The Gardens of the World is a very beautiful and unusual park in Berlin that is sometimes undeservedly overlooked by tourists. The fact is that it is quite far from the historic centre of the German capital, but that can be an advantage! If you want to take a break from the 'stone jungle' and enjoy a family walk in a picturesque setting, the Gardens of the World are perfect. Here you can take a leisurely stroll and admire the landscaping and plants from all over the world.
The garden was opened in 1987 as a gift from the city gardeners for the 750th anniversary of Berlin. Over time, it has grown to cover an area of 21 hectares, so you can walk around for hours. The entrance is signposted so you can get around all the themed areas without getting lost.
Visitors with children usually begin their stroll with a visit to the Fairy Tale Garden, which is located next to the entrance. There are many small sculptures of characters from Andersen and the Grimm fairy tales. Children can take pictures with all of them and get a closer look at them. The creators of the park paid tribute to the contribution of the German craftsmen in landscape design and so a large area has been set aside as a German park. In this park, you can see 14 fountains with stone elements.
The first 'world' section of the park was the Chinese Garden, a symbol of the friendship between Berlin and Beijing. Everything here is designed according to Feng Shui, even the most common stone is placed according to the laws of world harmony. The plants include bamboo, pine, willow and much more. A joint project between Berlin and Tokyo is the Japanese 'Garden of Flowing Water'. Its creator is not only an architect but also a religious minister. It is an open-air temple with a pavilion for tea ceremonies, stones, a dry waterfall, chrysanthemums and sakura trees.
The Gardens of the World also has a Spice Garden, which is accessed by a path lined with aromatic plants. If you speak a foreign language, you can tell the children about the different herbs, but if you don't, you can read more about the plants you've seen at home. If the little ones get bored looking around the gardens, there are fun things for them to do, such as the Yew Berry Maze. The designers have created many intricate passages, most of which end in dead ends. The more adventurous can reach the centre of the maze, which has a small viewing platform.
The Korean (Seoul) Garden is very unusual and particularly valuable because this area of park architecture is rarely seen in modern parks. Classic examples of park art are the Italian Garden and the British Garden.
Younger visitors to the Gardens of the World will love the Balinese composition. As well as exotic plants, there is also a typical Balinese hut surrounded by palm trees, orchids and ferns. Walking through the garden you can learn a lot about the flora and the traditional way of life of the Indonesian tribes. The highlight of Berlin's wondrous attraction is the Arabian Garden, with its pavilion of ornamental carvings, colourful tiles, pools and aromatic plants. The fountains are beautifully lit at night.
