Adlershof: Aviation History and Green Spaces

Adlershof offers several possible focuses for a stay: green spaces, early aviation history, technology, and art and literature. If you are looking for accommodation, first consider which of these themes you want to shape your trip. This will help you tailor your choice of activities to your interests, without requiring every day to have the same feel.

Green Space and Nature Conservation in the Landscape Park

The 68-hectare Johannisthal Landscape Park, formerly Adlershof Landscape Park, is a public green and recreational space. Its amenities include walking paths, a roller-skating track, a dirt bike track, a beach volleyball court, a football pitch and a floral mosaic. This means you can combine walks with a range of sports. The central area of the former airfield covers 26 hectares and is protected as a nature reserve.

A circular path runs along the edges of the protected core area. The core area, characterised by valuable habitats, is not accessible for use; however, a partly elevated walkway and wire-mesh cages filled with fieldstones make it possible to experience it visually. A flock of sheep maintains the nature reserve in an environmentally friendly way. This distinction is important when planning your visit: the circular path runs alongside the protected area, while the core area itself can still be experienced visually.

From the First Airfields to Wind Tunnel Technology

Germany’s first powered-aircraft airfield opened in 1909 on the Johannisthal-Adlershof site. Germany’s first flying school opened in Adlershof in 1911. These two dates mark distinct chapters in early aviation: the powered-aircraft airfield and the training of pilots.

The technical side of this history is also remarkable. The Large Wind Tunnel was used for aerodynamic studies in airflows and for optimising aircraft shapes and surfaces. The Spin Tunnel, also known as the “Trudelturm,” is a listed technical monument. For many years, it was the only way to simulate the dangerous flight condition of a spin in a laboratory.

Visitors can look inside the Trudelturm during guided tours and events such as the Long Night of the Sciences. If you want to see the interior, check the latest guided tour arrangements and event dates before your visit. For an independent exploration of the technology park, there is the digital Gedankengang educational trail walk. Starting from Adlershof S-Bahn station, you can explore the technology park at your own pace; check the latest route information before setting out.

Literature and Contemporary Art

The Anna Seghers Museum is located in Anna Seghers’s preserved original apartment on Anna-Seghers-Straße. Visitors can explore the living and working environment, preserved true to the original. The visit thus focuses on a specific place of life and work, offering a different perspective from the technical history of the wind tunnels.

The Alte Schule cultural centre is the municipal centre for contemporary art in the Treptow-Köpenick district and is accessible on every floor. Each year, it presents around seven exhibitions across a range of artistic genres, including painting, graphic art, photography, sculpture, video art and applied art. If you are interested in a particular exhibition or art form, check the current programme before your visit. Also confirm the building’s current accessibility before travelling.

These themes offer different focuses for your stay and can help you prioritise your travel plans according to your interests.

Discover more destinations: Kreuzberg, Hellersdorf, Friedenau, Tiergarten, Grünau, Berlin, Zehlendorf, Karlshorst.

Go to the main travel overview: Berlin.