Breaking into Spreepark

Early 2000s adventurers in Europe

*** Break from the Mexico adventures. I wanted to write a story of my time in Germany, about a place called Spreepark… an Abandoned Amusement Park in the suburb of Berlin…

It was opened In the same year the United States made its historic landing to the moon.. and I found myself in the midst of an adventure right here on Earth. Nestled at the back of a public park in what once was Soviet-controlled Berlin, there it stood—an abandoned amusement park, frozen in time.

The Eerie Approach

Walking through the woods that led to the park, I couldn't help but feel a sense of eeriness. Whether it was the eerie silence or the rustling of leaves, the atmosphere was a bit haunting, both in the morning light and the shroud of night. There was an unsettling charm to the place that moved us forward. We had read about this place but didn’t want to leave without seeing it for ourselves

The history of thr park was shrouded in enigmatic tales. Its downfall began when its owner allowed it to accumulate millions of dollars in debt, leading to its eventual abandonment in the year 2001. But the park's narrative didn't end there. The owner and his son had been caught using shipping container to smuggle drugs from Peru —an illicit operation up costing the son a 20 year prison sentence.

Guardian of Shadows

We had heard whispers of a lone security guard who patrolled the park's grounds, but after some recon, it became evident that he seldom ventured far from the front gates. Despite the aura surrounding the place, we was undeterred. We were on a mission to explore this mysterious park, consequences be damned.

Reconnaissance: The First Step

Our “quest” began with a meticulous recon of the park's surroundings. The park nestled itself at the heart of the Plänterwald Forest in the Treptow-Köpenick District of Berlin. As we embarked on my initial lap around the park's perimeter, the rustling leaves and ominous creaks of the aging structures gave horror movie vibes

Surrounded by fences, the park clearly had seen better days. In some areas, the fences showed visible marks of deliberate breaks, which invited others to follow suit. These openings in the fence were our gateway, and we made mental notes of these access points, and carefully watched in case the security guard popped up.

Stealth in Shadows

My next move was to become one with the shadows, blending into the eerie ambiance of the park. We kept our heads low. At first, we hugged the cover of bushes and tall grass, hesitant to venture into the open spaces.

But eventually audacity got the best of us and we were out in the open. Every step forward was a step further into a surreal world that time had forgotten.

As we wandered through the dilapidated remnants of what was once a place of laughter and joy, we couldn't help but capture the essence of this eerie experience. We even posed boldly in some shots, a testament to my audacious adventure. After all, few others would tread where we had ventured.

We even made it to the abandoned Ferris wheel that reminded us of the Pripyat scene from call of duty. The images that would become a testament of our adventure, but eventually it was time to make our retreat. We retraced our steps through the decaying remains of the park, back to the dense woods and the familiar path that led us here.

As we left behind the amusement park, we couldn't help but reflect on the allure of the uncharted. To be honest… I’m sure hundreds of people had been there before.. While the popular tourist destinations had their charm, it was this lesser-known, slightly off-the-beaten-path that we wanted to venture to… .

In the end, we had “broken” into something out of the ordinary… we felt a bit of adventure.