Tempelhof Field
On Gingerguide's self-guided Berlin audio tour, Tempelhof Field is a stop worth about ~90 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Berlin Berlin guide
About Tempelhof Field
A former Nazi-era airport turned vast public park, site of the 1948-49 Berlin Airlift, now 386 hectares of freely accessible grassland, cycling paths, community gardens, and urban freedom.
Tempelhof Airport is one of the most historically layered sites in Berlin. Originally opened as an airfield in 1923, it was completely redesigned by Albert Speer and the Nazi architect Ernst Sagebiel in the 1930s as a centrepiece of Hitler's 'Germania' project, the terminal building remains one of the largest buildings in the world by floor area. During 1948-49, Tempelhof was the primary landing site for the Berlin Airlift, when Allied aircraft landed every 90 seconds to supply West Berlin during the Soviet blockade, one of the Cold War's defining episodes. The airport closed in 2008 despite massive protests, and after Berliners voted in a referendum to keep the field open, it became a 386-hectare public park in 2010. The old runways are now cycle and skate paths; the airfield is used for kite flying, barbecues, community gardens, urban farming plots, and refugee integration programmes. The vast terminal building is partially opened for tours.
Did you know? At the peak of the 1948-49 Berlin Airlift, a plane landed at Tempelhof every 90 seconds, delivering up to 13,000 tonnes of supplies per day to blockaded West Berlin.
How much time do you need at Tempelhof Field?
Around ~90 min works well for Tempelhof Field — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Tempelhof Field?
Yes — Tempelhof Field made the cut as one of 43 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Berlin. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Berlin
Hear the story of Tempelhof Field
Preview the Berlin tour free in the Gingerguide app.