Wars of Liberation (see Kreuzberg & Schöneberg) .

The oldest park in Berlin (1840) is an artificial landscape of lakes and meadows and two heaps of rubble, one of which is jokingly called “Mount Klamott”, meaning Mount Rubble. There is also a fairy-tale fountain with statues of the most popular fairy tale characters (see Berlin’s Southeast) .

This second, smaller zoo is situated in the idyllic palace park of Friedrichsfelde. Some 950 animal species live in the park; the lions are particularly worth seeing (see Berlin’s Southeast) .

The 19th-century landscape garden on the banks of the Spree has become famous for the Soviet Memorial, which stands next to the graves of 5,000 Red Army soldiers (see Berlin’s Southeast) .

The Palace in Britz, dating from 1706, has been furnished with historical furniture from the Gründerzeit (after 1871). It is situated in a lovely park that invites visitors for a rest.