Eberswalde near Berlin: where to live, eat and what to see

Berlin is close, but living there is expensive and noisy. Eberswalde sits among the forests of Brandenburg, and the same commuter trains take you to the center of the capital. The city is bordered by the Barnim Nature Park and the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve (as of the reserve's data, 09/2026).

Here you get a quiet green town with an organic cafe, a bakery, and a monastery. This guide is compiled from official websites of the places, with data verified as of September 2026. Below you'll find where to stay, what to eat, and what to see.

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Where to stay in Eberswalde

💡 In short:

• Accommodation in Eberswalde is cheaper than in Berlin, so the town works well as a base for trips to the capital.
• The center has guesthouses and apartments with kitchens and breakfast, including options for groups of up to five.
• Food here is built around organic products: the Globus Naturkost shop, Wiese-Brot bakery, and Kiez-Eck pub.
• You can spend time at the zoo, the free botanical garden, and the nearby Chorin Monastery.

The Altes Forstamt guesthouse rents rooms in the center. It has private rooms with en-suite bathrooms and kitchens, and breakfast is included in the price. Apartments are available for groups of up to five. You pay for a quiet town, not for an address in the center of the capital.

Staying here and taking day trips to Berlin is cheaper than sleeping in the capital. You save on lodging without giving up the capital.

© Ansgar Koreng · CC BY-SAPhoto: Ansgar Koreng, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en), Wikimedia Commons

A small town keeps prices lower also because there are fewer tourists here. Demand is higher on weekends, so book accommodation in advance, especially in summer. That way you'll still have a choice between a room and an apartment.

How to get there from Berlin

Direct commuter trains run from Berlin to Eberswalde with no transfers. Schedules and train tickets for Germany are easy to check on Trip.com. The trip takes less than an hour, so a visit to the capital doesn't turn into a separate day.

The train arrives at Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Central Station). From there you can walk to the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and Tiergarten Park, and the Mall of Berlin shopping center is nearby. This way you combine a quiet base in Eberswalde with the classic Berlin itinerary.

© Smiley.toerist · CC BY-SAPhoto: Smiley.toerist, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

In the evening, the regional train brings you back to the quiet town. You don't pay for a night in the capital and wake up among the trees.

Where to eat in Eberswalde

Eberswalde's food scene is built on organic products and local producers. Below are three places worth visiting for food, coffee, and beer. They're all in the center, so you can walk to them all in one day.

Globus Naturkost shop and cafe

Globus Naturkost combines an organic shop and a cafe in the city center. Heidi and Torsten Pelikan have been running it since 1998 (according to the shop's website, 09/2026). Here you'll find cheese and wine, rare bread varieties, and products from small family producers.

The owners source goods directly from farmers they know personally. That's why the store has more organic products than a typical supermarket, and that even applies to wine. The shop fights waste: bring your own containers for cheese, cold cuts, or baked goods and leave without extra packaging.

© Ralf Roletschek ( talk ) - Infos über Fahrräder auf fahrradmonteur.de · CC BY-SAPhoto: Ralf Roletschek ( talk ) - Infos über Fahrräder auf fahrradmonteur.de, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

The cafe at the shop serves restaurant-quality dishes. Prices for some items are higher than chain stores, but wine here costs less than you're used to. If you want advice on a bottle, ask the owner: he'll help you choose.

Wiese-Brot bakery

Wiese-Brot bakery is located at Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 13 and bakes sourdough bread without yeast (according to the bakery, 09/2026). They source flour from local producers, and the secret to the taste is the long dough fermentation.

© photo User:Zenwort · CC BY-SAPhoto: photo User:Zenwort, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

You can also buy pastries, rolls, and puddings here. Bread sells out quickly, so it's best to come in the morning. The bakery also offers courses for those who want to bake at home.

Kiez-Eck pub

Kiez-Eck combines a pub, cafe, and community center (according to Kiez-Eck, 09/2026). Since 2022, it has been run by a neighborhood residents' cooperative, so both locals and visitors are welcome.

In the evenings, live music of various genres plays on a small stage. Concert admission is free, and musicians receive voluntary contributions (Hut-Spende). Smoking is not allowed here, and the stage is barrier-free, so you'll be comfortable.

Where to walk and what to see

Eberswalde is truly very green. Towering trees grow right along the streets, and parks, nature reserves, and a zoo begin on the outskirts. Below is what's worth seeing in and around the city.

Eberswalde Zoo

Eberswalde Zoo is open every day from 9:00 until dark, including holidays (according to the zoo, 09/2026). The grounds are easy to explore with children in a couple of hours.

© Fiver, der Hellseher · CC BY-SAPhoto: Fiver, der Hellseher, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

About 1,300 animals of 130 species live on fifteen hectares of mixed forest (as of 09/2026, tiergaerten.de). The animals are kept not in concrete cages but among the trees, and that's the park's main distinction.

City botanical garden

The Botanical Garden (Forstbotanischer Garten) in the south of the city is open free of charge until dark, including on public holidays (as of HNEE, 09/2026).

The collection includes more than 1,200 species of trees and shrubs, including species rare for Brandenburg. People come here for quiet and a slow walk, not for noise and crowds.

© Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SAPhoto: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

Chorin Monastery

In neighboring Chorin stands Chorin Monastery (Kloster Chorin), founded by the Cistercians in the 13th century (as of the official website, 09/2026). It is open to visitors year-round.

The tour lasts about 60 minutes and costs 10 €, or 8 € for reduced categories (as of 09/2026, museum.de). The brick Gothic architecture and high vaults provide good acoustics, which is why concerts and festivals still take place here today.

© Clemensfranz · CC BY-SAPhoto: Clemensfranz, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

You can reach Chorin by regional train; the trip takes just a few minutes. You can easily combine the monastery with a walk around Eberswalde in one day.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Is it worth living in Eberswalde if I'm going to Berlin?

Yes, it's a workable setup. Regional trains go directly to the center of the capital in under an hour, so you sleep in a quiet town and spend the day exploring Berlin.

Where can I eat cheaply in Eberswalde?

Check out three places in the center. The Wiese-Brot bakery serves hearty sourdough bread and pastries, Kiez-Eck feeds you in the evening and serves beer, and Globus Naturkost combines a shop and a cafe. All three work with organic products from local producers.

How much does it cost to enter Chorin Monastery?

An open tour of the monastery lasts about 60 minutes and costs 10 € for adults, or 8 € for reduced categories (as of 09/2026, museum.de). The monastery itself is open year-round, so you can plan a visit in any season.

What can I see in Eberswalde for free?

The Botanical Garden in the south of the city is open freely until dark, including on public holidays. Admission costs nothing. A walk through the center and along the green streets also won't cost you anything, and the trees here are taller than in an ordinary park.

When is the best time to visit Eberswalde?

Spring, summer, and early fall are good for walking. In summer the parks have more greenery and people; in fall it's quieter and the light is more beautiful. In winter the zoo and garden operate during daylight hours, so plan your visit for the first half of the day.

In short: what to book

If you're going to Berlin but want a quiet base, book accommodation in Eberswalde and take the regional train into the capital. That way you get both the city and the forest. For families, guesthouse apartments are convenient; for couples, separate rooms with breakfast work well.

If you have one day: do the zoo and the Botanical Garden in the morning, lunch at Globus Naturkost, and a concert at Kiez-Eck in the evening. If you have two days: add Chorin Monastery and a walk through central Berlin.

Book accommodation: hotels in Eberswalde on Trip.com. See tours and tickets: activities on GetYourGuide.