If you are looking for an upscale, sought-after and quiet residential location, then you will certainly feel at home in Zehlendorf. Many wealthy and also prominent people hang out here, which is reflected by spacious estates, exclusive villas and many single-family homes. Zehlendorf is also very green and thus offers many recreational opportunities: With almost 50 percent of forest and water areas, you can vacation on your own doorstep here.

But there is also a bit of a scene and a bit more hustle and bustle: Thanks to the Free University in the Dahlem district, students and young entrepreneurs are also drawn to Berlin's southwest. In addition, Steglitz is right next door, where things are also more urban. So if you want to live quietly and beautifully, but at the same time enjoy the advantages of a metropolis, you can find your perfect new home in Zehlendorf.

The district of Zehlendorf is located in southwestern Berlin and borders Brandenburg to the south, Spandau to the northwest, Wilmersdorf to the north, Steglitz to the east, and Potsdam already lies to the west of Wannsee. The districts are called Zehlendorf, Dahlem, Nikolassee, Schlachtensee and Wannsee.

If one had to name a Zehlendorf district that has scene potential, then it would certainly be Dahlem. The Free University of Berlin has its headquarters here, and the people of Dahlem are quite proud of that. University locations are lively and attract young people, and so it is in Dahlem. In addition, one of the university's focuses is on promoting startups, which also brings a special energy and movement to the district. Young families also appreciate Dahlem because they can take advantage of a mixture of rural and urban here. One is relatively close to the city center, but also quickly back in the countryside.

Otherwise, exclusive residential areas can be found in all parts of the district, with Dahlem and especially the lake and forest areas in Wannsee and at Schlachtensee being among the most noble and expensive residential areas outside of Berlin's city center. Sprawling estates with elegant villas and luxurious single-family homes delight lovers of upscale living here. In Zehlendorf and Dahlem, however, you will also find less expensive residential areas with typical housing developments from the 1920s or apartment buildings owned by housing associations.

There is no special neighborhood culture in Zehlendorf, such as in Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain. The focus here is on the individual neighborhoods.

First of all, we would like to introduce you to two museums. On the one hand, there is the Domäne Dahlem, a historical country estate and open-air museum for agricultural and food culture. Here you can learn a lot of interesting things about agricultural primary production, processing, trade and also consumption. By the way, the manor house on the estate from 1560 is Berlin's oldest residential building and also serves as an exhibition space: in a historical merchant's store, the holographic projection of a historical merchant there tells stories about his everyday working life.

The second tip is the Düppel Museum Village between Nikolassee and Zehlendorf. Here, in the 1960s, remains of a village from 1200 were discovered, then a complete village with lands was reconstructed accordingly and an open-air museum was created. Here you can see how a village life looked like 800 years ago.

If one already gives tips for sights in Zehlendorf, then of course the Wannsee must not be missing. Here you can escape from everyday life and completely indulge in your vacation feelings. Ferry, children's playground, beach volleyball, boat rental, beer garden - the possibilities are many and there is something for every age. The sand for the beach, which is over a kilometer long, was delivered by train from the Baltic resort of Timmendorf to Wannsee.

And then there's Schlachtensee, which is one of the most popular jogging routes in Berlin, with a seven-kilometer lakeside path. People also enjoy swimming here and there are several sunbathing areas. And for anglers, Schlachtensee is also a paradise - there are almost 20 species of fish here.

We would not like to leave unmentioned the forest cemetery Zehlendorf in the district Nikolassee. Willy Brandt, Walter Scheel and Hildegard Knef, among others, are buried here, so the cemetery is considered a celebrity cemetery.

In Zehlendorf you can find many upscale restaurants and bars. But don't worry - you don't always have to spend a lot of money to eat something delicious here. In addition to upscale cuisine, you can also get a fast food burger or a quick pizza here, for example. The pub scene presents itself rather down-to-earth and dignified, and there is also a nice selection of classic cafés. Basically, if you're in the mood for a little vacation feeling, you should choose one of the restaurants on Wannsee or Schlachtensee and look out over the water from there, because it's absolutely recommendable!

Shopping is not one of Zehlendorf's core competencies, but that's not a bad thing at all. Because in neighboring Steglitz, you can go shopping on Schloßstraße, one of the largest shopping streets in Berlin with four large malls and countless other stores. For a quiet day of shopping in an architecturally beautiful ambience, the district of Zehlendorf with Clayallee and Teltower Damm is ideal. Here you can find stores with different offers as well as two smaller shopping centers. Also worth a visit are Mexikoplatz with its small weekly market and the subway station "Onkel Toms Hütte" - here you will find a shopping arcade with about 30 stores.

The public transport system is relatively well developed. Three S-Bahn lines, one subway and numerous bus lines run in Zehlendorf. By S-Bahn or U-Bahn, for example, it takes 30 to 45 minutes to get from Dahlem to Berlin's main train station, 30 minutes to Kreuzberg or 30 minutes to Potsdam. From Wannsee, it takes about 47 minutes by bus or S-Bahn to reach Kurfürstendamm. Drivers can choose from a number of main roads, including the B1, which takes about 20 minutes to reach Tiergarten from Zehlendorf, for example.