Military History Museum

In the south of Spandau on the former Berlin-Gatow airfield you’ll find the Military History Museum (MHM), dedicated to the history of military aviation in Germany since 1884. The runways are also a popular spot for inline skaters and cyclists.

In the spacious hangars and the open-air exhibition, aircraft with a history spanning more than a century of flight tell their stories. From replicas of the tethered balloons used for enemy reconnaissance in the First World War, to the legendary Messerschmidt Me 163, to helicopters, rocket launchers and fighter planes. Enemies from the Cold War – the American Starfighter F-104 and the Soviet MiG-29 – stand side-by-side on the runway peacefully rusting away as a reminder of an arms race should never happen again.

The British Royal Air Force was stationed at Gatow airfield for almost 50 years. During the blockade in 1948/49, transport planes calles Rosinenbomber landed here to supply West Berlin with food. The Queen’s plane also flew to Gatow when she visited Berlin.

The huge open-air grounds of the MHM are open to all for cycling or inline skating and are the perfect place to do it.

The MHM in Gatow is a branch of the Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden.