Data, coverage & credits

Cooperation and development

The Grüne Wege Berlin walking planner is developed in cooperation with Berlin’s Senate Department for Urban Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment.

We thank the department for its support in developing this walking planner.

Developed by the sole proprietorship GHODKE.

The Grüne Hauptwege remain the main network. Thinner additional walking paths show mapped parks, recreation grounds, forests, allotments, other green spaces and paths beside mapped trees or water. Thin blue lines also show other accepted footpaths, separately mapped pavements and crossings, even outside green spaces. Private paths remain excluded. This layer is on by default and adds detail as you zoom closer. Turning it off in “Map layers” hides the lines but does not exclude these paths from a walk. Your choice is remembered in this browser. These paths do not extend the official routes or count towards the Hauptweg percentage. Coverage depends on mapped paths and greenery; shade and quietness are not guaranteed. Access and opening times are not live.

© OpenStreetMap contributors, via Geofabrik. Download green-space walking paths and source dates (compressed GeoJSON, ODbL) · Other walking paths: tile index and source dates (ODbL).

Reviewed pedestrian geometry

Berlin’s Fußgängernetz, Straßenbefahrung 2014, Detailnetz and 2025 orthophotos support selected corrections to existing paths. Original junctions and access restrictions remain unchanged. The older survey does not confirm present-day surface, opening or crossing conditions. Zebra-crossing and traffic-signal inventories are screened for conflicts; their points do not create crossings or prove that an individual crossing is usable. These sources improve the existing network and are not extra display layers.

The GHW matcher preserves disputed official alignments for review, checks direction even on very short edges, then selects continuous connections between signed-route anchors. Parallel candidates and unanchored tails do not acquire official designation from proximity. Ordinary walking connections remain available. Source disagreements remain reviewable.

Pedestrian source evidence · GHW classification review. Geoportal sources: DL-DE-Zero-2.0.

The green network

The planner covers all Grüne Hauptwege using Berlin’s official WFS open-data service. Source: Senatsverwaltung für Mobilität, Verkehr, Klimaschutz und Umwelt / Geoportal Berlin. The WFS dataset is published under Datenlizenz Deutschland – Zero – Version 2.0.

The green overlay shows the accepted walking paths used by the planner, combining mapped route membership with the official lines. Official sections excluded from routing are shown separately: amber dotted lines indicate an unconfirmed pedestrian connection or a coverage gap; red dashed lines indicate a recorded access restriction, barrier or construction. Missing pedestrian information does not prove that a section is closed. Tap a section for its source and reason. These reference lines never become walking connections. The unmodified WFS geometry remains available below. The separate GPX/KML downloads have different published terms and are not used.

Download the official route geometry used in this version (GeoJSON) · Displayed routing network (GeoJSON, ODbL) · Route coverage details · Official sections unavailable for routing, with recorded reasons (GeoJSON, ODbL).

Walking paths and place search

Transit suggestions and useful route stops are refreshed from the same verified regional OSM selection as the walking network. Decorative fountains are not labelled drinking water unless explicitly marked potable; listed water points do not guarantee seasonal operation. Download transit suggestions · Download useful stops.

© OpenStreetMap contributors. The pedestrian graph and place/address/stop indexes are derived from Geofabrik’s Berlin and Brandenburg extracts with the same OSM snapshot date. All original Berlin-extract objects are retained; additions are limited to the bounded source area described below. The current source dates are shown above and in the snapshot metadata. The derived datasets remain available under the Open Database Licence (ODbL).

Download the derived walking graph · Place index · Address index · Street names · Snapshot metadata

Pedestrian suitability

Exact official route segments can use reviewed minor-street corridors when pavement mapping is incomplete or records no separate pavement. Street corridors need a recorded speed limit of at most 30 km/h and suitable access and road context. Suitable shared access ways remain included. The route line follows the mapped way and does not confirm a pavement or its position. Route warnings explain the section, and a brief notice appears when you approach it during guidance. Use available pavements and check crossings on site. Mapped separate pavements take priority. Recorded pedestrian restrictions, barriers and disconnected paths are not overridden.

All route types, including the shortest option and recalculation, use the same pedestrian rules before green-route preferences are applied. Separately mapped pavements use their mapped geometry. Local observations are retained with their stated extent and source versions. A junction photo does not establish a continuous pavement. Source changes are flagged for review without overriding access restrictions. Ordinary streets can be used when pedestrian access is permitted or implied by their road type, even when sidewalk information is missing or records no separate pavement. Where no parallel pedestrian geometry is mapped, the original street centreline is shown as an approximate connection with the existing route warning. It does not instruct you to walk in the carriageway. Motor roads, pedestrian prohibitions, closures, blocked gates and railway restrictions remain excluded or constrained. Pedestrian paths, tracks and recognised shared pedestrian streets remain usable, subject to access restrictions.

Where a pavement is recorded only as a street attribute, the route line is approximate and may follow the road centre. Use the pavement. Short source-connected junction links can be retained up to 12 metres, with a warning that the precise crossing is unverified. These links never create connections between nearby but unconnected paths. Check crossings and local signs. Missing connections can mean a longer route or no connected route; the planner does not invent pavement geometry or access.

Reviewed paths and BVG ferries

The Eichgestell/FEZ corrections restore specific mapped connections and three reviewed Parkeisenbahn crossings. Use marked crossings and obey signals and barriers. The Spreeschlossstraße/Nalepastraße ferry approach has no confirmed continuous separate pavement: watch for vehicles and use available pedestrian space. Photos support the layout, not current access. Changes to the reviewed source tags or geometry disable the affected correction pending review.

BVG ferry services

The planner includes only the six BVG-network ferry lines F10, F11, F12, F21, F23 and F24. Independent private ferries are excluded. Each crossing uses its reviewed landing connections and is shown as a ferry, with its own waiting and crossing time.

Included BVG ferry lines:

• F10 · S Wannsee–Alt-Kladow
• F11 · Wilhelmstrand–Baumschulenstraße
• F12 · Müggelbergallee–Wassersportallee
• F21 · Krampenburg–Zum Seeblick
• F23 · Müggelwerderweg–Müggelhort–Neu Helgoland–Kruggasse
• F24 · Spreewiesen–Kruggasse

Departure dates and times use Europe/Berlin. Exact sailings, service-day exceptions and direction-specific last departures come from the published VBB GTFS timetable. Seasonal dates are used only when explicitly present in that feed. The planner does not silently wait until the next morning. Dates outside the available timetable or access calendar remain unavailable.

At the estimated landing arrival, the planner selects the next scheduled departure on that date and adds its actual scheduled crossing time. Reasons for excluding a candidate ferry are shown with the route. Shortest distance minimizes geometric distance; it is not a fastest-arrival search. Delays, queues, capacity, weather interruptions and cancellations are not checked live. Check BVG service before travelling. Timetable: VBB Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH, CC BY 4.0. Downloaded timetable subset and source date.

A valid Berlin AB ticket, Deutschlandticket or another ticket valid on the chosen line is required. A Berlin short-trip ticket covers a single journey on F11, F12, F21, F23 or F24; short-trip tickets are not valid on F10. See the VBB fare information. Select “Avoid ferries” for routes using walking paths and bridges.

Reviewed BVG landing geometry and fare exceptions.

How the route is chosen

The planner searches the connected pedestrian network. It recognizes the mapped members of all 20 Berlin green-route relations, supplemented by direction-aligned matching within 12 metres of the official lines. The displayed green network uses exactly these accepted walking segments. Route membership does not override access restrictions or create connections: bridges and crossings must already exist in OpenStreetMap.

For both circular and destination walks, the priority is Grüne Hauptwege, then mapped paths through parks, forests, cemeteries and other green areas, then other additional paths, and finally street connections. Only permitted walking paths are considered; a green area never creates a shortcut across unmapped land. Destination walks keep the selected detour allowance, and circular walks keep the selected estimated duration. Known access and opening times are checked for expected arrival, and accessibility preferences still apply. A Hauptweg through a park counts only as a Hauptweg. The shortest option minimizes distance, including available BVG ferries. It does not minimize arrival time; the displayed duration includes scheduled waiting and crossing times. The search is a practical preference algorithm, not a guarantee of a globally optimal walk.

Connection quality uses mapped greenery, OSM road types and Berlin’s 2022 strategic noise model (total-traffic L_DEN, 10 m cells; Datenlizenz Deutschland – Zero 2.0). These are historical model values, not live sound or traffic measurements. Missing values remain unknown. Source dates, checksums and method · Derived routing context (ODbL).

Journey start and destination points may be moved up to 60 metres to the nearest mapped path; larger gaps require a nearby-path choice. Circular walks can find an eligible nearby start within 1 km and show the access gap separately. Any adjustment over 10 metres is shown with the result; access from the original selected location is not verified or included in the walking distance.

The Hauptweg percentage counts only Berlin’s designated network, which sometimes includes ordinary streets. Additional green paths are reported separately. Neither measure guarantees shade, quietness or current access.

The Südkreuz Westhalle passage was restored using its mapped ground-level footways from OpenStreetMap, retrieved on 17 September 2026. Download the passage geometry and source references (ODbL).

Lighting and daylight

Route lighting combines explicit OpenStreetMap lighting tags with Berlin’s official public-lighting inventory (DL-DE-Zero-2.0, quarterly updates). Source dates and retrieval dates are recorded separately. Each route distinguishes mapped lighting, lighting estimated from the lamp inventory, unlit sections and unconfirmed lighting. Missing records never prove that a path is unlit. Source dates, coverage and matching method · Graph-linked lighting data (ODbL) · Lamp-to-path evidence and conflicts (ODbL).

Only reviewed types of in-service lamps are used; switching cabinets, traffic signs, inactive assets and unknown equipment types are excluded. Estimates require a continuous same-street sequence of at least two lamps along an eligible ground-level street or mapped roadside pavement, with distance, spacing and mapped barrier checks. A nearby lamp alone is insufficient. Parks, bridges and tunnels do not inherit street lamps. Inference remains uncertain: the inventory does not describe measured brightness, light beams, actual switching or outages. An OSM “unlit” tag conflicting with lamp evidence remains unconfirmed and excluded by the night filter. Unverified lighting schedules are never overridden.

“Avoid unlit paths after dark” is in Accessibility for journeys to a destination and remains in the circular-walk controls for loops and quick walks. When selected, every section reached around dusk or in darkness needs mapped lighting or a separately labelled inventory estimate. Unknown, conflicting, unlit and unverified scheduled lighting is excluded on streets too. If no connected route meets the settings, the planner says so instead of silently relaxing the filter. Daylight sections need no lighting. A nearby eligible start may be offered with a dotted, unverified access gap, excluded from walking distance, time and directions. Main-loop approaches walked out and back count both traversals.

Daylight checks use the estimated arrival time at each section, including estimated ferry waiting and crossing times, and are repeated if departure or progress is delayed. The routing filter starts conservatively at a sun altitude of +1°; torch notices use sunrise and sunset. These are daylight estimates, not the operator’s switching signals. Working lamps cannot be guaranteed. Solar calculations: SunCalc 2.1.1, BSD-2-Clause licence. Times use Europe/Berlin, including daylight saving time.

Coverage and current limitations

The neutral map outline shows Berlin’s official administrative boundary from ALKIS Berlin Landesgrenze, published by the Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung, Bauen und Wohnen / Geoportal Berlin under Datenlizenz Deutschland – Zero – Version 2.0. It is a geographic outline, not a barrier to routing. Land and lakes on both sides remain visible without outside hatching or shading. Download the official Berlin boundary (GeoJSON).

The selectable area includes official Berlin and preserves the entire previously supported area, including supported sections outside Berlin. To find real connections along the whole perimeter, the source search includes a 2 km buffer around official Berlin and the preserved area, including detached fragments. It does not enable all of Brandenburg. Added paths must retain their original mapped connections and pass the same pedestrian-access checks; nearby paths are never joined merely because they look close on the map. Coverage preservation, all-component connection checks and source evidence.

• Routing retains every eligible connected component in the bounded regional selection. Isolated paths can support local walks, but the planner never invents connections between disconnected paths or islands.
• Only connections recorded in the map data are used. Explicit foot restrictions, private access, certain barriers, unbuilt paths, and pedestrian one-way directions are handled conservatively.
• Mapped opening hours and pedestrian access conditions are checked for estimated arrival, using Berlin time, daylight saving and local sunset. Unsupported conditions are excluded. Gates without mapped hours cannot be verified in advance. The app has no live closure feed.
• Accessibility preferences can avoid mapped steps and uncertain access. Surface, slope and wheelchair information remain incomplete and are marked where available.
• Walking sections assume 4.5 km/h and exclude rests, road/rail crossing waits and surface or elevation adjustments. The waiting and crossing estimates of the selected BVG ferry are included separately.
• Place, stop and address coverage depends on OpenStreetMap. Where a search does not find the intended place, choose a point on the map.
• Guidance follows the foreground browser location, rechecks upcoming gate times, and recalculates after a 75 m deviation; it does not provide spoken directions or background tracking. Reports are prepared for manual review and never change routing automatically.

Check Berlin’s official route information and follow current signs and access rules.

Gate closures and weekly updates

A gate open at departure may close before you arrive. The planner checks each candidate at its own estimated arrival times and searches again around unavailable access. It does not plan waiting for gates to open, and does not guarantee the optimal route across all possible arrival times. At an unexpectedly shut gate, choose “Gate closed” to find a mapped alternative from your position. If there is no connected alternative, the app says so. It cannot sense whether a gate is physically locked.

The official WFS network and OSM extract are checked weekly by a scheduled update task. Downloads, coverage, opening calendars and routing regressions are validated before publication. If any check fails, the previous published snapshot stays in use. Source checks cannot discover restrictions missing from the source. Opening calendars cover 180 days; expired timed access is excluded until refreshed.

Download access rules and opening calendar (ODbL) · Last successful update and source dates

Weather forecasts and official warnings

After you plan a route, weather checks use Open-Meteo forecasts (CC BY 4.0) and official municipal warnings from the DWD GeoServer (DWD / © GeoBasis-DE/BKG). The map card and “Before you go” review match the planned route to estimated arrival times at 4.5 km/h, without breaks. DWD polygons are checked locally against the route. Official advice is shown in its original language.

Rain is a forecast in 15-minute intervals, not live radar or a guarantee of exact timing. Hourly temperature, wind, gusts and rain probability give context. At most five approximate locations are sampled; local conditions between them may differ. Walks beyond 24 hours and missing forecast periods are marked incomplete. Severe official warnings advise postponing the walk; the app does not automatically reroute for weather.

Weather requests send Open-Meteo route cells rounded to 0.02 degrees and DWD an outward-rounded route bounding box at 0.01 degrees. These reveal an approximate planned area, not exact addresses or a continuous GPS track. Providers receive normal network information such as your IP address. Requests omit credentials and referrers. See the Open-Meteo terms and privacy information and DWD privacy information.

While this page is visible, forecasts refresh about every ten minutes and official warnings about every five. The displayed retrieval time is not the model run time. Temporary caches stay in memory. Forecasts older than 30 minutes and warnings older than ten minutes are unconfirmed; missing or failed checks never mean “all clear”. Previously retrieved matching warnings may remain visible after a failed refresh. This is not a background alert service or a safety guarantee. Check official advice before leaving.

Privacy and map display

Route calculation, place search, and address search run in your browser. Your selected start, destination, and location are not submitted to an external routing or search service. Location is requested when you choose to use your location, start guidance, or request a detour from your location.

The default background map uses MapTiler’s standard Streets and Dataviz styles in light or dark mode. © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors. The linked MapTiler logo and credits remain visible on the map. “Classic” keeps the previous OpenStreetMap and CARTO choices available; these also provide the automatic fallback when MapTiler cannot load.

The selected provider receives requests for the viewed map area and usual network information, including your IP address. MapTiler uses a temporary SDK session identifier for service usage; optional SDK telemetry is disabled. See the MapTiler privacy policy, CARTO privacy notice, OSMF privacy policy and OSM tile usage policy. Normal browser caching is used; the app does not download maps for offline use. Fonts load from Google Fonts. Hosted access is managed by ChatGPT Sites.

Vector background: MapTiler SDK JS 3.9.0 · License text.

Interactive mapping: Leaflet 1.9.4, BSD 2-Clause license. License text.

Map rotation: Leaflet Rotate · MIT license.