Treptower Park in December, Berlin

The area along the Spree east of medieval Berlin was practically uninhabited, and vegetation was of no interest for logging, and in 1709, Margrave Otto III of Brandenburg transferred this site to the ownership of the city authorities for the development of a public recreation area. The area was named Köllnische Heide (Cologne Wasteland), since at that time Berlin was united with the city of Kölln an der Spree (Alt-Kölln), giving rise to the current metropolis. Thickets of heather and shrubs were partially cut down and noble trees were planted in their place. The park received the exact German name "Regular tree planting in the Treptow area" (Geregelte Anpflanzung von Gehlzen bei Treptow). In 1864, the city's garden director Gustav Meyer presented the park project to the administration, but its implementation began in 1875 and cost the treasury 1.2 million marks. In 1882, the park was opened to the public, but the final appearance of the territory was acquired in 1888. There were playgrounds and sports grounds, a racetrack, an observatory, an artificial pond where carp were bred, and a sycamore alley became the axis of the park. Meyer did not see the completion of the construction, he died in 1877, and in 1890 a commemorative bust was erected in his honor in the western part of the park. In 1896, the Berlin Trade Fair was held in the park. Today, this place is known as the giant memorial, built by order of the Soviet military administration in 1946-1949. A cemetery was built on the site of a former sports and children's playground, where about 80,000 Red Army soldiers who died during the storming of Berlin are buried. Naturally, tourists are only brought to the meomreal, but if you have a free day, you can take a walk in the park, where there are sculptures, fountains, flower beds, as well as cafes and pubs. The park is home to many forest animals that walk freely and are not afraid of people.