Teufelsberg (Berlin’s “Devil’s Mountain”)

After World War II, Berlin was in ruins, instead of hauling debris away, the city piled it up here—millions of tons of it—creating Teufelsberg.

Located in the heart of Berlin’s Grunewald Forest it stands 120 meters tall and is one of Berlin’s tallest viewpoints.

Underneath the hill lies an unfinished military structure designed by Albert Speer, intended as part of a Nazi military academy.

The structure was too solid to demolish so it was simply buried underneath the rubble where it still exists to this day deep inside the hill.

During the Cold War, Teufelsberg became a major intelligence hub operated by the NSA (National Security Agency ) it was used by Western allies to intercept Russian communications. It’s white domes housed sensitive listening equipment. It’s height and close proximity to East Berlin made it the perfect location. It was one of the largest listening stations in Europe.

After the Cold War ended the station was abandoned, fell into ruin and became a popular location for the Urbex community. Artists have now transformed it into a massive graffiti gallery with murals covering every surface.