The district of Köpenick is located in the Treptow-Köpenick district of Berlin and stretches across the south-eastern edge of the German capital. It borders directly on Brandenburg in some places and it is clear at first glance that you can lead a relaxed, family life in Köpenick, even though you are not far from the center of Berlin.
What many people don’t know is that today’s Köpenick district existed even before Berlin. To this day, the many lakes and streams, the parks and the forests with their old trees bear witness to the district’s idyllic past. But modern corporations have long since woken Köpenick from its slumber. The district is known as a place of contrasts, as the picturesque old town and the magnificent castle give little indication that it is an important business location. Today, Köpenick is a district that clearly demonstrates the sensitivity with which Berlin retains its charm while constantly evolving.
Purchase price trends for real estate in Köpenick
As already mentioned, Köpenick is one of the outlying areas of the German capital. While the boom on the real estate market in Berlin’s central residential districts began in the mid-2000s, it took a little longer in Köpenick. Anyone who bought a condominium here 20 years ago could enjoy the low standard land values in Berlin Köpenick. Things are different today. If you want to sell your apartment in this district, you will undoubtedly benefit from the increase that has been seen in the Berlin real estate market in recent years. Even if prices have fallen slightly at the beginning of 2023 due to the uncertain situation in Eastern Europe and rising interest rates on loans, the housing market in Köpenick is one of the most stable in Berlin.
Anyone looking to sell their condominium in Berlin Köpenick will be pleased with the average price increase in recent years. However, the Köpenick district of Berlin also offers great potential for people looking to buy a property at this time.
What does a condominium in Berlin Köpenick currently cost?
Unlike in other districts of Berlin, the price range is relatively wide. While the cheapest apartment in Köpenick changed hands for €3,415/m2 in the fourth quarter of 2023, the most expensive condominium was sold for €7,198/m2. Based on the available data, the average price per square meter for apartments in Berlin Köpenick is €3,973/m2. This puts the price level slightly below the Berlin average, which was €4,170/m² in the fourth quarter of 2023.
How much does a house in Köpenick currently cost?
While other districts of Berlin are dominated by large residential buildings with several condominiums, Köpenick is home to numerous detached houses. The properties are sometimes located on the edge of the forest or directly on the water.
It is not surprising that this residential luxury comes at a price. The available data shows that a house in the popular district of Köpenick in Berlin has an average purchase price of € 4,038/m2 in the fourth quarter of 2023. The lowest purchase price in the fourth quarter of 2023 is €3,525/m2, while the most expensive house is on offer for an impressive €5,423/m2.
As with condominiums, the average purchase price for houses is also below the Berlin average. The average price of a house in Berlin in the fourth quarter of 2023 is €4,500/m².
In addition to the new residential buildings that have been built on undeveloped plots in recent years, Köpenick is primarily characterized by its villas from the Wilhelminian era. The historic facades feature various decorative elements such as balconies, corner crowns and bay windows. If you want to buy a house in Berlin Köpenick, you should definitely take the time to explore the district. A long walk through the streets of the district will give you a feel for the special residential atmosphere. The prices per square meter for properties in Berlin Köpenick depend heavily on their location. Properties with lake access and a jetty are significantly more expensive than conventional properties in one of the district’s pretty residential streets.
Rental prices in Köpenick
Of course, not everyone is looking for a property to buy. Many people are looking for the right apartment to rent. Or perhaps you own a house or apartment in Köpenick and would like to rent it out?
How rental prices for properties in the Köpenick district of Berlin are developing and how they have risen in recent years is just as interesting for apartment seekers as it is for owners. The average price per square meter for rental apartments in Berlin Köpenick in the fourth quarter of 2023 is €10.78/m2, which is significantly lower than prices in other districts such as Berlin Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg or Grunewald. The price range is wide, because while the cheapest apartment is rented for €8.81/m2 in the fourth quarter of 2023, the net rent for the most expensive apartment in Köpenick is €19.47/m2.
The rent for a house is higher on average than for an apartment, reaching € 15.38/m2 in the fourth quarter of 2023. The highest rent for a house in this period is € 20.62/m², while the cheapest house can be rented for € 14.76/m².
The Köpenick districts
Even if you wouldn’t expect it at first glance, Köpenick was originally a Slavic town. The first written references to the small town date back to the beginning of the 13th century. Over the centuries, the small town has changed again and again. In 1920, Berlin expanded again and Köpenick was incorporated. But even though the district is now part of the metropolis of Berlin, it has retained its village charm. The residents are attracted by the mixture of rural ambience and big city feeling. Each of Köpenick’s districts has its own authentic residential areas, which are presented in more detail here.
The Köpenick district
The Köpenick district, after which the neighborhood was named, has a unique island location because it lies between water and forest. Tourists are attracted by the charming old town with its town hall and small castle. But the residents of the district know that Köpenick has so much more to offer, namely an indescribably high quality of life.
Most of the buildings date back to the 18th or 19th century and have been extensively renovated in recent decades. Where there were gaps between buildings until a few years ago, there are now new buildings that blend in perfectly with the overall scenery. New green spaces have been created and open spaces have been created for the residents of Köpenick. To this day, it is clear to see that Köpenick has always had a close relationship with its surrounding waters. The Kietzer Vorstadt was once a fishing settlement. The small fishermen’s houses with their pretty gabled roofs still bear witness to this today. Most of the properties in the Wendenschloss villa colony, whose houses date back to the turn of the century, have direct access to the water. In summer, the owners go swimming or take their small boats out on the Dahme. The Wendenschloss lido is a popular place to go at weekends.
If you are looking for a luxurious domicile, head to the Dammvorstadt. In recent years, new residential buildings have been built in Friedrichshagener Strasse, offering upmarket living. The shopping street is known far beyond the borders of Köpenick and is as popular with residents as it is with tourists.
Spindlersfeld and the Köllnische Vorstadt are of great interest to investors. The Spindlersfeld estate was originally built on the site of the industrial laundry. The Spindler buildings, which are located in Färberstraße and Mentzelstraße, are now listed buildings. However, the residential area is also characterized by its modern new buildings. More than 800 new residential units are currently being created on the former factory site. In addition to townhouses, lofts, terraced houses and condominiums are also being built here.
If you love the garden city character on the outskirts of Berlin, Köpenick-Nord is the place for you. The Elsengrund, Wolfsgarten, Uhlenhorst and Dammfeld estates are known for their rural ambience. The residential buildings have small gardens that are lovingly tended by the residents. The Kämmereiheide and Amtsfeld districts in Köpenick are also worth mentioning. Here you can find everything that Berlin’s residential architecture has to offer between prefabricated buildings and city villas. The high-rise prefabricated housing estate originally dates back to the 1970s and 1980s, but the apartments have since been renovated and upgraded.
The district of Friedrichshagen
Friedrichshagen is located in the north of Köpenick and borders Brandenburg. What immediately catches the eye when you enter the district are the stately homes on the banks of the Müggelsee lake. Many artists retreat to the villa colony. They love the proximity to the water and nature. In Friedrichshagen you can breathe in the country air, but at the same time you are close to the center of the metropolis. The Hirschgarten villa colony used to have a hot spring that fed a brine bath. Although the spring has since dried up, the Friedrichshagen lakeside resort on Müggelsee is just as popular with Berlin residents as the brine baths once were.
Bölschestraße is without doubt the center of Friedrichshagen. The promenade is lined on both sides by restaurants, stores and prestigious residential buildings dating back two centuries. The street was named after the writer Wilhelm Bölsche, who was a member of the local poetry circle. Friedrichshagen is undoubtedly a special place, with well over a hundred listed buildings.
The district of Rahnsdorf
It is an image that is usually associated with the Netherlands or Italy. It is not without reason that a neighborhood in the district of Rahnsdorf bears the name “New Venice”. Until a hundred years ago, the Müggelspree was a hive of activity. Today, however, the former fishing village is mainly home to pretty detached houses and villas. The Müggelspree connects the Dämeritzsee with the Müggelsee, but splits into a total of five canals in Neu-Venedig. The waterfront properties are popular for a reason: at the weekend, the residents of the district paddle their boats along the canals or use the winding paths to go for a walk. The canals have small bridges from which you have a great view of the idyllic district at any time of year.
Rahnsdorf is the easternmost district of Berlin. It borders Müggelheim to the south and is criss-crossed by numerous lakes, rivers and streams. Most of the properties have access to the water. Families with children are particularly pleased to find spacious plots with beautiful detached houses in Rahnsdorf. If you live on the outskirts of Rahnsdorf, you are very close to Brandenburg. The air is exceptionally fresh, even on warm summer days, and the residents live in a place where others would like to go on vacation. Despite the proximity to nature, it is still possible to get to the center of Berlin by public transport.
The Müggelheim district
The Müggelheim district dates back to the 18th century. What began as a rural settlement quickly became a place of recreation for Berliners. To this day, the properties include numerous weekend and vacation homes. Many of them are located on the water, as Müggelheim was built on the Köpenicker Werder and is surrounded by the Dahme, Seddinsee, Dämeritzsee, the large Müggelsee and the Große Krampe.
The houses around the village green are now listed buildings. The small farmhouses make up the residential area, as they clearly show what Müggelheim once looked like. To the north-east of Müggelheimer Damm is the Schönhorst housing estate and to the south the Ludwigshöhe residential park. People who live in Müggelheim like it quiet. The nearest S-Bahn station is in Wilhelmshagen. If you decide to take the ferry, you can cross from Müggelheim to Rahnsdorf on the Paule III rowing boat. Canals, small forests and pretty properties – these are the characteristics of the Müggelheim residential area in the south-east of the German capital.
The district of Schmöckwitz
The district of Schmöckwitz is also surrounded by several lakes. The district consists of the residential areas Rauchfangswerder, Karolinenhof, Schmöckwitzwerder and Siedlung Schmöckwitz. At first glance, it is noticeable how sparsely populated Berlin’s southernmost district is. Crowded streets, multi-storey apartment buildings and large shopping centers are nowhere to be found here. Instead, you will find plots of land with direct access to the water, small gardens and pretty detached houses. People who live in Schmöckwitz like it rural, but don’t want to miss out on the advantages of city life. One special property in the district is the Hertzog Villa, which can be seen from the Schmöckwitz bridge.
The Grünau district
Grünau was once one of Berlin’s most popular recreational areas. Residents of the metropolis were drawn to their villas in the countryside or their weekend homes, especially at weekends and on vacation. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the district was forgotten for several years and many properties stood empty. But that has now changed, the houses have changed hands and have been extensively renovated. Grünau is a place steeped in history. In 1936, the rowing competitions of the Olympic Games took place on the two-kilometer regatta course. Today, new rental apartments are being built here. The residential districts of Grünau-West, Grünau-East and An der Regattastrecke, directly on the Dahme, are being extended to include terraced houses and larger apartment buildings. The planned 600-metre riverside promenade would lend the district a romantic ambience.
The Oberschöneweide district
In the Oberschöneweide district of Köpenick, you have the feeling of living in the middle of the metropolis. The district was once considered one of the most important industrial locations in the German capital. At the beginning of the 20th century, the electrical company AEG moved to the former suburb of Berlin. However, under the Soviet regime, the industrial site was expropriated and converted into public property. From an entrepreneurial point of view, this meant the demise of Oberschöneweide as a business location, until it was finally revived.
Transformers were manufactured in the Reinbeckhallen until the 1990s. Then the halls stood empty for a long time and fell into disrepair until they were bought in 2004 in a desolate state, renovated and converted into an art center. The famous halls reflect the history of the Oberschöneweide district. Education, culture and art play a central role here. The University of Applied Sciences attracts numerous students to the district. The district is interspersed with industrial areas, housing estates from different eras and allotment gardens. It shows how contrasts meet and merge into a unique mixture in Berlin.
Protected neighborhoods in Köpenick
The German capital is known for its booming real estate market. The fall of the Berlin Wall brought about many changes, particularly on the eastern side of the metropolis. Where old buildings had fallen into disrepair during the GDR era, extensive renovation work was initiated after reunification. Former trendy districts were transformed into hip residential areas and undeveloped plots were transformed into popular residential areas through luxurious new construction projects.
However, the renovation work was also accompanied by a rise in prices. Rents were raised and condominiums were sold for high prices per square meter. But this development brought about a change in the cityscape. Families who have lived in their apartments for years can no longer afford the rents and have to move out. Other owners decide to convert their rented apartments into condominiums in order to achieve a high price on the market when they sell.
In order to counteract this development, various parts of Berlin have been designated as neighborhood conservation areas. In social conservation areas, certain conditions apply that apartment owners must comply with. We describe in detail how this affects the purchase or sale of a property in our overview of Berlin’s milieu protection areas.
Conclusion
Formerly an important business location and local recreation area, today a popular residential area and cultural location – Berlin Köpenick has always been a place of contrasts. While some parts of the district are criss-crossed by industrial areas, other parts are enchanting with waterfront properties along romantic canals. Berlin Köpenick is a good place to live, especially for people who want to live close to the metropolis without giving up the rural charm of the Brandenburg lake district.
Anyone who decides to live in Köpenick will have unforgettable experiences to tell. Especially in summer, when you can take a rowing boat out onto one of the canals from your own jetty and later dive into the cool waters of Müggelsee or one of the other lakes.
Would you like to buy, rent or even sell a property in Berlin Köpenick and are looking for a trustworthy, professional real estate agent? Then get in touch with Vandenberg Immoconsult and arrange a non-binding initial consultation.
