The Top 11 Things to Do in Berlin's Mauerpark

Grill a Meal

The grillparty is a summer tradition, but fewer and fewer Berlin parks allow you to grill.

Mauerpark somehow still allows its legions of visitors to pull up a grill and enjoy the chill vibes every day of the week. With nearby grocery stores (including a Bio Markt/organic store) providing plenty to choose from, this is an inexpensive way to soak up the ambiance and sunshine.

Shop Berlin's Biggest Flea Market

The Flohmarkt am Mauerpark (Fleamarket at Mauerpark) is one of the largest in the city. It sprawls out from Bernauer Straße with everything from records to home wares to local designers bags, prints, and fashions.

Don't be put off by the crowds, dirt walkways that turn into muddy tracks during winter, or never-ending stalls with kitsch items tucked next to cracked. There is something for everyone at Mauerpark's market, and occasionally, there is even a real find.

More than that, the market is a hungover brunch party. There is music, international food (more on that later), beers for just a few euros, and plenty to look at as you wander around in an Instagramable daze.

The market runs every Sunday from roughly 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: Bernauer Straße 63-64, 13355 Berlin

Sing Karoake in the Bearpit

Berlin has been home to a range of celebrities from David Bowie to Marlene Dietrich. Every Sunday people step into "bearpit" at Mauerpark to prove their own star power.

Started informally in 2009, Bearpit Karoake has become an institution. Threatened with extinction via permits several times, it keeps coming back every summer, even bigger and more popular.

The amphitheater is built into the hill and looms over the former no-man’s-land of the Berlin Wall. Hundreds of visitors take a seat to cheer or jeer anyone brave enough to sign up. Enterprising vendors walk through the crowded aisles offering drinks to the thirsty crowd.

Performances take place every Sunday afternoon (starting at 3 p.m.) as soon as the weather relents in spring to well into the fall, weather permitting.

Dance to Live Music

If you prefer to leave it to the semi-professionals, musicians set-up throughout the park. Everything from drum circles to indie singers to blues bands can be found with their own sound systems and power cords. Dancing (and tipping) is encouraged.

Eat at the Best Food Trucks in Berlin

Berlin's street food scene is strong, but its food trucks are still gaining momentum.

Luckily, at Berlin's Mauerpark there is the best collection of the city's food trucks. Much more than just delicious German sausage, the  multikulti (multicultural) nature of Berlin's population is reflected in the food scene. Peruvian anticucho, Mexican tacos, Japanese okonomiyaki, third-wave coffee stands, and everyone's favorite of ice cream can be enjoyed at the park. There are around 30 stands every Sunday. 

Admire the Street Art

The Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall Memorial) is just a few minutes away on Bernauer Straße, but another sign of the wall that once divided the city and the country is at the top of the hill.

Like the East Side Gallery, this 800 meter section was left as a reminder of the Berlin Wall and now hosts an ever-changing gallery of artwork. It is a protected monument, but its use as a graffiti wall reflects the importance of street art to the city.

And once you've made your great art, don't forget to recycle the spray can reminds their website. How Berlin.

Swing over the Park

Next to the wall, high on the hill, are several single swings. If you are feeling playful, you can perch on a swing and soar above the park. The swings offer unparalleled views of the graffiti wall, bearpit, market, and back to the TV tower.

Play on the Sports Fields

Maurpark isn't all arts and commerce. It is also the site of several sport facilities.

The basketball courts that face the bearpit are usually busy year-round. Just bring some sneakers for a pick-up game.

Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark is atop the hill and hosts a variety of events with its 20,000 muted rainbow seats. The grounds date from 1825, and it was home to Berliner FC Dynamo (East German soccer team) as well as the Berlin Adler (American football).

Perpendicular to Freidrich-Ludwig-Jahn is Max Schmeling Halle. This indoor sport stadium features everything from professional handball to volleyball. Both venues also occasionally house concerts.

Go to the Farm

Technically, Jugendfarm Moritzhof is located just off of Mauerpark but a tree-filled walkway leads past the farm and to more playgrounds.  It was opened shortly after the fall of the wall and has continued to develop and grow.

With many activities and events for children, it offers a petting zoo, riding school, and lovely gardens.

Take an Old-School Selfie

Photo booths (photoautomats or fotoautomaten) in Berlin have made a comeback.

The growing number of booths are open day and night, providing (nearly) instant gratification. The time it takes to insert your money and strike a pose results in an unforgettable souvenir. A strip of four shots costs just 2 euros, less than a U-Bahn (subway) ticket.

Although the booths have the habit of moving around, there is usually one in front of or around Mauerpark. Check out this map of the photo machines in Berlin, as well as the rest of Germany.

Dance with the Witches

Mauerpark is the where Berliners celebrate Walpurgis Night. Held on April 30th, Berliners dance into May over fires and folklore. This is the night when witches are said to fly to Mount Brocken in the Harz Mountains to welcome the spring.

Traditionally, families burned their Easter trees, but today's fires are usually of the firewood variety and come along with a host of club openings, torchlit parades, and demonstrations.