Steglitz-Zehlendorf

Steglitz-Zehlendorf is in the south-west of Berlin and borders Potsdam and the state of Brandenburg. It was formed in 2001 from the former districts of Steglitz and Zehlendorf. It has eight localities (Ortsteile): Steglitz, Lichterfelde, Lankwitz, Zehlendorf, Dahlem, Nikolassee, Wannsee and Schlachtensee. Schlachtensee is the newest, created from parts of Zehlendorf and Nikolassee by a decision of the district office in November 2020.

On 30 June 2026, 309,084 people were registered in the district (Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg). Lichterfelde (about 85,000) and Steglitz (about 76,200) are the most populous localities, followed by Zehlendorf (about 54,900) and Lankwitz (about 44,700). Dahlem, Nikolassee, Wannsee and Schlachtensee each have between about 10,000 and 17,000 residents. At 46.7 years, the district's average age was the highest in Berlin, compared with a city average of 42.9.

Large parts of the western half are forest and water: the Grunewald, the Havel with Pfaueninsel, and lakes including the Wannsee, Schlachtensee and Krumme Lanke. Dahlem is a major university, research and museum location, home to the Freie Universität Berlin.

The district is generally calm, green and middle-class, with a strong presence of families, retirees and students.

• Steglitz: the most urban part. Schloßstraße, with its shopping centres, department stores and the landmark Bierpinsel and Steglitzer Kreisel buildings, is one of Berlin's busiest shopping streets. The surrounding streets are quiet and middle-class, with older buildings, mansions and the Stadtpark Steglitz.
• Lichterfelde: shaped by the villa areas of Lichterfelde West and Lichterfelde Ost, with tree-lined avenues, Wilhelminian-era mansions and the Botanical Garden on its northern edge. The south has larger housing estates such as the Thermometersiedlung.
• Lankwitz: mainly smaller housing complexes and single-family homes around the church and S-Bahn station, including the Komponistenviertel and the 1930s Weinviertel.
• Zehlendorf: villas, older apartment buildings, terraced estates such as the Papageiensiedlung, and a small centre around the S-Bahn station.
• Dahlem: one of Berlin's most exclusive localities, with villas, parks, the Freie Universität campus, museums and the historic Domäne Dahlem farm. Students give it a younger feel during the day.
• Nikolassee, Schlachtensee and Wannsee: villa suburbs by the lakes and the Havel, with small local centres around their S-Bahn stations. Wannsee is a popular day-trip destination, with Pfaueninsel, Glienicke Palace and the memorial at the House of the Wannsee Conference.

The district is linked to the centre by S-Bahn and U-Bahn along a few corridors. Away from these lines, buses do most of the work.

• S-Bahn: the S1 (Wannseebahn) runs from Wannsee via Nikolassee, Schlachtensee, Mexikoplatz, Zehlendorf, Lichterfelde West, Botanischer Garten and Rathaus Steglitz through the north–south tunnel to Potsdamer Platz and Friedrichstraße. The S7 serves Wannsee and Nikolassee on its way between Potsdam and the Stadtbahn. The S25 and S26 serve Lankwitz, Lichterfelde Ost and Lichterfelde Süd towards Südkreuz and the north–south tunnel.
• U-Bahn: the U3 runs from Krumme Lanke via Onkel Toms Hütte and Dahlem towards Wilmersdorf, Nollendorfplatz and Kreuzberg. The U9 starts at Rathaus Steglitz and runs via Schloßstraße to Zoologischer Garten and Wedding.
• Ferry: the BVG ferry F10 crosses the Havel from Wannsee to Kladow.
• Road: the A115 (AVUS) and A103 lead towards the city motorway. There are no trams.

• Villas and single-family homes: typical of Dahlem, Nikolassee, Schlachtensee, Wannsee, Lichterfelde West and Ost, and much of Zehlendorf and Lankwitz. Many are owner-occupied, and rented houses are rarely advertised.
• Older apartment buildings and mansion flats: in Steglitz, central Zehlendorf and Lichterfelde.
• 1920s to 1930s estates: for example the terraced houses of the Papageiensiedlung in Zehlendorf and the Weinviertel in Lankwitz.
• Post-war estates: such as the Thermometersiedlung in Lichterfelde Süd and estates along major roads.
• Newer estates and infill: for example the 1980s garden-city estate in Düppel and former Allied housing estates there, plus infill projects across the district.

In the 2025 IBB housing market report, the district's median asking rent was slightly below the Berlin median. The district portal nevertheless describes rents and property prices in Zehlendorf as high, and rents in Steglitz as mixed.

The south-west is popular with families thanks to its green surroundings, many parks and lakes, and quiet residential streets. Options for outdoor time include the Grunewald forest and the Rehwiese in Nikolassee, swimming and walking at Schlachtensee and Krumme Lanke, the Strandbad Wannsee lido in Nikolassee (one of the largest inland lidos in Europe), the community park in Lankwitz with its animal enclosure, the Stadtpark Steglitz and the Botanical Garden.

In the villa areas, daily routes to school, Kita and shops are often longer and many families rely on bikes or cars. Around Schloßstraße, Zehlendorf centre and Lichterfelde Ost, most needs are within walking distance.

Use the city's Kita-Navigator to look up daycare centres near an address and the Senate's school directory to filter schools by district and type. Our guides on childcare and schools explain how to apply.