How to Get Lost in the Woods While Visiting Berlin

Contrary to popular belief, it is not as easy to get lost in the woods of a major European metropolis as you would think. Not unless you live in Berlin, that is. Berlin is one of the greenest cities in Europe and a number of its huge forests and parks are quite simply, well, huge. But even that is no guarantee that you can just walk right in and get lost there. No, the Germans are generally very good at organizing things and have placed signs and clearly marked paths throughout most of these green, urban areas. But with the proper attitude, a lack of common sense and inappropriate or missing equipment, you too should have not trouble getting lost in no time.

Personally, I always prefer to get lost in the Grunewald. It is over 4,500 acres in size and by far the biggest green area in town. The neighboring, ritzy villa neighborhood of Berlin-Grunewald also goes by this name, but don't let that bother or confuse you. Just jump on your nearest S-Bahn or U-Bahn train and get off at one of the following stations:

S-Bahn Grunewald
S-Bahn Messe Süd (Eichkamp)
S-Bahn Schlachtensee
S-Bahn Nikolassee
S-Bahn Wannsee
S-Bahn Pichelsberg
S-Bahn Olympia-Stadion
U-Bahn Oskar-Helene-Heim
U-Bahn Onkel Toms Hütte
U-Bahn Krumme Lanke

Now you can get bothered and confused. Depending upon which station you have chosen, the Grunewald lies directly to the north, to the south or to the west of you. My suggestion: start walking south. If you haven't entered a forest within five minutes, turn around and head north. Walk ten minutes in that direction. If this doesn't help, go west. If this doesn't help, you got lost too early. Grab a taxi and come back tomorrow to try again.

Once you have entered the woods, do your best to avoid any annoying streets you might happen to stumble upon. There are only a few of them, but if you are not careful, they could lead you back to civilization before ever even having the chance to get properly lost. If you come across Chaussee Weg, for example, head to the north. If you run in to Havelcahaussee, head east. If you bump in to Teufelsseechausse, head south. This will help disorient and confuse you and soon have you stumbling through uncharted brush in glee.

When you get thirsty, and you will, there are several large lakes in the immediate vicinity. The largest is called the Wannsee. Technically speaking the Wannsee is comprised of the Großer Wannsee and the Kleiner Wannsee. You literally can't miss it, as it forms the western border of the Grunewald. It is a giant body of water and understandably popular with Berliners, offering them everything from swimming to sailing to ice skating in the winter. There are a number of small islands to discover here, as well (don't worry, there are ferry connections), two of the most popular being Schwannenwerder und Lindwerder. Other nearby lakes are the Grunewaldsee, the Schlachtensee and Krumme Lanke.

If you wander long enough, you might just get lucky and stumble upon the Teufelssee. Once you've had your next drink here, don't miss the opportunity to enjoy the view from nearby Teufelsberg (Devil's Mountain). Teufelsberg is an artificial hill, about 80 meters high, that was built by the Allies after World War II from the rubble of bombed-out Berlin. It is said to consist of about 12 million cubic meters, enough to build hundreds of thousands of buildings. The NSA built one of its largest Cold War listening stations here and continued using it up until the fall of The Wall. It was closed soon after, however, though parts of the buildings and radar domes can still be seen. It's also a good place for flying kits and sledding in the winter.

I have found that this is usually the point where I've had enough of being lost. I mean, after all, you've been at this for a good four or five hours by now. I recommend that you too take advantage of the view from Teufelsberg and get your bearings by using the Grunewaldturm (the Grunewald Tower) as your point or orientation. It was built in the Wilhelminen era and is also known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Turm. It lies pretty much due south from where you are now standing.

Don't go there, however. You've had a long day and it's time to go home. Turn around and head due north. You will find yourself at Heerstraße in about ten minutes and from there it will only be a short bus ride back to town.

So now you're not lost anymore - and hungry for more, right? Don't worry, you can always come back and get lost again. Like I said, it's a huge forest. And should you ever have enough of the Grunewald, there's a lot more where that came from. There are three other green areas I can recommend in particular: the Müggelsee, the Tegeler Forst and the Tiergarten.