Natur-Park Südgelände

The Natur-Park Schoeneberger Suedgelaende is an 18-hectare park laid over the former Tempelhof marshalling yard in Berlin-Schoeneberg. After the rail yard closed in 1952, the site was left undisturbed for nearly fifty years; black locust forest, dry meadow and rare insect populations claimed the sleepers and ballast in ways rarely seen inside a major city. After long citizen campaigning, the area opened as a nature park for EXPO 2000 and was protected in 1999 - with the explicit concept of letting succession continue, while a narrow steel walkway threads visitors through the wilderness. Steam locomotive 50 3708 and the water tower still stand among the trees. Admission is a symbolic one euro, and sculptures by the Odious artist group dot the clearings.