Abandoned Berlin | What is Teufelsberg? (+ How To Get There!)

Escape the busy city of Berlin for the morning or afternoon to explore one of the city’s best-abandoned buildings.

Teufelsberg is an abandoned 120 metre Spy Station, including iconic radar spy domes. There are epic 360 degrees views of Berlin from the top of the dome station.

It also has some of the best street art and graffiti in Berlin, Germany.

Here I will tell you what there is to do at the abandoned Teufelsberg. 

Whether you should book the Teufelsberg tour, how to get there, plus a few other useful tips for your visit.

Abandoned Places Berlin Germany

Teufelsberg – All you need to know

What is at Teufelsberg (aka Devil’s Mountain)?

You might be wondered what is so exciting about an abandoned building and is it worth the visit? If you’re like me, I find it fun to go somewhere and see for yourself what is there, although you can sometimes be disappointed!

Of course, it also depends on what you like seeing and doing when you travel. But I found this abandoned building a very quirky and interesting place to visit whilst I was in Berlin.

Grunewald Forest

Teufelsberg is the abandoned building but there is a beautiful forest that surrounds the abandoned site – Grunewald Forest.

As well as a huge hill which is actually man-made but still makes a good picnic spot! This is all accessible from outside the wire fences so you could just visit this part, but why stop there!

Various paths lead up to the remote abandoned building, you begin to realise why it made a great spy location.

On the walk up you can stop and listen to the birds singing, I spotted a couple of great-spotted woodpeckers too (you know how I love my birds!)

Top Tip

• If it’s been raining I can imagine some of these paths can get muddy and slippy, maybe consider what shoes to wear!

Now on to the abandoned building, it’s a pretty huge site, there’s one main building you can explore on numerous levels.

But also there are other smaller buildings and spots around the entire area. Pretty much from top to bottom, the walls are covered in street art. There are quirky photos and writing all over the place, it’s something for everyone, from the full walls with giant murals to famous Teufelsberg graffiti.

If you’re interested in learning more about the difference between street art and graffiti, then consider doing the Alternative Street Art and Workshop with Alternative Berlin.

You can read more about my experience here.

Should you book a tour to visit Teufelsberg?

My opinion of this is no since I went on my own haha. You can book a Teufelsberg tour from the city. But that doesn’t mean to say that it’s a good idea. I love doing tours and they always give you extra information that you wouldn’t normally receive.

Information at the abandoned building is limited, there is only one very small room with details about the site’s history (although it was all in German!)

I was happy travelling to Teufelsberg on my own and exploring the abandoned building without the aid of a tour. Also for someone who loves photography, I spent a long time there, over 2 hours, which I wouldn’t have been able to do on a tour.

But of course, it’s up to you! Keep reading for how much Teufelsberg costs and how to get there to help make your decision.

How much does it cost to get into Teufelsberg?

Initially, I’d expected to be able to get into the abandoned building for free, ah but I was wrong.

The site is privately owned and there’s now a makeshift ticket office, basically, a shed which is directly on the path as you walk into the site.

Ticket prices

• €8 normal
• €6 student/senior
• €15 photo licence (mobile phones are fine)*

*I had my Nikon SLR with me, I’m not sure whether you would need to pay for smaller cameras. Although once you were inside no-one seemed that bothered whether I was using my camera or not.

Teufelsberg Tour prices

These are the costs I found for tours to Teufelsberg. If you opt to book a tour, then costs are considerably more, well yes I know that’s obvious!

• Tour 1 (transport not included) €18 (5 hours)
• Tour 2 (minibus to Teufelsberg) €39 (2.5 hours)

The cheaper tour is basically paying €10 for your guide which is pretty reasonable, plus you don’t have to work out how to get there. (Keep reading I will tell you if you want to go on your own).

Although, you still have to cover transport costs. The minibus tour does seem a little expensive but might be worth it if you are short on time.

See transport costs to Tefelsberg below.

You might like to read – 2 day itinerary for Berlin (all the must-see things to see and do)

How to get to Teufelsberg?

From Berlin city centre it’s approximately 13 km/ 8 miles so either a taxi or public transport are your best options.

Public transport – The nearest S-Bahn station to Teufelsberg is Heerstrasse. From Alexanderplatz, it’s about 30 minutes on the train. Followed by a 2 km walk, through the woods.

Once out of the train station, start walking down the main road Teufelsestrasse. It quickly turns into wooded areas on both sides but it’s a beautiful walk. There are numerous paths that lead up to Teufelsberg.

On the way there I stayed on the main path then headed directly up through the forest. But on the way back I opted for a different path which took me up the hill and back via the forest path

How much does it cost to get to Teufelsberg?

If you opt for public transport then you will need a Zone B ticket.

• A single costs €2.80 (which you will also need one to return!) so €5.60
• A day ticket is €7.00

Berlin Welcome Card

Or if you are doing a lot of travelling and tourist attractions in Berlin, consider buying the Berlin Welcome Card. It starts from €19.90 for 48 hours, which you can easily save money if you are using public transport twice a day.

I had one of these and it was so handy, you don’t realise how big Berlin is and after a few days, you might need some extra help!

What is the site now used for?

Surprisingly enough the site was a buzz of people working, including engineers, gardeners and even bee-keepers (excuse the pun!) There weren’t loads of people but you could see various activities taking place.

Is Teufelsberg worth adding to your Berlin Itinerary?

Firstly, I was in Berlin for a week and that still wasn’t enough time to see and do everything I wanted to! In my opinion, I enjoyed my mini trip out of the city to see something different. It was unlike any of the other tourist attractions in Berlin so from that point of view I’m glad I went.

If you are short on time then maybe you’ll have different priorities for your Berlin trip. I will be sharing some of the other things I did so be sure to keep following for more Berlin tips.

‘Weather’ to go or not!

My only other comment is that visiting Teufelsberg (Devil’s Mountain) isn’t really somewhere to go in heavy rain! I can imagine the paths up to the abandoned building would be slippy.

Although a large portion of what you explore is inside, it wouldn’t be as much fun in the rain. Plus you’d miss out on the awesome panoramic views.

Are you visiting Berlin soon? Are you thinking about visiting an abandoned place or maybe even Teufelsberg after reading this!

Let me know if you have any more questions or would like some more ideas of things to do?

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*Visit Berlin provided me with the Berlin Welcome Card. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.