Imagine Berlin’s highest natural point. These are the Mueggelberge. They rise 114.7 meters above sea level. Once known as the Mueggelsberge, these wooded hills offer more than just height.
The Mueggelberge hills are located in the southeast of Berlin, specifically in the Treptow-Koepenick district. The Kleiner Mueggelberg and Grosser Mueggelberg dominate the landscape. Together, the Mueggelberge cover about seven square kilometers. This ridge was formed during the Ice Age. Glacial meltwater sand and occasional till make up its geology. That puts its rock age at around 20000 years ago.
Theodor Fontane described the Mueggelberge vividly. He saw them as the “rump of a fabulous water animal.” This creature was left behind in the swampy depths. It remained as the great floods of prehistoric times receded.
You might wonder what there is to see here. A viewing tower called Mueggelturm stands proudly. It offers views of the Mueggelsee and the Berlin-Mueggelberge TV Tower. From here, you can see up to 50 kilometers.
The Grosser Mueggelberg, the highest point, has its own story. In 1846, Johann Jacob Baeyer made the first height measurement. He used trigonometric leveling to determine its height. His measurement was 114.51 meters. Later, in 1901, it was measured at 114.7 meters above NHN.
During the DDR era, the height was listed as 115.4 meters. The Vermessungsamt Treptow-Koepenick remeasured it in 2006. They confirmed the height as 114.7 meters above NHN. The stump of an unfinished TV tower and a transmission mast also sit atop the Grosser Mueggelberg.
The Kleiner Mueggelberg hosts the Mueggelturm observation tower. A once-popular restaurant was also located here. Baeyer measured its highest point at 92.00 meters. Today, its official height is 88.3 meters above NHN.
Have you heard of the Kanonenberge? These hills reach a maximum height of 70.1 meters. They are in the northwestern foothills of the Mueggelberge. Originally, it was called Kleiner Mueggelberg. Sand was mined here for construction in Berlin. This area became known as Sandschurre. AEG and the military used the sand pit for steel cartridge testing during World War I. The loud noise led locals to believe it was an artillery range. After 1945, shooting stopped, but the name stuck.
The Mueggelberge also feature a former toboggan run called Todesbahn. It ran from the ridge between the Grosser and Kleiner Mueggelberg to the Teufelssee foot. A wooden bridge crossed its middle. It was a popular spot for sledding. The track closed in 1992.
Once, a 40-meter-high Bismarckwarte stood on the Grosser Mueggelberg. It was inaugurated in 1904. The tower had a hall of remembrance. A four-meter-high lion statue adorned the main portal. During the 1936 Summer Olympics, a flame burned in a fire bowl at the top. In 1945, a German unit blew up the Bismarckwarte. This was to prevent Soviet troops from using it as a landmark.
The Mueggelberge even appear in literature. Wilhelm Grothe’s version of the Schildhornsage places Jaxa of Koepenick’s conversion here. Theodor Fontane also vividly described the hills.
Today, the Mueggelberge are an insider tip. They offer biking and hiking trails. Downhill mountain bikers enjoy the jumps. Romantic forest paths wind through old oak trees. The Teufelssee offers boardwalk trails along a raised bog. Pubs and beer gardens provide refreshments. The Mueggelberge combine natural beauty with historical depth.