Fallen angels, roads to nowhere, decrepit swan boats and feline tunnels. Spreepark, or Plänterwald in the former GDR Treptower Park has to be the ultimate horror set. An audio backdrop of grinding iron on iron as the big wheel creaked round in the wind really sets the atmosphere and your teeth on edge…
This really is the place of legend in the city. In 1969, Kulturpark Plänterwald took root across a substantial 30 hectare footprint, providing East Berliners with a little light happy-family relief. Post-reunification, a Norbet Witte took over, a man of rather dubious business motives. After grinding into financial problems, he accrued six attractions in Peru to ship back to Berlin: Fliegender Teppich, Butterfly, Spider, Baby-Flug, Wild River, and Jet Star. And amongst these 20 containers he attempted to nestle a substantial 180 kg of cocaine in the masts of the Fliegender Teppich (Flying Carpe) ride. This earnt Witte seven years in prison but would hardly disgrace him with his family. It sounds like they were all pretty criminally minded – his Grandfather even pulled a stunt impersonating the King of Albania, which caught up with him eventually. I reckon this will give you an in depth background if you’re keen to find out more, it’s quite a story.
We went on a supposed last-chance-saloon to legitimately visit. The urban explorers’ paradise was up for auction the following week – but I’ve since learned that the auction collapsed, mired in further controversy and mystique. Everyone knows someone here who’s tried to bunk in over the fence – and met some seriously unforgiving security guards on the other side.
Go legit, and book up on a weekend tour here. In comparison to suffocating British health & safety laws you get a pretty free reign to explore and maim yourself in a great number of ways.
