Steglitz-Zehlendorf – deutsch, bitte!

It was a scorcher of a weekend (though you wouldn’t know it from today’s thunderstorms) and we knew we wanted to get out and enjoy the weather, so on Sunday we headed to Berlin’s Botanical Garden (which was a huge gamble, since my allergy season is in full effect). While M. hasn’t been there in maybe a decade, it was my first visit. We arrived in the mid-afternoon and paid the €6 per person admission fee, and then set about exploring.

Built between 1897 and 1910, the garden is home to 22,000 species of plants spread over 106 acres (about the same size as the Gärten der Welt). Some parts, like around the little lake, are a bit more wild, but there are also plenty of themed gardens that are set up according to regions in the world. I enjoyed the Pacific Northwest area because it reminded me of home, but the Caucasus and Greek gardens were also super lovely. Additionally, I though the medicinal garden, which showcased various herbs and healing plants, was interesting.

After a couple hours of walking, we got some ice cream and sat down on the picnic lawn in front of the glasshouses to cool off. Then we headed inside to check out what is arguably the star attraction of the garden. The glasshouses are actually under construction right now, so some parts were closed off, but we still got to see a lot. I am somewhat obsessed with xerophytes, so naturally the succulents and cacti were my favorite parts, but there were plenty of other beautiful and unique flowers, plants, and trees. All in all, I think we spent a good four hours there, but you could easily spend the entire day exploring.