Beer gardens
Germany is known for its beer and Berlin is known for its beer gardens and most open in April to welcome the warmer weather with a cold beer. The best known beer garden to those visiting from outside the city is Cafe am Neuen See in the Tiergarten park, that does mean it can be busy there.
If you are looking for a more local experience, you will have to get off the beaten track. A fifteen minute walk from Potsdamer Platz you'll find BRLO Brwhouse, the self pronounced home of the Berlin craft beer movement. Across town, on Schönhauser Allee, you can visit the historical Schankhalle Pfefferberg, where maser brewer Thorsten Schoppe brews beers the traditional way.
Visit the animals
In the southwest corner of Tiergarten park you will find the oldest zoo in Germany, Zoo Berlin. The zoo houses around 20,000 animals from over 1000 species. After being mostly destroyed at the end of the Second World War, the zoo was rebuild and continues to be improved with new rhino and big cat enclosures coming soon.
The attached Aquarium can be visited separately and is home to 13,000 animals, from coral reef fish to sharks. Similar to the zoo the aquarium to was destroyed at the end of the war, it was again open to the public in 1983.
Boat cruise on the Spree
Time to sit back, relax, let the sun warm your face and enjoy the city from a different perspective. On the one hour boat cruise with Berlin Wassertaxi, which starts at the Domaquareé pier/DDR Museum, you'll cruise by sights such as the Museum Island, Reichstag, the Rotes Rathaus (Berlin's town hall) and the Berlin Cathedral.
Rent a bike
If you prefer a more active mode of transport to see the city's sights, you might want to consider renting a bike or taking a guided bike tour. The Berlin Wall bike tour can be ridden without a guide, as a double row of cobblestones traces the Berlin Wall's route over nearly 6 kilometres through the city centre passing by memorials, remnants of the wall and former border watchtowers.
A guided bike tour is a great way to meet new friends and learn more about the city from local guides. Tours are available in multiple languages, with specific themes and in almost all of the city's neighbourhoods.
The home of a queen
Charlottenburg Palace and it's palace gardens are a haven from the hectic city pace. Given to the first Queen consort of Prussia, Sophie Charlotte, by her husband, this beautiful rococo palace and its elegant gardens are Berlin's largest and most magnificent.
Though the palace was damaged in the war, the rebuilding and refurnishing is faithful to the original rooms and halls where Sophie Charlotte hosted poets, philosophers, musicians and artists. Amongst the room on show are the Porcelain Cabinet, the Palace Chapel and Frederick I's bedchamber.
A stroll through the gardens means a walk through 300 years of garden design, including the original French inspired Baroque garden and the landscaped gardens inspired by English designs. In more recent years modern day use has become part of the gardens with, amongst others, the addition of a children's playground.
Gardens of the World
On the northeast edge of the city an area the size of 60 football pitches has been turned into a place for different garden designs from around the world to shine their light. At Gärten der Welt you will find themed gardens and events to match.
A Korean tea ceremony in a Korean garden, a Japanese cherry blossom festival every April and Scottish Highland Games in the summer. The Gardens of the World are an escape from the city to the rest of the world with fascinating plants, streams, temples and a maze garden and hedge labyrinth to get lost in.
Spring Festivals
Berlin has lots of fun events in spring for everyone. From the pulsating beats of music festivals like Desertfest to unique experiences like ARTS meet WINE and the captivating stories at film festivals such as achtung berlin Filmfestival and the Greek Film Festival, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
Berlin has grown to become a city with an eclectic mix of people from many different cultures. In spring, they all come together for the Karneval der Kulturen, a four-day-long street party with music, dance groups, and a street parade. The Karneval der Kulturen has promoted an open and multicultural society ever since its start in 1996. Today, the festival, which has free admission, includes music from around the world, including Afrobeat, Japanese fusion rock, Anatolian jazz, and mestizo music.
Another standout celebration is Fête de la Musique, where musicians take to the streets, parks, and squares, filling the city with live performances spanning various genres. From jazz to rock, the festival offers something for everyone, with free concerts accessible to all.
