Greenwich Promenade - Walk to the Sechserbrücke

Berlin Reinickendorf – one of the most popular destinations in the district, the Greenwich Promenade, is located on the banks of Lake Tegler. For us, it is one of the local recreation areas that we visit more often and enjoy during a walk.

Emergence of the Greenwich Promenade

Around 1900, the strip of bank on Tegler Ufer was still a cattle pasture. Only after it was converted into a lakeside promenade did it develop into an excursion destination for Berliners. Especially on weekends and holidays, visitors came and strolled along the lake, visited the restaurants and lakeside pavilions or the bathing establishments. Excursion steamers sailed from the steamboat landing stages to Tegelort, Heiligensee and Spandau.

In 1966, in the course of the town twinning with Greenwich, the promenade was given its current name, Greenwich Promenade.

Come along for our walk

We start our walk at a small car park located at the corner of Neheimer Straße and Borsigdamm. From here, a pedestrian path leads through a green area directly along the shore of Lake Tegl. If the sun is shining, you will find a shady path here that leads up to a bridge after a while. From here you can take a look at Borsighafen harbour before coming back down to the beginning of Greenwichpromenade.

The footpath leads along the water to the Schmuckbogen and the so-called Kanonenplatz.
The Schmuckbogen forms a kind of entrance gate from Borsigdamm down to Lake Tegel. The structure was built in 1954 to commemorate the reconstruction programme after World War II. After the arch had fallen into disrepair over many years, it has now been restored. At the same time, the mosaics depicting various water sports have been renewed.

At the Kanonenplatz (Cannon Square) we use the benches to have a peaceful look across the lake to the small island of Hasselwerder. The square takes its name from two English cannons from the 18th century, which were donated to the district of Reinickendorf in 1983 by the partner community of Greenwich (London).

We walk along the shore between shady trees until we reach the steamer landing stages. Some time ago we left here for a wonderful steamboat trip across the Upper Havel Lakes.
You can also leave here for many other tours.

Unfortunately, all the restaurants in the pedestrian zone were closed during our last walk. From previous visits, however, I know that you can not only get an ice cream here, but also something to eat.

Arrival at the Sechserbrücke

The end of the Greenwich Promenade is formed by the Sechserbrücke, the Tegler Hafenbrücke.
In the 19th century, when visitors walked along the shore road to the Tegelsee open-air swimming pool, they had to cross the Tegler Fließ. The local fisherman offered to ferry the pedestrians across in his barge for five pfennigs. In the Berlin vernacular, five pfennigs were called “Sechser” and so the fisherman crossed for a Sechser.

With increasing excursion traffic, it was no longer possible to transport all the visitors. So a wooden bridge was built, which could also be crossed for the toll of a six. In 1905, when the harbour was expanded, the wooden bridge had to be removed.

In 1908, the successor bridge, a steel truss arch bridge over the Tegler Fließ, was completed. In 1921, two ticket booths were added. For a while, crossing the bridge cost a five pfennigs (Sechser), but it was not until 1922 that it became free of charge.

auf der Sechserbrücke an der Greenwichpromenade

Today, the bridge is a listed building. Directly in front of it is a miniature golf course and the possibility to rent pedal boats and rowing boats.

The bridge, which is also often used for filming, stands out because of its red colour. Only pedestrians and cyclists can cross the river and enjoy the view from the bridge. On one side you look down on Lake Tegl, on the other into Tegl harbour.

For us, a walk on the Greenwich Promenade at Lake Tegler is always a nice change and when I look out over the water I sometimes have the feeling of being on holiday.