Trabant rental Berlin
Tour tips in and around Berlin
#1 Get out into nature!
A day at Lake Müggelsee
The most popular route for a wonderful time in a Trabant leads around Berlin's largest lake, Lake Müggelsee. Ideal for 2 to 4 hours, giving you plenty of time to explore the stops along the way and escape Berlin's city traffic. The first striking waypoint is the Stadion an der Alten Försterei opposite the Mellowpark (Europe's largest BMX and skate park). Next, you continue to the Spree Tunnel (opened in 1927 / construction cost 1 million Reichsmark) with the adjacent Berliner Bürgerbräu Brewery (out of operation since 2010). Afterward, you pass the Friedrichshagen Waterworks Museum to reach the mandatory stop at the Strandbad Müggelsee parking lot. A perfect starting point to explore Berlin's largest lake (Tip: Fisch-Borke). The journey continues past the city limits into Erkner and through Gosen. Here, the scenery shifts and gives way to wide forest stretches. On these shady tree-lined avenues, the Trabant unfolds its full character, and the country road becomes a stage for true deceleration. The next waypoint is the village church in Gosen with an original Dinse organ from 1914. Continuing on, you reach the Rübezahl parking lot, where you can catch a ferry or enjoy a coffee in the sun. Finally, the return route leads through historic Köpenick, where the baroque moated castle offers a majestic backdrop for a quick stop. Between the cobbled alleys of the old town and the confluence of the Dahme and Spree rivers, Berlin shows its most water-rich side before the tour ends back in Karlshorst. Pure driving time: approx. 50 km / 1h 15min
#2 Berlin Classical Tour!
Icons of Berlin history
The Berlin Classic Tour in a Trabant takes you from the historic heart of East Berlin, across the monumental boulevards of GDR modernism, to the western turning point around the Victory Column. The first striking waypoint is the former headquarters of the Ministry for State Security on Normannenstraße. Next, you head via Strausberger Platz straight onto the former Stalinallee, built in the "wedding cake" architectural style. The avenue leads past the legendary premiere cinema Kino International and the opposite Kaffee Moskau, whose roof is adorned with the prominent model of the Sputnik 1 satellite. The journey continues straight toward Alexanderplatz, passing the TV Tower, the World Clock, and the House of the Teacher. Cruising along the grand boulevard Unter den Linden, you pass the Berlin Cathedral and the Humboldt Forum, which stands upon the foundations of the former Palace of the Republic. An absolute highlight is approaching the Brandenburg Gate, the world-famous symbol of the city's division and reunification. After circling it, the wide axis of Straße des 17. Juni opens up right through the Tiergarten park, at the end of which the Victory Column at Großer Stern marks the westernmost point and turnaround of the tour. The return route leads along the Spree river to Mühlenstraße and the East Side Mall. Here stretches the East Side Gallery—the 1.3 km long, preserved original section of the Berlin Wall painted by international artists and the largest monument to the upheaval of 1989. Via Stralauer Allee and Rummelsburger Landstraße, the route finally leads back to the former GDR broadcasting grounds (Culinary tip: Pizza Zola) and onward to Karlshorst. Pure driving time: approx. 40 km / 1h 30min (ideally planned for 3h – 4h including stops)
#3 Plattenliebe
Venceremos, Kinder der DDR!
The "Plattenliebe" tour is a tribute to my childhood in East Berlin. It takes you from Karlshorst deep into the heart of the Marzahn GDR residential complex. You will get to know a different, lesser-known side of Berlin that you won't find in any guidebook. The first waypoint leads you to the Splanemann-Siedlung in Friedrichsfelde. It is Germany's first prefabricated housing estate, built between 1926 and 1930 according to plans by Konrad Wachsmann. Next, the route continues via Volkradstraße straight into the Hans-Loch-Viertel residential complex. Here, the tour passes rare precursor types of prefabricated construction, such as the QP series (cross-wall panel from the 1960s) as well as early P2 buildings with their characteristic interior bathrooms and loggias. On Franz-Mett-Straße, you head directly toward a true monument of GDR architectural history: the 11-story slab block of the WBS 70 type (housing construction series 70). Starting in 1971, the very first prototypes of this series were built here, eventually becoming the absolute dominant standard type in the GDR. The journey then continues northward across the prominent traffic junction at Allee der Kosmonauten and Rhinstraße. Here, the impressive panorama of the Marzahn residential complex unfolds. Alongside endless five-story WBS 70 buildings, the striking WHH GT 18/21 high-rises particularly dominate the streetscape. A stop at Helene-Weigel-Platz is well worth it. Framed by striking WBS 70 double high-rises, Marzahn Town Hall, and the public indoor swimming pool, this square embodies the socialist ideal of a self-sufficient residential city complete with full social infrastructure. A fascinating contrast awaits you just a few minutes further at the Marzahn Windmill: right on the historic village green of Alt-Marzahn, the original Markish village abruptly meets the gigantic wall of M10 and WBS 70 prefabricated panel buildings of the surrounding large estate. The highlight is approaching the degewo Skywalk on Raoul-Wallenberg-Straße. At a height of 70 meters on the roof of an 11-story WBS 70 building, you are treated to a spectacular panoramic view over Germany's largest contiguous prefabricated housing area (reservation required in advance). Another stop can be made afterward at the DDR Museum Depot. Via Landsberger Allee and Rhinstraße, the route finally leads past the P2 point high-rises at the Tierpark and back to Karlshorst. Skywalk Opening Hours (advance appointment strictly required): Tue: 10:00–11:00 / 11:00–12:00 Thu: 14:00–15:00 / 15:00–16:00 Sat: 10:00–11:00 / 11:00–12:00 DDR Museum Depot: Mon–Fri: 9:00–17:00 Pure driving time: approx. 30 km / 1h (ideally planned for 2h – 3h including stops)