Marienfelde can be explored through three very different themes: its historic village center, landscape and nature conservation, and the history of flight between East and West Germany. When planning your trip, the choice is mainly about what you want to focus on: would you like to learn about architectural history and rural village features, explore nature, or set aside time for the memorial site? The following places and activities offer specific points of interest.
Historic Village Center and Architectural History
The Marienfelde village church stands in the historic village center. It is a late Romanesque church with early Gothic additions and is considered the oldest continuously preserved village church in Berlin. The listed building dates back to 1229, and concerts are regularly held in the church. Its architectural history and musical events are both worth exploring.
Alt-Marienfelde village green is one of Berlin’s best-preserved village settings. The historic village center also includes the “Bauer Lehmann” farm: its residential building, built in 1844, has been largely preserved in its original condition, and the farm’s stables are home to horses, goats and ducks. A vending machine is stocked daily with fresh free-range eggs. The “Zur Grünen Linde” inn, built in 1830, is also located here and remains in operation as a rural inn. Together, these places reveal different aspects of the village’s traditional character, from its homes and farm to its inn.
The Marienfelde Manor Park also adds to the historic picture. Adolf Kiepert laid it out after 1844, and it was enlarged after 1865. These dates distinguish the park’s initial development from its later expansion.
Farmland, Recreation Park and Trails
The Marienfelde farmland is the last remnant of the agricultural land once widespread throughout the district. It is also designated as a diverse habitat and breeding ground for rare bird species, including the red-backed shrike, Eurasian skylark and crested lark. In Marienfelde Recreation Park, bodies of water, wooded areas and meadows provide refuges for endangered animals, rare birds and protected plants. The farmland and the recreation park therefore represent different aspects of nature: the remaining agricultural land on the one hand, and the park’s habitats on the other.
A nature trail about 1.5 kilometers long, with nine information stations, runs through the western part of the recreation park. A longer route option is the 48-kilometer Teltow Village Trail. It runs from village to village through Zehlendorf, Lichterfelde, Marienfelde, Lichtenrade, Buckow, Rudow and Spindlersfeld in Köpenick. The stated lengths highlight the difference between the nature trail in the recreation park and a route that links several places and passes through Marienfelde.
From April to October, Naturwacht Berlin e. V. offers guided tours, project days and information events at the Marienfelde Nature Conservation Station, the neighboring Marienfelde Recreation Park and the Marienfelde farmland. These activities take place at several nature sites; for planning purposes, the stated period from April to October is key.
Memorial Site and the History of East and West Germany
The Marienfelde Emergency Reception Center was established in 1953. By 1990, 1.35 million people had passed through the center. The memorial site focuses on the history of flight between East and West Germany, offering a different historical perspective from the village center and its architectural history.
The exhibition documents this movement across around 450 square meters. It includes more than 900 exhibits and covers its causes, course and consequences. Alongside the permanent exhibition, there are regular special exhibitions as well as a varied program of events and educational activities; individual offerings may change. If you have a specific date in mind, it is therefore worth checking the current events.
Discover more destinations: Adlershof, Tempelhof, Berlin-Reinickendorf, Charlottenburg, Buckow, GrĂĽnau, Velten, Altglienicke
For the main travel overview: Berlin.
