Living in Pankow has its upsides and its downsides. On the one hand, the neighbourhood is peaceful; on the other, it often feels far-removed from “the rest of Berlin”. Personally, I firmly believe in the untapped energy of the M1 line: Along the tram tracks are some real gems, one could even say jewels, that are often ignored in favor of venues elsewhere in the city that require long, complicated transport routes. In this piece, I’d like to introduce you to some such M1 Jewels, a few of which I have personally visited for you. Starting in the north end of this great transit line, here are some recommendations for eats, sights and delights that are close to an M1 stop, simple to reach, and worth your time.
In today’s installment, we explore the upper north of the Rosenthal Nord-bound line, heading south towards the Tschaikowskistraße station.
Rosenthal Nord – Locations: Lübarser Höhe, Alte Fasanerie, Ziegeleisee and MyJump Berlin Nord
From this stop, you have many options! You could visit the Lübarser Höhe, which is a large greenscape with rolling hills and old oaks, excellent for strolling in the sun or sledding in the snow. Within the park complex, why not visit the Alte Fasanerie, an old farm which serves and sells their own produce, as well? Both of these experiences are free if you don’t purchase anything.
If you’re reading this in summer, you could aim even higher and trek to Ziegeleisee, which is a 45 min walk from Rosenthal Nord station but very much worthwhile since it’s not as crowded as other Berlin lakes in the summer, and pretty affordable at € 3,50 entry for any amount of time if you bring your student ID.
If that’s not your thing, there’s also MyJump, an indoor trampoline park much closer the the station. You could freestyle your jumps, or, alternatively, take a course to help you learn the basics of Parkour, Freerunning and Tricking, and learn jumps like the frontflip, backflip, and sideflip, as well as 180/360/540° turns. They even have a laser maze that you could add on to your experience for €2. Just to repeat that: Laser. Maze.
Hauptstraße/Friedrich-Engels-Straße – Rosenthal church, Wohnturm, Bismarkeiche tree and Zur alten Backstube Café
From this station, you can easily walk eastward into Rosenthal itself, which has a few small but cute spots and historical sites. The Rosenthal church is a looker both inside and out, and right next to it are the Bismarkeiche (an ancient tree) and the Wohnturm (the remains of a tower built in the 13th century). I recommend you visit all three of these destinations during a brisk walk, then top it all off with a coffee and slice of cake at the adjacent Zur alten Backstube Café.
Friedrich-Engels-Str./Eichenstr. and Am Iderfenngraben – Schönholzer Heide
The Schönholzer Heide is an exquisitely beautiful park of 35 hectares. Within it, you can also find a memorial site of 27.500 sqm in size commemorating around thirteen thousand of the Soviet soldiers that fell in WWII. Both the park itself and the memorial are stunning to look at and visually distinct from the rest of Pankow.
Pastor-Niemöller-Platz – De La Guarda and Wackelkontakt
De La Guarda: This spanish-mexican restaurant at Pastor-Niemöller-Platz is a good spot for affordable food and drinks close to campus and is open everyday (except Sundays) from 5pm onwards. There’s rumoured to be a Cocktail Happy Hour — but you’ll have to go for yourself to figure out when it is.
If you’re more of a pub type, why not go to the friendly “Kiezkneipe” Wackelkontakt, a respectable choice for drinks close to campus. The counter is usually manned by an elderly gentleman that looks like the personification of the words “Ein Bier bitte” — comforting, cool, and slowly brewed.
Tschaikowskistraße – Enders, Richter’s
Two similarly named but very unlike dining experiences can be had around Tschaikowskistraße. For a more down-to-earth dining experience why not have Richter’s serve you up some hearty German delicacies?
The Enders, on the other hand, serves posh food and a fancy cocktail to boost. Enough said.
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Hope you enjoyed the ride for this installment of the M1 Jewels. In the next installment, we’ll look further south — exploring the Bürgerpark, books and bouldering.