Iconic Spreepark Ferris wheel renovated in Berlin

Renovations of Berlin’s iconic Spreepark Ferris wheel are nearly complete, ahead of the leisure park’s reopening in 2027. In the same week, the city's wider park and green spaces budget has been cut.

Spreepark Ferris wheel renovation reaching completion in Berlin

Grün Berlin GmbH, the state-owned company responsible for maintaining and developing green spaces in Berlin, has announced that renovations of the Ferris wheel at the Spreepark leisure park are almost complete. 

The new 45-metre-high Ferris wheel will hang over a large paddling area and be the centrepiece of the new leisure park. While the frame of the old Ferris wheel has been replaced, the new Ferris wheel will use the gondolas from the original wheel.

When it opened in 1969, Spreepark was the only leisure park in East Germany. Following its closure in 2002, the site remained abandoned for a long time and gained a cult status after being featured in multiple films and music videos, including Hanna (2011).

In 2002, park owner Robert Witte moved to Lima, Peru and attempted to open a new leisure park. In 2004, Witte was arrested for attempting to smuggle 180 kilogrammes of cocaine from Peru to Germany in the body of a “Flying Carpet” funfair ride.

Berlin local authorities bought the park in 2014 and in 2016 selected Grün Berlin GmbH to develop a new leisure park. The park’s reopening is now scheduled for 2027.

Berlin park and green spaces funding cut by one-third

While Spreepark is being developed, Berlin’s wider park budget is being cut. This week, the CDU-SPD local government announced that it would cut funding for the city’s parks and green spaces by one-third.

This means that funding for green spaces will be cut by five million euros per year for 2026 and 2027. Alongside the new Spreepark and a planned green area between the Fernsehturm and Alexanderplatz, Grün Berlin GmbH is also responsible for Tempelhofer Feld, Gärten der Welt, Britzer Garten and Park am Gleisdreieck.