Nature in Berlin
You don’t have to go far to experience true nature in Berlin. Over 30% of the capital’s surface area consists of parks, forests, rivers, lakes and waterways – all of which serve to make the city a green oasis.
Roughly 6.6% of the city’s surface is covered by water, more specifically of 70 lakes and 197 kilometers of waterways. In addition to the Spree and Havel rivers, the Teltow Canal and the Landwehrkanal are the city’s most important waterways. Their green banks offer a considerable area of relaxing recreational space. The largest lake in Berlin is the 743-hectare "Großer Müggelsee" in Friedrichshagen. This range of lakes and waterways provides a welcome opportunity to swim and fish in the summertime and a great place for ice-skating in wintertime. But it also means that Berlin is the only major German city that can satisfy its demand for drinking water by means of its own groundwater.
In terms of green space, Berlin also has more to offer than most other major cities. The capital has a total of more than 2,500 public parks and recreational facilities, including large green spaces such as the Tiergarten, the Volkspark Friedrichshain and the Grunewald. There are also more than 425,000 trees lining the streets of the capital that give the city a definite “green” atmosphere. And all of this green has additional benefits, i.e. the capital has a CO2 emission rate of 5.9 tons per person, which makes Berlin one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world.
More about Berlin: www.berlin.de
