An inspirational guide for the autumn months…
We are starting to layer up, no doubt. But as the heady heights of summer gradually deliquesce into a few sun-kissed memories, the cooler temperatures, changing colours and occasional sun rays of autumn can make for a wonderfully romantic marriage.
The season’s usual blend of cold, sunny days and moody or rainy weather calls for a mixed-bag of activities, ranging from scenic outdoor strolls to cosy coffee spots and interesting museums to explore. Below are some tips and ideas on how to enjoy the colourful descent into winter…
Walks & Strolls
The autumn leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold
Nat King Cole
Polychromatic autumn leaves are characteristic of the season and, while bittersweet for some, can also provide some colourful compensation for summer’s sad departure. There are many wonderful parks in Berlin—in the heart of the city as well as on the outskirts—that offer therapeutic and soul-enhancing walks.
No matter how many times you’ve visited Tiergarten you probably haven’t seen it all, nor taken time out to explore its various monuments, which offer a fragmented but fascinating history of the city itself, ranging from Wilhelm I to Karl Liebknecht and beyond. Monuments and memorials also dot other parks, like the Volkspark Friedrichshain—which also contains a Chinese garden and a nineteeth-century fairytale fountain—Treptower Park, which offers a waterside promenade, and Viktoria Park, with its charming waterfall, Schinkel monument and expansive vistas.
The gardens at Schloss Charlottenburg also provide a wonderful escape from the city, as do the parks surrounding Pankow’s Schloss Schönhausen and the much larger Grunewald, where you can explore lakes, castles, and beer gardens aplenty. And let’s not forget the city’s cemeteries, some of the most tranquil places for a stroll in the entire city.
For longer walks, we can recommend strolling the Landwehrkanal in either direction, enjoying a walk along the pleasant Erpetal valley, or indulging in the slightly longer hike from Wannsee to Potsdam—if that’s too long, you could also just walk to the Pfaueninsel and enjoy a small boat ride and perhaps a picnic before walking back to the S Bahn.
Spas, Saunas & Swimming Pools
We could all do with taking more time out for ourselves, and the chillier autumn temperatures provide the perfect excuse to enjoy a rejuvenating swim, sauna or massage.
The best-known spa complexes in the city are the small-but-funky Liquidrom and the larger VaBali complex, which has Asian-themed interiors, numerous saunas and steam rooms and pools to float or swim in. Several of the city’s hotels double up as high-end pampering palaces too, from Rocco Forte’s Hotel de Rome, whose shimmering pool is set in a former bank vault, to Hotel Mandala’s eleveth floor