Die Alte Eisfabrik (The Old Ice Factory)

We wanted to have a look at some of Berlin's fabled abandoned buildings, so headed to the relatively easy to access Eisfabrik, which stands decrepit on the banks of the Spree.

You can essentially walk straight into the factory, having only to climb over a wall ( which has helpfully had fencing propped against it to facilitate easy access for urban wanderers) to get in.

The factory produced ice for almost 100 years, having closed in 1995. Since then there have been various campaigns to save the building, which is listed and yet in a terrible state of repair. As far as I can gather, the owners of the site are keen to demolish, whereas campaign groups want it to be renovated and restored.

I actually found the visit quite bleak. There is little left to give an impression of the actual workings of ice manufacture, apart from some impressive pieces of machinery on the ground floor. The overwhelming impression I got was of the lives of people who have used and are currently using the factory as a temporary home which, as we visited just after the harshest part of the winter had come to an end, was somewhat harrowing.

In fact, I often felt I was trespassing in somebody's home as we came across rooms containing sleeping bags, old clothes, human waste and bags of rubbish. The rubbish ended up being what interested me most.

Of course, the view from the top of the factory, as with any moderately tall building in Berlin, is great. It was an interesting hour or so, but not the most uplifting.

Die Eisfabrik is just 5 minutes walk from Heinrich-Heine Str. U-Bahn, on the U8.

Berlin Tempelhof

Once one of Berlin's busiest airports, Tempelhof airfield now serves as a public park, offering fantastic spaces for cycling, roller skating, kiting and walking.

Overlooked by the vast Nazi-built terminal building you can make your way around the park, walking down its two runways or following the circular taxiing tracks. And if you visit on a windy day you'll be treated to a sky full of kites.

The design of the park facilities is also notable it's functionality and unobtrusive implementation. The runways are marked out with cycling and running routes which let you know how far you've come. Maps are displayed on flat blocks that make them easy to understand in a park that has few landmarks to navigate by. There are also three info kiosks that also serve as viewing platforms; they may not look particularly high, but in such a flat, open space they give great views.

To really appreciate the vast scale of the airfield you have to go there. Now that I live round the corner I am lucky enough to make frequent visits, though the daily bike rides I envisioned have yet to materialise...

The park can be accessed by various entrances marked on this map, and the best U-Bahn stops to go to are Tempelhof, Paradestr. (U6), Lienenstr. or Boddinstr. (U8).

N.B. The park is open from sunrise to sunset, so in December and January it closes at 5pm.