Spring in Berlin – 21 awesome things to do

Get your German “Schnittchen” ready, grab a bottle of water and pump up your bike – we’re going on a cycling tour! In Lübars you can enjoy the happiness of the countryside, hang out with horses, take a stroll through the nature reserve and enjoy a beer or lemonade at the end of the day in a real German “Dorfkneipe.” To head to Lübers just follow the old Wall path to Wittenau, if you’re starting your journey from Mitte it will take you about 45 minutes.

If you yearn for some exercise after a nice and rich breakfast in Prenzlauer Berg take the chance to climb the tower of the Zionskirche. We promise it’s worth the hazzle and you will have an outstanding view over Berlin.

The “Café am neuen See” is not a secret tip anymore but that doesn’t matter because it’s still a nice place to visit. Take a stroll through the Tiergarten and enjoy an ice cold German beer at the café. There are a couple of more places in the Tiergarten we highly recommend: the “Schleusenkrug” and the wonderful teahouse in the English garden.

No, you don’t need a butler for that, it’s way easier. As soon as the temperatures reach 18 degree it’s technically summer and therefore picnic time. Get your friends, pack a blanket and get your guitar ready because it’s time to spent a day outside. For a perfect Berlin picnic expedition we highly recommend the Spreeufer in Moabit, the Volkspark in Friedrichshain or the Körnerpack in Neukölln. If you don’t want to fill your picnic basket yourself check out “Picnic” at Tempelhofer Feld or “Proviant” in Friedrichshain who will be very happy to fill them with all the treats you need for a perfect day in the park.

You’ve spent too much money on partying so there is nothing left to travel? No worries you can still enjoy a stroll through the world when you visit “Die Gärten der Welt” in Marzahn-Hellersdorf that were created during the GDR. After the fall of the wall the gardens were embellished and they are probably one of the nicest remnants of the socialist regime. You will find nine different themed gardens including a Japanese, Korean or oriental one. This is the perfect place to forget the big city stress and just relax in a happy green environment.

You don’t have a balcony or garden to grow the tomatoes for your own salad? Get connected via stadtacker.net and meet fellow gardeners who have urban gardening projects in Berlin. No excuses to buy your cucumbers and salad in the supermarket anymore. Get your hands dirty and start growing now!

Right, Venice is now in Berlin. Not kidding. East of the Müggelsee between Rahnsdorf and Hessenwinkel, the Spree parts into smaller canals, just like in Venice (except of the Palazzos, sorry). You can rent a canoe and paddle through this area (rent them at 13Kanus at the Küstengarten 18 for example) or just take the S-Bahn to Wilhelmshagen, and take a nice walk and enjoying a drink at the restaurant “Neu-Venedig”.

If you’re looking for a nice lunch-date-hotspot with great music this is for you! Every Tuesday the members of the Berlin philharmonic orchestra play in the foyer of the building for free! You can also get some food when you enjoy the music, but don’t be angry with us if it’s so nice that you forget to go to work afterwards.

Minigolf is a sport that’s not really a sport. No sweating, no injuries, it’s just about your luck and talent of getting a small ball into a hole against all obstacles of the world. Minigolf, just like real golf, is in an almost ironic way about the getting together but without anyone discussing when to buy the next Porsche. So bring your friends and have fun. We recommend “Hertzberg Golf” in Neukölln where you’re even allowed to bring your own food.

You secretly dream of becoming Tarzan? This is your chance! Visit the high rope course at Jungfernheide and take a walk between the trees. And if you get tired of being high up in the air enjoy a drink in the summer garden at the Wasserturm.

We can’t preach it enough: The winter is over. So no more excuses like “it’s too cold and dark”. Dust of your running shoes and get ready for the summer. If you don’t know where to run check out our training tips, running routes and the motivation playlist we’ve just made for you!

Marzahn is one of the most undervalued parts of Berlin. But we can assure you there are not only ugly prefabricated high rises in Marzahn there is also a tiny and lovely village hidden between the very German “Plattenbauten.” Alt-Marzahn has a small village street with a church, stores and even a windmill! Go see it with your own eyes and don’t trust anyone who is bragging about Marzahns ugliness.

If the rides with the tourist boats are too boring for you we recommend renting your own boat at Spreeboote. You won’t even need a driving licence for most of the boats and you can even rent a BBQ or picnic basket for your little boat ride. The renting season starts on the 3rd of April, so get your striped sailor shirt ready!

We know you shouldn’t confuse the spring with the summer but still it’s hard to resist the temptation of the BBQ season. So go and grab your friends for the first “Angrillen” of the year, it’s never to early when the sun comes out! Find out in which Berlin parks you’re allowed to BBQ on this website.

Almost as important as the first “Angrillen” is the first ice cream of the year. We want ice cream now! No doubt that there are plenty of great ice cream places in Berlin but we highly recommend the Gelateria Mos Eisley in Neukölln which also offers a lot of vegan options like (soy-peanut-crunch or soy-vanilla). Also worth a visit is Eisbärliner in Fhain.

If you’ve been in Berlin for a longer time you’ve probably heard a lot about the south German invasion of the “Swabians.” Well, we can assure you those folks are not dangerous and they imported one of the nicest southern traditional dishes to Berlin – the “Maultasche.” The German version of the Italian ravioli that is typically served in a broth or with glazed sweet onions and salad. Try those treats at the Maultaschen Restaurant “St. Mauli” in Friedrichshain and decide for yourself if you want to give the Swabians another chance.

Since fall the “Nussbreite” is opened and looks like the extension of a typical berlin hipster living room with amazing cheap beer. Almost every night there is an OpenMic so if you want to share your talent with the world this is your place to be. Beer, concerts, movies – I think we’re moving in!

“Dr. Pong” is your Ping Pong retreat in Prenzlauer Berg. We’ve heard wild and great stories about this place. Ping Pong tables, a bar and a lot of people seem to make up an exquisite combination for a fun night. If you’re a more outdoorsy ping pong person check out the closest ping pong table in your neighbourhood using the Ping-Pong-Map and get ready for some hardcore tournaments with the local youth.

No spring without flowers! If you’re bored by the tulips in the supermarket it’s time to freshen up your flower life with a visit to the weekly market. We highly recommend the Saturday market at Boxhagener Platz, the Brandenburger Bauernmarkt at Wittenbergplatz and the organic market at Kollwitzplatz. Roses are red, violets are blue – the market misses you!

You don’t need an actual ocean nearby to get into a maritime mood. We recommend the restaurant and bar “Hafenküche” in Rummelsburg if you want to enjoy some authentic sailor-like time. Sit at the Spree and enjoy some fresh fish – this is the place to be in spring and summer!

The “Domäne Dahlem“ is the only farm in Germany that has its own underground station – pretty cool! The historical knight’s estate is now an open air museum for agriculture with a historic food-shop and a local butcher. Pet some animals, buy some groceries and feel like a kid again.