Hermsdorf: Tegeler Fließ, lake and village history

When choosing where to stay in Hermsdorf, nature and culture go hand in hand: the Tegeler Fließ, the wetland around Hermsdorf Lake and insights into the history of the Reinickendorf district. Each offers a different focus. If you enjoy spending time outdoors, boardwalks, bridges and circular trails can shape your plans; for an interest in cultural history, the museum and village church offer specific points of interest.

Nature along the Tegeler Fließ and at Hermsdorf Lake

Along the stretch of the Tegeler Fließ between Hermsdorf and Lübars, boardwalks lead in places through the stream floodplain and the untamed marshland. The Eichwerdersteg is laid out as a nature trail and has information boards. If you like to take in more than just the scenery as you walk, the boards add context to this stretch of the trail. Check the current condition of the boardwalks before your visit if you plan to walk this section.

At the wetland around Hermsdorf Lake, two bridges provide a way to cross while protecting the natural environment. They offer an opportunity to observe nature and the waterbirds that live there. Important for your plans: Hermsdorf Lake is not suitable for swimming. This is therefore a place for nature watching and walks through the wetland, not for a day of swimming in the lake.

A circular trail or a longer route?

The five-kilometre circular hiking trail passes through the marshland around Hermsdorf Lake and by former crossings. It offers a clearly defined distance for anyone who wants to focus on the area around the lake. The 34-kilometre Barnim Villages Trail covers a different scale: it connects the historic village centres of Tegel, Hermsdorf, Lübars, Blankenfelde, Karow and Ahrensfelde in Berlin’s Barnim region.

The two routes offer different experiences: the five-kilometre loop focuses on the marshland and the area around the lake, while the Barnim Villages Trail links historic village centres across several locations. This can help you decide whether to include a loop through a single landscape or a longer route spanning several places in your plans. Check the route details and seasonal access information for the Barnim Villages Trail before setting out.

Museum and architectural history

The Reinickendorf Museum is housed in an old primary school in Alt-Hermsdorf. Its permanent exhibition covers the history of the Reinickendorf district and everyday life in times past, including traditional crafts and rural and urban life around 1900. It also presents notable people from Reinickendorf who made their mark in art, literature and history. The subjects range from everyday life in the past to individuals associated with art, literature or history.

The outdoor grounds include a reconstructed Germanic farmstead and a lapidarium. Together with the subjects covered in the permanent exhibition, they offer further points of interest for a visit focused on cultural history, extending beyond life around 1900. If you are interested in different approaches to history, you can explore everyday culture, notable people and the two features of the outdoor grounds side by side.

Another historic building in Hermsdorf is the village church at Almutstraße 7. It is a protected historic building. This distinguishes the museum, a venue for an exhibition on the district’s history, from a protected historic building: both offer their own perspective if you include cultural history in your travel plans.

A wider view of Berlin

If you are looking at Berlin as a whole, there are other parklands beyond Hermsdorf, each with its own focus. Tiergarten is Berlin’s largest and most visited inner-city park, and is suitable for walks, outdoor activities and picnics. Tempelhofer Feld is a large public park where people picnic, sunbathe and play sports. These examples add more options for spending time outdoors to your view of Berlin.

Discover more destinations: Grünau, Lichtenberg, Karow, Zehlendorf, Charlottenburg, Wedding, Spandau, Hellersdorf.

Go to the main travel overview: Berlin.