Seas of tulips, dreams of roses, fires of dahlias – a breathtaking riot of colour in spring, autumn and summer. The Britzer Garden is one of the most beautiful gardens in Germany. With these tips, the excursion will be unique.
A lake landscape with streams and springs with lush flowering meadows. Sheep and goats grazing in the shade of trees, as if straight out of a picture book. Groves of trees and exuberantly blossoming flowerbeds. And then there are themed gardens, lots of great play opportunities for children, events, guided tours, festivals, workshops, concerts and the Britzer Park Railway.
The 90-hectare Britzer Garden is a special place. On my first visit on a sun-drenched spring day, the beauty of this landscape garden struck me right in the heart. In 1985, the garden show was held there in what was then West Berlin, and since then the Britzer Garden has stood for garden art and perhaps one of the 10 most beautiful gardens in Germany.
The most important thing right away: In spring and summer, when the flowers unfold their splendour, the Britzer Garden is at its most beautiful! For me, an absolute highlight every spring is the blossoming of the trees and tulips, which is simply breathtaking in the Britzer Garden in the “right weeks”. In the centre of the Britzer Garden is a lake with a café.
Even more green oases: Berlin has great green spaces to offer that don’t cost an entrance fee! This is our best of the 10 most beautiful parks in Berlin.
6 Tips for the Perfect Day Trip to the Britzer Garden
I’m standing in the middle of the Britzer Garden and I could roar. I have my picnic blanket with me, but not my SLR camera and I forgot my Mölkky. Do you know this? To make sure it doesn’t happen to you, I’ve put together a list of my favourite things to do in the Britzer Garden. For most of them you just have to remember to pack everything. So that you all start your trip well prepared. 🙂
1. Pack Picnic Basket, Blanket, Friends and Family
Spread out your picnic blanket on the excellent play and sunbathing areas and walk barefoot across the lush green meadow. Surrounded by beautiful nature, it is a wonderful place to picnic with family and friends. On this picnic checklist you will find everything you need (and can) pack. 🙂
Since the Britzer Garden is so spacious, you can even bring a jukebox and listen to music (as long as it doesn’t disturb anyone).
2. Get Your Head Clear and Only Do What Relaxes You
You do yoga to relax? The Britzer Garden offers many places that are perfect for rolling out the yoga mat in front of a beautiful backdrop with birds chirping in your ear. I also like to meditate in the Britzer Garden or listen to an audio book.
Stroll through the gardens, enjoy the blossoms and vibrant colours and recharge your batteries.
Give yourself and your mind a break from brooding and the problems of everyday life and try to really let go. The Britzer Garden is a great place for me to do that.
3. Get Really Involved With Nature
Pimpernel, yarrow – what do they look like? What edible, healthy herbs are growing around me? In the Britz Garden, the Freilandlabor Britz offers a variety of activities to really get involved with nature’s riches, to learn about native flora and fauna and to learn something. For example, on a guided tour of edible wild vegetables, which are all the rage among star chefs right now and are real superfoods!
Without a guided tour, but also really worthwhile, is the nature discovery trail and with the tree guides everyone can explore the trees in the Britzer Garden themselves.
There’s a little explorer in every child! The Outdoor laboratory Britz also offers a varied programme for children every year.
Every three months there is a new programme, you can find it here on the Website of the Outdoor laboratory Britz.
4. Go On a Photo Safari With Your Camera or Smartphone
Capture the most beautiful flowers, blossoms, bees, butterflies and landscape motifs in as many colours and shapes as possible for eternity! You can bring spring, summer and autumn into your home by developing the most beautiful photos afterwards and hanging them up as a collage. In this way, you can bring the splendour of the Britzer Garden flowers into your home.
Camera – please what? Why do I have the latest iPhone? The technology of new smartphones is now so good that you can take super-beautiful photos, develop them in small formats and, of course, share them on Instagram and Facebook. I still swear by my good SLR camera – at the latest when it comes to developing photos in larger formats, the iPhone can pack it in 😉
5. For Botany Fans: Take Part in a Botanical Rally in the Britzer Garden
Go on a botanical rally in teams of two or individually and explore the Britzer Garden with new eyes. This is especially worthwhile for nature lovers who already know the Britzer Garden well and see it with new eyes.
You don’t have to prepare anything: Here you can download 15 free tasks for your Garden Rally.
6. Pack Kubb, Mölkky or Ladder Golf Game
Our absolute favourites are cross boccia, ladder golf, Kubb and Mölkky. If there are enough more ambitious throwers, Ultimate Frisbee is also brilliant. Click on the links to find out exactly which throwing game works and what you need for it.
Throwing games are fun, no matter how old you are. Most of them can be played in a small group. If there are more of you, you can simply get together in teams.
Highlights in the Britzer Garden
- When there is enough wind, the Britzer Mill in the Britzer Garden is the last windmill in the Berlin urban area to paint flour!
- A round trip through the Britzer Garden with the Britzer Park Railway
- The beautiful Witch’s Garden is reminiscent of a castle ruin and offers medicinal herbs as well as rustling witch plants – all plants that were typical in the Middle Ages including the herbs of the famous panacea Theriak!
- The Geological Garden is shaped like a fossil snail. At its heart is an earth clock in the shape of an ammonite!
- Tulipan: In mid to lateApril several thousand tulips begin to bloom. The Tulip Show is definitely one of the most recommendable highlights of the Britz Garden! Thousands of tulips bloom at the same time and enchant the eye with their diversity. From the small dainty wild tulip, to black tulips and parrot tulips, it’s hard to get a show like this in many places in Germany
- Magical blossoms in the rhododendron grove: In May and June, the rhododendron is in full bloom in the south-east of the Britz Garden in the beech and oak grove. There, in the shade of the trees, a splendour of white and purple flowers of various rhododendron species awaits you.
- Dahlia fire: From mid to late August, 8,000 dahlias in 280 varieties offer a tremendous colour finale at the end of the flowering year. You will find the dahlia bonfire at the Sangerhauser Weg entrance. Dahlias come in a wide range of colours from salmon to purple and pink with different flower shapes and it is precisely this variety that you can enjoy in the Britzer Garden.
- Worthwhile events in the Britzer Garden include, for example, the Easter bonfire, the Midsummer Festival, Walpurgis Night and the Autumn Dragon Festival.
- The annual “Fire Flowers and Classical Music Open Air offers classical music and fireworks to around 12,000 visitors. Tickets cost €20 – €34 depending on the price category.
- Catering: In the Britzer Garden, you can dine at the Café am See, and there is also a bistro at Kalenderplatz, an ice cream parlour at the model boat harbour and other options.
- Worth knowing: The Kalenderplatz in the north-east of the park is a huge sundial on which you can read the date (shadow of the sun globe) and time (minute ring)
- Animals in the Britzer Garden: Goats, donkeys, rabbits and chickens in the animal enclosure as well as sheep and cattle in pastures and many wild animals!
- Special play fun for children: The clay village “Makunaima” in the Britzer Garden consists of huts, large sculptures and mosaic work. There is a pirate boat, climbing pyramid, oven, stage, Pallaver pavilion, bear temple and the whispering throne to play in. There is also a labyrinth, a large water playground and many other great play equipment everywhere in the Britzer Garden!
Britzer Garden – The Facts
- Website: www.gruen-berlin.de
- Location: Between Mariendorf and Neukölln in the south of Berlin
- Entrances, Directions & Parking:
Sangerhauser Weg & Tauernallee – U6 Alt-Mariendorf / Bus 179 to stop “Sangerhauser Weg “Mohriner Allee – U6 Alt-Mariendorf / Bus 181 to stop “Rotkopfweg “Buckower Damm – S/U-Bhf. Hermannstr. / Bus M44 to stop “Britzer Garden “Massiner Weg – U7 Britz Süd / Bus 181 to stop “Neumarkplan “Blütenachse – S/U-Bhf. Hermannstr. / Bus M44 to stop “Zimmererweg” (open May until end of October). - Parking: Parking spaces are available at the entrances Mohriner Allee 152 and Sangerhauser Weg 12, 12347 Berlin
- Opening hours:All year round from 9:00 am until nightfall | there are automated ticket offices (open 7:00 am – min. 6:00 pm) and manned ticket offices (open 9:00 am – min. 4:00 pm)
- Contact: Phone: 030 – 700906510 // Email: info@britzer-garten.de
- Age: For everyone
- Price: Adults € 3.00 // Children from 6 years & Pupils € 1.50 // Severely disabled € 1.50 (the Britzer Garden is largely barrier-free and offers free wheelchair hire by prior reservation)
Discover even more tips for activities in Berlin and the surrounding area! On Greatime we report on experiences and excursions we have tried ourselves. Whether it’s Escape Games, exploring nature or canoe tours, on Greatime you’ll find lots of ideas for activities with children, friends and as a couple.
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