Tempelhofer Feld

Tempelhof airport closed in 2008 and the airfield opened as a public space in 2010, left as found: two runways of about two kilometres, taxiways, grass and airfield markings, with no landscaping, no cafes built on it and no planting. The runways are used for cycling, skating, kite buggying and land sailing, and the grass holds ground-nesting skylarks in fenced zones. In 2014 a referendum on building housing on the edges was rejected by voters, and a law now protects the field from development; the debate recurs. The terminal building of the 1930s, one of the largest buildings in the world by floor area, stands along one side and is toured separately.

What you actually see

• The intact runways - two kilometres of tarmac used for wheels and kites.
• The unlandscaped field - grass and markings left exactly as at closure.
• The skylark zones - fenced areas protecting ground-nesting birds.
• The 1930s terminal - a vast building along one side, toured separately.

When to go

April to October; the field opens at dawn and closes at dusk with gate times posted. Wind makes it a kite and land-sailing space. There is no shade at all.

Honest expectations

There is no shade, shelter or infrastructure on the field itself. Gates close at dusk. Terminal tours are separately booked and limited.

Nearby

Neukölln lies east; Kreuzberg is north.