When you stroll through Spandau's old town with its hundred-year-old buildings, or walk through the green spaces crossed by the Havel River, you can actually get the impression that you are no longer in the bustling, trendy and colorful capital city at all. Here it is relaxed and the people of Spandau love their district for its high recreational character, because the Havel and many lakes characterize the surrounding area. As an exciting contrast, Spandau is home to the Siemensstadt district, Berlin's largest industrial site and possibly even its most forward-looking - a city of the future is to be created here in the next few years, in which work, living and technology are to be combined under the great aspect of sustainability.

Spandau is located in western Berlin and borders Reinickendorf to the northeast, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf to the east and Zehlendorf to the south. The district is divided into the neighborhoods of Hakenfelde, Falkenhagener Feld, Haselhorst, Siemensstadt, Spandau, Staaken, Wilhelmstadt, Gatow and Kladow. The architecture is most metropolitan in the western districts of Falkenhagener Feld and Staaken. In all other districts, a well-kept suburban atmosphere prevails, with single-family homes and beautiful villas.

A very famous Spandau sight is the Citadel and its Julius Tower. The citadel is an old fortification that was once used for defensive purposes and also as a noble residence, among other things. Nowadays, the medieval complex has become a cultural place, there is a museum, artists' studios and music festivals. Especially popular with little adventurers is the old bat cellar. Here, the nocturnal little animals can be observed on a guided tour. The Julius Tower is located on the grounds of the Citadel and offers a magnificent view over Spandau, and in good weather you can even see the Berlin TV Tower.

For history buffs, we recommend a visit to St. Nikolai Church on Reformation Square, as this structure is incredibly old. In fact, this Christian building was built as early as the 14th century and houses valuable contemporary witnesses in its interior. The baptismal font, for example, is from 1398 and the Renaissance altar from 1582. Another very old treasure is the Gothic house in the Old Town. It was built in the 15th century and is thus the oldest preserved town house in Berlin.

Spandau has a number of varied restaurants, cafes and bars in all price ranges. Our tip: Visit the Kladower Yachthafen and sit down in one of the beautiful beer gardens and enjoy the view of the water while you eat - simply indescribable and with a vacation feeling included.

If you like it a bit louder, then here comes our next tip. The Club Ballhaus Spandau was opened in 1971 and offers a very varied program with rock events to 90s party to black music night. This is where Bela B. and Farin Urlaub met and later founded the band "Die Ärzte".

In Spandau, the largest pedestrian zone in Berlin awaits you, and that in the middle of Spandau's old town. Here you can store to your heart's content in more than 300 stores, all set against this charming old town backdrop. If you need a break from shopping in between, there are several cafes and restaurants in the pedestrian zone, where you can drink a delicious latte macchiato or eat something good. The shopping offer ranges from small owner-operated stores to larger department stores with the well-known retail brands.

The public transportation system is very well developed with suburban trains and subways as well as several bus lines. It is easy to get to all parts of Spandau and also to the central districts of Berlin. Several main traffic axes enable motorists to reach destinations inside and outside Berlin quickly. For example, you can be shopping on Kurfürstendamm in 15 minutes and in the middle of the metropolis on Alexanderplatz in 25 minutes.