Teufelsberg: a strange piece of Cold War history – PART I

WHAT: Checking out a abandoned cold war spy tower masked in graffiti 

WHERE: In the forest west of Berlin

HOW MUCH: admission € 8,- per person, unless you're a student, that'll cut the bill in half 

HOW LONG: Count a least half a day, that way you'll have enough time for the site and the stroll back and forth from the S-Bahn too. 

Berlin is like one of those cities that keeps on surprising you with weird and creative stuff. Teufelsberg (literally it translates like ‘Devil’s mountain’) on the western edge of the capital is such a place for sure. A Berliner friend took me to this extraordinary site last winter and I’m still pretty thankful for that experience. 

To top off that weird thought the agency itself was built on top of a large pile of rubble from WWII

So what is it? Teufelsberg used to be the station were the US intelligence services interpret Soviet messages, in the heyday of the Cold War. To top off that weird thought the agency itself was built on top of a large pile of rubble from WWII. That’s a way to create mountains too of course. 

The hilltop area has obviously been neglected for a considerable period of time after it had been abandoned by the Americans, slowly attracting all kinds of (creative) people. Apart from all the stuff beneath it, the site is a huge mess because of all the decay and rubbish thrown out. At the same time it really is a hidden gem of modern art, now that there are lots of graffiti (or street art or graphic) artists spraying in and outside the ugly buildings.

Basically all of the surfaces are decked with very good, if sometimes disturbing displays. Since this is Berlin and Berlin isn’t any stranger to a bit of underground anarchy, brace yourself for some political exclaims. No need to tell you what pouting political leader is a regular ‘model’ throughout the buildings. 

Getting there is much easier than you might expect, while looking at the map. Take the S-Bahn to Grünewald station or Olympia stadion. From the road is pretty easy to navigate by foot. Just walk towards the ‘mountain’, but do download google maps or maps.me beforehand, just in case. Note that there are no sign posts, nor shops, nor water stations on the way. So take care of yourself. It’ll take you about half an hour (2,5 km) with a good hike up right at the end. 

Once you get there you just need to guide yourself through the experience. In some ways it doesn’t make sense that you have to pay an admission fee for entering an anarchistic area, without even receiving a bit of information in return.

You even need to sign a piece of paper that nobody – except yourself – is responsible in case you drop dead or something. Guess the place could use a risk assessment indeed. But hey, pay it up anyway and say you’re a student (of life :)), that’ll cut the bill in half. It’s worth it. If alone for the views on a clear day from the top platform and the fabric of the domes of the Berlin skyline. 

If there’s one more thing you shouldn’t skimp on, it’s climbing the stairs towards the highest ‘golfball dome’. We weren’t really prepared for it, but it has the most amazing acoustics sounds. Totally freaked out our dog though, or maybe that damage was already done by the very dark staircase (charge your phone!). Bring a friend that can sing (nicely I mean) for this one. 

Teufelsberg definitely was one of the coolest sights I’ve seen in Berlin. Try to enjoy the chaos, since that’s the beauty of the area, along with the art. Just amazing.