Discover Marienfelde: Village Center, Nature and History

Marienfelde combines an unusually well-preserved historic village center with landscapes and places that make Berlin’s history visible. Those looking for a holiday apartment can therefore tailor their stay to different interests: the village church and rural traditions, observing nature, or the Marienfelde emergency reception camp memorial site.

Historic Village Center with a Distinctive Village Church

The Marienfelde village church stands at the heart of the old village center. It is considered the oldest continuously preserved village church in Berlin and is a listed historic monument dating back to 1229. The building preserves a late Romanesque village church with early Gothic additions. Concerts are held regularly in the church, making the site interesting not only for its architectural history.

The historic village center also includes the Alt-Marienfelde village green, which is now one of the best-preserved village settings in Berlin. The Bauer Lehmann farm is an illustrative piece of rural history. The farmhouse, built in 1844, is largely preserved in its original condition; the farm also includes stables for horses, goats and ducks. An egg vending machine is stocked daily with fresh free-range eggs. The Gasthof “Zur Grünen Linde,” a rural inn that is still in operation today, was also built in the village center in 1830.

Open Fields, Recreation Park and Paths through the Landscape

The Marienfelde open fields are the last remnant of the agricultural land that was once widespread throughout the district. Today, they are designated as a diverse habitat and breeding ground for rare bird species. These include the red-backed shrike, Eurasian skylark and crested lark. Marienfelde Recreation Park complements this landscape with bodies of water, wooded areas and meadows that serve as a refuge for endangered animals, rare birds and protected plants.

In the western part of the recreation park, there is a nature trail about 1.5 kilometers long with nine information stations. The manageable route can be planned as a separate nature-focused element of an outing, while the Teltow Villages Trail offers a much broader perspective: the 48-kilometer route from village to village runs through Zehlendorf, Lichterfelde, Marienfelde, Lichtenrade, Buckow, Rudow and Spindlersfeld in Köpenick.

The Marienfelde Manor Park also contributes to Marienfelde’s historic landscape. It was laid out by Adolf Kiepert after 1844 and enlarged again after 1865. From April to October, Naturwacht Berlin e.V. offers guided tours, project days and information events at the Marienfelde nature conservation station, in the adjacent Marienfelde Recreation Park and in the Marienfelde open fields.

A Memorial Site for German-German History

The Marienfelde emergency reception camp was established in 1953. By 1990, 1.35 million people had passed through the camp. The exhibition at the memorial site documents the history of the movement of people fleeing from East to West Germany and West to East Germany over approximately 450 square meters. More than 900 exhibits address the causes, course and consequences of this movement.

In addition to the permanent exhibition, the memorial site regularly presents special exhibitions as well as a diverse program of events and educational activities. In this way, Marienfelde places a clear emphasis on history, which can be combined well with exploring the village center and the surrounding landscape. When looking for a holiday apartment in Marienfelde, you can therefore consider whether you would rather include the area’s quiet village history, nature observation or political past in your travel plans.

More Destinations in the Same Overview

For your further search, you can also visit Velten, Friedenau, Buckow, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin-Neukölln, Altglienicke, Charlottenburg and Bohnsdorf.

To the overarching travel overview: Berlin.