On the last weekend in March, the last Berlin institutions awaken from hibernation. The playground at the Gropius Bau opens its doors again and the Späth'sche Baumschulen invite you to a wonderful Spring walk among hundreds of garden herbs. But museums, stages and cinemas are also ready to enchant your evenings once again.
Win a spring weekend in Berlin:
The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and the first warm rays of sunshine are inviting you to explore the city and enjoy the beautiful parks and cafés. With a bit of luck, you could win a magical spring weekend for two in Berlin – including an overnight stay at a top hotel.
Tip 1: Celebrating 10 years of the Greek Film Festival at Babylon cinema
The Greek Film Festival has found a home in Berlin at the Kino Babylon on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz and is returning here this weekend to celebrate its 10th birthday . A total of 33 films of all genres will flicker across the screen over the five days of the festival - including 6 international premieres, 18 German premieres and 3 Berlin premieres. The focus of this year's festival is on Greek music. Look forward to a variety of fringe events, musical performances and famous guests from Greece and around the world. Our tip: The closing film Athens Midnight Radio by Renos Haralambidis on Sunday evening.
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various times
Where: Babylon Berlin, Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße 30, Mitte
Tip 2: Follow in the footsteps of a living city
As part of the European Month of Photography (EMOP), you can currently visit countless photography exhibitions throughout Berlin. Among them: The Living City - A Photographic Game of Encounters at the German Museum of Technology. Here you can learn about the pitfalls and beauties of urban life and the relationship between people and the city through the eyes of the artist collective Cadavre Exquis: A total of 70 works invite you to embark on an interactive journey of discovery into the essence of the city. The exhibition invites visitors to follow an aesthetic chain of associations that links all the photographs on display into a single work of art.
When: Friday from 9am to 5.30pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm
Where: Deutsches Technikmuseum, Trebbiner Str. 9, Kreuzberg
Tip 3: Let your children romp through the Gropius Bau at BAUBAU
After a long winter break, the Gropius Bau is finally opening its doors to visitors again - and first and foremost to children, of course. Because in the west wing of the popular art institution is BAUBAU: probably the most aesthetic - and most exciting - children's playground in Berlin. Based on the Swedish adventure playground The Model (1968), artist Kerstin Brätsch has created a place where more is allowed than forbidden. The creativity of the young guests knows no bounds here and is stimulated with loose materials, strange objects and colourful wallpaper. Playworkers are on site to accompany the free play if required. Look forward to a weekend where the doors to children's imaginations open and new worlds are created.
When: Friday from 12 noon, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am at various time slots
Where: BAUBAU im Gropiusbau, Niederkirchstraße 7, Kreuzberg
Tip 4: Makes the court of Sparta unsafe with the beautiful Helen
The stage flashes and sparkles, legs fly and the choirs belt out one masterpiece after another to the audience: Boring was yesterday, because Beautiful Helena has had enough. The most beautiful woman in the world and wife of Sparta's King Menelaus has had enough of sitting around royally and is quite astonished when a young, handsome shepherd suddenly appears and turns life at court upside down. Look forward to a fiery and brilliant performance by the Komische Oper at the Schiller Theatre: thrilling music by Jacques Offenbach, dazzling stage sets, a top cast and plenty of good humour. This Sunday, the beautiful Helena dances across the stage for the last time this season - and you won't want to miss this spectacle, I promise!
When: Sunday at 6pm
Where: Komische Oper Berlin @ Schillertheater, Bismarckstraße 110, Charlottenburg
Tip 5: Take a look behind the facades of the Humboldt Forum
2008 was an important year both for the Italian star architect Franco Stella and for the Humboldt Forum. This was the year in which Stella was entrusted with the reconstruction of the Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace. A task that he mastered impressively until the reopening of the cultural hotspot in 2021. Since then, the site has been known for its skilful fusion of old and new: Renaissance architecture blends seamlessly with modern forms, creating a unique aesthetic that attracts architecture fans from all over the world. At the weekend, you can literally take a look behind the facades: On the Architectural Tour Everything Facade, experts will offer you exciting insights into Franco Stella's richly contrasting design language.
When: Guided tour times will be announced after booking
Where: Meeting point for guided tour and workshop on booking confirmation, Humboldt Forum, Mitte
Tip 6: Reflects on the end of the war with Sonya Schönberger
The ethnologist and artist Sonya Schönberger has created a special exhibition to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War: Entitled Nails, it explores the topic of forced labour and spans a moving arc from the Nazi era to the present day. The exhibition is based on 13,000 nails found on Tempelhofer Feld, which bear witness to the remains of a forced labour camp. This archaeological discovery from the recent past forms the basis of the contemporary artworks that you can also view this weekend in St Matthew's Church. If you would like to see the exhibition on Sunday, you can combine your visit with the LABORa service, which places the exhibition in a religious context during Passiontide.
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 6pm, service: Sunday at 6pm
Where: St. Matthäus-Kirche, Matthäikirchplatz, Tiergarten
Tip 7: Spend the weekend with T-Rex Tristan Otto
Truly old bones are on display at the Museum of Natural History: 66 million years old, T-Rex Tristan Otto is probably the only Berliner from the Upper Cretaceous period. The 12-metre-long giant was discovered fifteen years ago in the Hell Creek Formation in the US state of Montana. In addition to the dinosaur skeletons, many other large and small treasures await you in the imposing museum building from the early 20th century, as well as an exciting permanent exhibition on migratory birds. And with the time slot ticket, you can even avoid queuing at the ticket office - the ideal place for a weekend trip that will amaze the whole family!
When: Friday from 9.30am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm
Where: Museum für Naturkunde, Invalidenstraße 43, Mitte
Tip 8: Listen to the sounds of French music at French & Female Vibes
This weekend, French lyrics and the voices of three special musicians will be heard on the cabaret stage of Room 16 in Pankow: Laura Dee, Frieda Lee and Delphine Maillard. With chansons, cello, committed jazz and songs with guitar accompaniment, you can indulge in the French art of singing over a glass of red wine. Delphine Maillard, who found her musical home in Berlin many years ago, will be presenting her new album on this occasion. Under the title Quand les bombes troublent les rêves (When the bombs disturb the dreams), she has put together a series of committed pop chansons that not only inspire us to dream, but also to act! Friday at 8pm
Where: ZIMMER 16, Florastr. 16, Pankow
Tip 9: Taste and buy garden herbs from Späth'sche Baumschulen
The Späth'sche Baumschulen are hidden just a few kilometres behind the Ring in picturesque Treptow-Köpenick and provide us with the very last proof that winter really is over: the Herb Days to kick off the season are coming up. The place is teeming with gardeners, hobby gardeners and those who want to become one: You can marvel at over 300 varieties of culinary and medicinal herbs, wild perennials, cuttings and other potted plants and take them home with you if you like. But even those of you who don't have a garden or balcony are welcome: Because the scent of herbs and earth is good for us all - especially in combination with an herb-based menu and the musical supporting programme.
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Where: Späth'sche Baumschulen, Späthstraße 81, Treptow-Köpenick
Tip 10: Become part of a dance organism with Stefan Kaegi's mirror neurons
We humans are empathic beings - so it's no wonder that a yawn or a laugh can actually have a contagious effect. This phenomenon can be traced back to so-called mirror neurons, which help us to perceive our surroundings and adapt by imitating them. Based on this neuroscientific finding, theatre director Stephan Kaegi has created a different kind of dance evening at the Radialsystem in collaboration with Sasha Waltz & Guests: Here, the audience is part of the performance, the dancers are in the centre of the room and instead of a stage, a huge mirror is enthroned in the performance space. The relationship between the individual and society is explored here in a playful way - an evening that will certainly bring you a little closer to your relationship with the world! Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8pm
Where: Radialsystem V, Holzmarktstraße 33, Friedrichshain
Tip 11: Enjoy a one-hour cruise on the Spree in the sun
The many waterways in and around Berlin invite you to make yourself comfortable on one of the many sightseeing boats and let the sun shine on your nose, especially in spring. Enjoy coffee, cake or a refreshing drink and let the cultural highlights of the city pass you by for an hour on the banks of the Spree. You'll also learn a lot about Berlin and its history, as the ship's crew will provide you with entertaining anecdotes here and there. If - contrary to expectations - it does rain at the weekend, the cosy boats also offer indoor seating: So you can sail into the weekend relaxed whatever the weather!
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various departure times
Where: Jetty Bhf. Friedrichstraße, Reichstagufer 18, Mitte
