Craving a peaceful escape? Here in Berlin’s Reinickendorf district lies the Steinbergpark. This 35-hectare park offers a retreat from the city’s hustle.
The Steinbergpark’s story began in the 1920s. The district of Reinickendorf bought the Steinberg area. They paid 290000 Reichsmark for it. That was 1.10 Reichsmark per square meter. Tax surpluses financed the purchase.
Wilhelm Klempin a Reinickendorf city councilor spearheaded the project. Work started in autumn 1924. It was a job creation scheme. Workers built footpaths and cycle paths. They planted barren areas and placed boulders. Locals called the path through the Steinbergpark the Suppenschlagweg. Each worker received a serving of soup daily for their labor.
The park has a mix of natural pine forest. It includes deciduous trees like birches oaks and acacias. Many walkers value the Steinbergpark for its peace and quiet. Many benches invite visitors to linger. A bike path runs alongside the footpath. It follows the route of a disused railway line.
Entering the park from Waidmannsluster Damm leads to a beautiful toboggan run. Trees surround it. The Schollenfest uses it for music shows and a children’s festival. The toboggan run opened in 1926. When snow falls children quickly take it over.
The Steinbergpark’s gem is on the Wittenau side. A beautifully designed waterfall flows directly into the Steinbergsee. Created around 1928 by F Kurth and K Loewenhagen the artificial stream runs down the Steinberg. It travels over twelve meters in altitude. It passes more than 200 boulders. Nine rapids were integrated into the design. Pumps feed the waterfall from the Steinbergsee.
In 1988 the district of Berlin-Reinickendorf restored it. However by the mid-1990s Reinickendorf lacked funds for the waterfall’s operation. The Freie Scholle stepped in to help. Since 1998 the Freie Scholle has covered the annual operating costs.
The Steinbergpark hosted the opening of the fountain season in Reinickendorf in 2014. Children from the AWO-Kita Freie Scholle also attended on this sunny spring day.
The Steinbergpark also features Berlin’s shortest bridge. It spans the narrow Spreekanal. It measures only 2.55 meters long. It links both ends of the Suppenschlagweg.
The park’s namesake is the Steinberg itself. The artificial waterfall flows into the Steinbergsee. The lake is framed by tall trees. Benches and a stone terrace invite relaxation and observation.
At the summit sits a reconstruction of a megalithic tomb or dolmen. The park’s tall dense trees provide cool shade on hot summer days.
So take a deep breath. Enjoy the Steinbergpark’s calm. Note the blend of nature and history. Remember the workers and the community. They shaped this green space.