What do Berliners think of first when you ask them about Treptow? Clearly: a lot of green and even more water. Older Berliners remember the Berlin Wall, which ran through Treptow and divided the right and left sides of Heidelberger Strasse into West and East. Incidentally, the longest section of the inner-city Wall, 17 kilometers, ran in the old district of Treptow. The Wall is history, but the recreational effect Treptow has on people is not. In the very, very past, by the way, where Treptow is today was a swampy forest area. That still influences the landscape today, and that's why the people of Treptow can enjoy such beautiful parks, forests and lots of water. Treptow is also sometimes called the "green lung of Berlin".

The fact that we have talked so much about the greenery in the district does not mean, however, that the urban is neglected here. On the contrary: Treptow used to be an industrial location, which is why there are still corresponding commercial properties and facilities. These hold great potential, which has already been recognized by some. Some of these old factory buildings have been turned into desirable, loft-like apartments. Or meeting places for art and culture are being created. Here you can really say that the district is undergoing change and is far from having reached the end of the road.

By the way, music also comes from Treptow: The Berlin band "Treptow" makes wonderfully melodic, rocky, partly punk music and their lyrics are sometimes about their home. "In my eyes you're beautiful, I wish you could see yourself that way," one lyric says. Did they perhaps mean their district with that? We don't know, but it would fit a little. Treptow is imperfectly perfect, perhaps still somewhat underestimated, but with a lot of potential that is being recognized by more and more young people, creative people and families.

Treptow is located in the southeast of Berlin and borders Friedrichshain and Lichtenberg to the north, Kreuzberg to the northwest, Neukölln to the west, and Köpenick to the east and southeast. The districts are Alt-Treptow, Plänterwald, Baumschulenweg, Niederschöneweide, Johannisthal, Adlershof, Altglienicke and Bohnsdorf. Architecturally, the districts offer a mix of Berlin 20s old buildings over apartment buildings from the 60s to modern town houses and thus real estate for every taste. Treptow also has its neighborhoods, but they are by far not as well known or numerous as in some other parts of the capital. Therefore, we would like to take a closer look at the different districts and their special characteristics.

The Plänterwald district is a particularly beautiful place to live. Here, stately villas and apartment buildings dominate, and several allotment garden associations that have settled in Plänterwald also make it very green.

The district Baumschulenweg got its name from the former largest tree nursery in the world, the Späth'schen Baumschule. The area with buildings is still present and has a very special charm, but one is transported by a manor house and the garden in an earlier time. Overall, there is a nice mix of single-family houses, old buildings and more modern buildings in the district.

The most famous place in Treptow is definitely Treptow Park with the Soviet Memorial and the Archenhold Observatory. The 19th-century park covers more than 80 hectares and, with its river landscape, meadows and gastronomic offerings, provides an oasis of relaxation in the middle of the city. Not to be overlooked in the center of the park is a 30-meter high statue: the Soviet Memorial. This statue and the military cemetery commemorate the soldiers who died in the battle for Berlin during World War II. The site was completed in 1949.

The Archenhold Observatory is the oldest public observatory in Germany, which also has the longest telescope - 21 meters.

Fancy a boat trip? Then you're in the right place at Treptow Harbor, because from here you can book excursions, for example, to downtown Berlin. In addition, you can wonderfully relax at the harbor itself and let your eyes wander over the water.

If you want to experience the special magic of a historic garden site and what was once the largest tree nursery in the world, you should pay a visit to Späth's Arboretum from the 19th century. The grounds were used as a horticultural farm as early as 1720. Today, this tree and plant paradise with its ivy-covered manor house and outbuildings belongs to Humboldt University, and students from the biology department can let off steam scientifically there.

If you want to marvel at a real world heritage site, you have to go to Bohnsdorf. There is the Tuschkastensiedlung, built in 1913 for working-class families. Beautifully designed, small homes in bright colors, with gardens and garden fences. A true idyll, what architecture and history fans alike should visit.

As far as the gastronomic offerings are concerned, Treptow cannot, of course, keep up with its hip neighboring districts, such as Mitte or Friedrichshain. But the district is "on the rise," as they say. There are a few clubs and good restaurants that are considered insider tips by some Berliners. One example is the Treptower Klause. It sounds like a bourgeois and boring place - but it's not. Here you get modern German cuisine with Mediterranean or Asian influences served at gourmet level for the normal purse. Also great is a visit to the Klipper, the restaurant on and in the ship directly on the Spree. There you can enjoy your breakfast with a view of the water or bite into the pork knuckle in the evening. But no matter what Treptow has to offer or not to offer gastronomically, one thing is for sure: There is a pedestrian bridge that connects Treptow with Kreuzberg and there is really everything to satisfy your craving for pleasure.

Treptow is not known for its shopping opportunities. But if you want to have short distances from one store to the next and are looking for the usual big retail brands, you can store for shoes, clothes or decoration in the Parkcenter am Treptower Park. Or you can stroll along one of the shopping streets in Alt-Treptow, where there are also some well-known brands and also smaller stores. There is another shopping mall in Schöneweide, where you can find shoes, jewelry, clothes and also a furniture supplier. But even when it comes to shopping, it's not far to Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain if you're looking for a little more shopping variety.

Public transportation can be described as relatively good. The Görlitzer Bahn runs through the middle of Treptow. This refers to a railroad line that runs from Cottbus via Berlin to Görlitz. There are several S-Bahn lines that run on this route, including the Berlin S-Bahn, which covers the area in and around Berlin. There are also numerous bus lines. For motorists, there are several main arterial roads that can quickly take them to other parts of Berlin.