Beelitz-Heilstätten Treetop Walk

Beneath your feet is a roof with trees growing on it. The Beelitz-Heilstätten Treetop Walk runs 17 to 23 metres above the ground through the crowns of an old hospital park and straight over the ruin of the Alpenhaus, a ward block that burned out in 1945. Nature has since taken it back: crumbling walls, old roof beams and trees growing out of the masonry, seen from above. A lookout tower adds views as far as Berlin on clear days.

History: sanatorium, military hospital, ruin

The workers' lung sanatoriums were built between 1898 and 1930 by the Berlin state insurance fund to fight tuberculosis. The result was one of the largest hospital complexes around Berlin, with 60 listed buildings on some 200 hectares, strictly divided by sex. In both world wars it served as a military hospital; in autumn 1916 one patient was Private Adolf Hitler. After 1945 the Red Army took over and ran it until 1994 as the largest Soviet military hospital abroad. Erich Honecker was treated here in the winter of 1990/91 before being flown to Moscow. Many buildings then fell into decay. The treetop walk, Brandenburg's first, opened on 11 September 2015 and was extended into a loop in 2020.

What to see

• The walkway: a 2.2-metre-wide timber deck, about 800 metres long, with information boards.
• Alpenhaus: the ruined Pavilion B IV directly below, with remains of furniture and roof timbers.
• Lookout tower: 40.5 m tall, lift or 200 steps; top platform at 36 m.
• Tours: the "Faszination Alpenhaus" tour takes you inside, wearing a helmet. The building was a set for the TV series "Das Adlon".

Hours and prices (as of October 2026)

October daily 10:00–18:00, April–September 10:00–19:00; winter hours vary. Adults €17, children 7–17 €12, under 7 free, family €42; cheaper evening rate from two hours before closing (March–October, at the till only). Alpenhaus tour €12.50 extra, 60 minutes, age 7+. No dogs.

Getting there

Take the regional train Berlin – Dessau to Beelitz-Heilstätten station, or the A9 exit Beelitz-Heilstätten by car.

Tripto tip

Many of the old buildings are derelict and there have been serious accidents in the ruins, so only go inside on an official tour.