After taking my first ferry ride in Berlin last year, I’d been wanting to try out another route (because I enjoy cheap public transport thrills like that). This time J and I decided for yet another old route, running between Oberschöneweide and Baumschulenweg. Both neighbourhoods are located in the Treptow-Köpenick district in the eastern part of the city.
Before taking the ferry, we spent the morning exploring the area around Funkhaus Nalepastraße (former broadcasting base of the BBC of the DDR, now home to artistes and musicians). It looked completely deserted on that grey winter day vs. in summer last year when I went canoeing there with a friend. We found some curious banana trees indoors, a couple roofless Trabis in the parking lot, and a row of abandoned (?) French containers.
Having satisfied our curiosity at the Funkhouse facilities, J and I made our way through the garden settlement (Gartensiedlung in German) Wilhelmstrand, where the F11 ferry terminal on the Oberschöneweide side is located. Just like with the F12 ferry, one only needs a BVG AB Zone ticket to hop onboard. There were only 2-3 other passengers boarding the ferry with us along with their bikes.
Crossing the river Spree took barely 4 minutes. During the ride, we could see the Minna Todenhagen bridge from afar and the line of passengers waiting to board the ferry on the other side, some with their canine friends and bicycles. It seems that the view from here is worth another visit during sunset.
We reached Baumschulenweg faster than we could say hello, right on the southernmost side of Plänterwald/Treptower Park. I’ve returned to this spot a few times since then on a long walk/jog, as it makes for an ideal U-turn point.
With time and weather on our side, we chose to walk home from the ferry terminal. We strolled chiefly along the river, venturing inland only when the walking/running/cycling crowd became too large. Along the way, we could peek into Berlin’s abandoned amusement park, the Spreepark, which is currently being revamped into what looks like a cultural centre. Access to the Spreepark is supposedly by guided tours only, although during the pandemic I heard there’s none.
You could watch the video of our ferry ride here.
