Tegel

Tegel is a huge territory, nearly 34 square kilometres in area. It is where the Tegel Lake feeds into the Havel, and the location of the harbour from which boats begin their journey into Berlin. Alt-Tegel is a reasonably pleasant area, encompassing the old village, modern commercial areas, and Schloss Tegel on the north-eastern edge of the lake. The airfield is at the south-east corner of the district, bordering Reinickendorf and Wedding. The rest of the Tegel district is taken up by an old-growth deciduous forest.

Tegel is a place for transients and travellers. The bustling transport industry brings thousands of visitors to Tegel—most of whom have somewhere else to be. There is no sense of community here as people tend to form superficial relationships. The security forces are stretched thin over the large land mass of Tegel. The outer reaches of the forest are wild and untamed, largely forgotten by the denizens who pass through the district.

## Locations

### **Tegel Airport**

Tegel is brand new airport with an interesting design, in that it is laid out to be as time-efficient as possible. It has one hexagonal terminal building and a six-lane flight ring. The asphalt road forms a large loop, bringing cars in and close to the terminal building. The distance from the taxi stand to the check-in desk is only 20 metres, and from the counter to the boarding gate (at each side of the hexagon) is only 15 metres. Wait times for the customers is drastically reduced.

The airport is increasingly busy as traffic is being redirected from Tempelhof in order to ease the congestion. The airport functions with two runways, close to the air traffic control tower supported by five dispatching buildings. A geometric motif of hexagons is repeated throughout the passenger area. True to its 60's aesthetics, there are brown hexagonal tiles complimented by brown chairs with beige plastic frames. The chairs are arranged in clusters with their backs against beige hexagonal tabletops.

### **Tegel Forest**

Tegel Forest is a marshland carved out of the earth by lakes and rivers. In German, this type of forest is called a “Bruchwald” (or a “carr” in English), where the groundwater is permanently high and the land is thick with silt. The dominant species is the black alder tree—or red alder, as it is sometimes known, because the bark bleeds a thick, red sap when cut. The deep-rooted larch trees can grow up to 40 metres tall. Other tree species include the oak, elm, maple, and others typical of hardwood floodplains.

In the forest, the very air feels saturated and humid. The soil is wet and warm, and permanently covered with a thick, dark layer of peat.

#### **Fat Marie**

* Occult 3

An ancient oak tree sitting in the middle of the forest like some forgotten Yggdrasil. It is estimated to be 900 years old, older than Berlin itself. The pillar of its trunk gives way to long, gnarled branches, spiralling and twisting like the antlers of a stag. Its bark is moss-covered and black with age.

The pagans may have likened it to Irminsul, but more recently, in the 18th century it was given the name “Fat Marie”, after a particularly robust cook from the nearby Castle Tegel.

### **Tegel Lake – Tegel Harbour**

Tegel Harbour lies at the mouth of a small river that flows into Tegel Lake. A long, narrow Island known as Humboldtinsel lies parallel to the shore, from where the river widens to where it meets the Tegeler See. The Tegel Harbour bridge (sometimes called the “Six-bridge”) spans the mouth of the river. The bridge is an arched suspension bridge made of half-timbered steel painted red. At either end are grey-painted pavillons that allow pedestrians to walk up to the bridge. The bridge is build high enough to accommodate barges sailing down the stream.

The boats that use the harbour are normally smaller private and commercial vehicles. All along the north-eastern shore are boathouses, with mooring spots available for lease for a fee.

#### **Greenwich Promenade**

Greenwich Promenade is a street on the eastern shores of the lake with a view over the waters and the harbour. It is a pleasant stroll along the tree-lined footpath to reach the Tegel Harbour Bridge. On the other side of the path is Alt-Tegel, the old village centre of Tegel. All along the path are coffee shops, restaurants, parks, and venues for boating activities. The boats can take passengers on excursions to one of the many islands on Tegel Lake, or down towards Spandau where the Havel meets the Spree.