Seasons
Berlin in spring: cherry blossom, asparagus and the first evenings outside
Few cities change as fast in spring as Berlin. Grey one moment, and then on a warm April day suddenly everyone is sitting outside, as if they had waited all winter for it. They have. Here is when things bloom, what goes on in spring and where Berliners head first.
01 Cherry blossom: Berlin's hanami
The classic
Hanami in the Gardens of the World
In early April a festival with a stage program in Marzahn, under around 80 cherry trees.
Kieznah tip
The cherry blossom avenue on the Wall trail
Around 1,000 trees on the old border strip between Lichterfelde and Teltow, a gift from Japan after the fall of the Wall.
The TV Asahi cherry blossom avenue goes back to a donation from a Japanese TV broadcaster, which had the trees planted after reunification. Where the Wall once stood, around one and a half to two kilometers now bloom pink. Blossom usually starts around mid-April and lasts only ten to fourteen days, so timing is everything. Take the S-Bahn to Lichterfelde Süd; there is no parking. Important: in 2025 the avenue was closed for works on the Wall trail, so check before you go whether it is open.
02 Tulips and spring flowers
In spring, Britzer Garten in Neukölln holds its Tulipan show, with hundreds of thousands of spring flowers in themed beds. The exact weeks depend on the weather; dates and admission are on the park's website.
03 Asparagus season
From April, Berlin's plates turn white. Asparagus comes from the surrounding countryside, above all from around Beelitz in Brandenburg. The season starts in early or mid-April depending on the weather and traditionally ends on St John's Day, 24 June, which farmers call asparagus New Year's Eve. Until then you find it at weekly markets, at roadside stalls and on many menus.
04 Whitsun: the Carnival of Cultures
Over the Whitsun weekend Berlin celebrates the Carnival of Cultures for four days, with a street festival and a big parade on Whit Sunday, free of charge. In 2026 the parade did not run through Kreuzberg as usual because of works on Gneisenaustraße, but along Karl-Marx-Allee in Friedrichshain. Check the 2027 route in advance.
05 The first evenings outside
As soon as it gets warm, Berliners move onto their squares. At weekends the Thai market returns next to Preußenpark, karaoke season starts in the Mauerpark, and kites rise over the Tempelhofer Feld. Our advice: pick a neighborhood with its own square, such as Ludwigkirchplatz or Chamissoplatz, and join in. The neighborhood walk from Olivaer Platz to the Rüdi is at its best on a spring afternoon.