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Celebrating spring with flowers and wine in Werder

Thankful Germany’s miserable spring weather finally seems to be improving, Tom Norton decides to explores two favourite Teutonic pastimes – nature and booze – ahead of the Werder Tree Blossom Festival.

Published: 24 April 2008 16:06 CEST
Celebrating spring with flowers and wine in Werder
A fruit orchard in Werder (Havel). Photo: DPA

Let’s be honest. This spring has been fairly miserable as far as weather goes. Snow at Easter? Hail the size of ice cubes every other week? It’s enough to make you want a drink.

Fortunately, the temperatures are on the rise and there’s a perfect place to enjoy both nature and some booze: the Baumblütenfest, or Tree Blossom Festival, in Werder (Havel) in Brandenburg.

The festival takes place from April 26 to May 4 this year and it’s only a short train ride away from Berlin. The event has no pretensions – it’s exactly what its name suggests; a celebration of spring, the blossoming of fruit trees, and local fruit wine, which is the star of the show. Time honoured tradition dictates that anyone attending should get completely sloshed. After all, it is a German festival.

The area around Werder is known for its fruit orchards that cover the hills surrounding the village and during the festival family run stalls line the streets offering their homemade blends. Almost every local family with an orchard has its own brand of hooch.

If you don’t happen to be a connoisseur of fruit wines the extensive range can be mind-blowing. Varieties include strawberry, raspberry, plum, blackberry, plus loads others you might never have thought possible. But don’t be afraid you might go blind drinking them – all are extremely palatable. You could easily spend your entire time at the festival sipping on these exotic delights, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Think nasty fruit wine hangover.

The festival began in 1879 and Werder council says its 129th year could be possibly the biggest ever. It started when an old farmer named Wilhelm Wils hit upon the idea of hosting a fruit wine festival. He convinced the other fruit growers to join in and the festival quickly grew in size and popularity. Only during East Germany’s four-decade existence did its popularity lapse, apparently since consuming excess amounts of alcohol was frowned upon by the dour communist government.

But these days, the festival is said to be the second biggest such event in Germany, eclipsed only by Munich’s mighty Oktoberfest. Last year over 800,000 people attended the Baumblütenfest, but it’s not the size that makes the festival special. It’s the beauty of walking down streets lined with cherry blossom trees, as the pungent smells of fresh and fermented fruit waft up your nose. It’s enough to make our lousy spring this year just a hazy memory.

While plenty of opportunities to sample fruit wine exist, picking ripe fruit is another popular activity. Walking through the gardens is a great way to spend the afternoon and there’s a great view of the whole town from up on the hill. For those seeking speedier entertainment, in the town square there’s a rollercoaster, a Ferris wheel, and other rides you’ll find at your average German fair. But my past experience says don’t try these after too much wine.

The opening ceremony will be held on April 26, which contains the kitschy and thoroughly stimulating event of the crowning of the Blossom Festival Queen. This nubile young flower is carefully plucked by group of local old ladies, who then push her onto stage into the awaiting hands of a town council official.

There will then be ten days of music performances and other entertainment. Check out Werder’s website for the full programme of events. On the last night of the festival there’s a firework show – and if you’re lucky, you might even get to meet the Blossom Queen.

Getting There:

It’s advisable to take the train to Werder, which is around 35 kilometres southwest of Berlin. Driving isn’t recommended as most people will be having a few drinks and a lot of the town roads are blocked off and checked by police. You should also buy a return train ticket for your journey, since Werder (Havel) only has one ticket machine at its dinky train station.

If you’re visiting Berlin at this time, the festival makes an excellent day trip – the wines are too good to miss. From Berlin catch the RE1 (Regional Express) in the direction of Magdeberg to Werder (Havel). The trip takes about half an hour.

More info: www.werder-havel.de

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BERLIN

EXPLAINED: Berlin’s latest Covid rules

In response to rapidly rising Covid-19 infection rates, the Berlin Senate has introduced stricter rules, which came into force on Saturday, November 27th. Here's what you need to know.

Published: 27 November 2021 16:16 CET
Updated: 29 November 2021 14:17 CET
A sign in front of a waxing studio in Berlin indicates the rule of the 2G system
A sign in front of a waxing studio indicates the rule of the 2G system with access only for fully vaccinated people and those who can show proof of recovery from Covid-19 as restrictions tighten in Berlin. STEFANIE LOOS / AFP

The Senate agreed on the tougher restrictions on Tuesday, November 23rd with the goal of reducing contacts and mobility, according to State Secretary of Health Martin Matz (SPD).

He explained after the meeting that these measures should slow the increase in Covid-19 infection rates, which was important as “the situation had, unfortunately, deteriorated over the past weeks”, according to media reports.

READ ALSO: Tougher Covid measures needed to stop 100,000 more deaths, warns top German virologist

Essentially, the new rules exclude from much of public life anyone who cannot show proof of vaccination or recovery from Covid-19. You’ll find more details of how different sectors are affected below.

Shops
If you haven’t been vaccinated or recovered (2G – geimpft (vaccinated) or genesen (recovered)) from Covid-19, then you can only go into shops for essential supplies, i.e. food shopping in supermarkets or to drugstores and pharmacies.

Many – but not all – of the rules for shopping are the same as those passed in the neighbouring state of Brandenburg in order to avoid promoting ‘shopping tourism’ with different restrictions in different states.

Leisure
2G applies here, too, as well as the requirement to wear a mask with most places now no longer accepting a negative test for entry. Only minors are exempt from this requirement.

Sport, culture, clubs
Indoor sports halls will off-limits to anyone who hasn’t  been vaccinated or can’t show proof of recovery from Covid-19. 2G is also in force for cultural events, such as plays and concerts, where there’s also a requirement to wear a mask. 

In places where mask-wearing isn’t possible, such as dance clubs, then a negative test and social distancing are required (capacity is capped at 50 percent of the maximum).

Restaurants, bars, pubs (indoors)
You have to wear a mask in all of these places when you come in, leave or move around. You can only take your mask off while you’re sat down. 2G rules also apply here.

Hotels and other types of accommodation 
Restrictions are tougher here, too, with 2G now in force. This means that unvaccinated people can no longer get a room, even if they have a negative test.

Hairdressers
For close-contact services, such as hairdressers and beauticians, it’s up to the service providers themselves to decide whether they require customers to wear masks or a negative test.

Football matches and other large-scale events
Rules have changed here, too. From December 1st, capacity will be limited to 5,000 people plus 50 percent of the total potential stadium or arena capacity. And only those who’ve been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed in. Masks are also compulsory.

For the Olympic Stadium, this means capacity will be capped at 42,000 spectators and 16,000 for the Alte Försterei stadium. 

Transport
3G rules – ie vaccinated, recovered or a negative test – still apply on the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses in Berlin. It was not possible to tighten restrictions, Matz said, as the regulations were issued at national level.

According to the German Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, people have to wear a surgical mask or an FFP2 mask  on public transport.

Christmas markets
The Senate currently has no plans to cancel the capital’s Christmas markets, some of which have been open since Monday. 

According to Matz, 2G rules apply and wearing a mask is compulsory.

Schools and day-care
Pupils will still have to take Covid tests three times a week and, in classes where there are at least two children who test positive in the rapid antigen tests, then tests should be carried out daily for a week.  

Unlike in Brandenburg, there are currently no plans to move away from face-to-face teaching. The child-friendly ‘lollipop’ Covid tests will be made compulsory in day-care centres and parents will be required to confirm that the tests have been carried out. Day-care staff have to document the results.

What about vaccination centres?
Berlin wants to expand these and set up new ones, according to Matz. A new vaccination centre should open in the Ring centre at the end of the week and 50 soldiers from the German army have been helping at the vaccination centre at the Exhibition Centre each day since last week.

The capacity in the new vaccination centre in the Lindencenter in Lichtenberg is expected to be doubled. There are also additional vaccination appointments so that people can get their jabs more quickly. Currently, all appointments are fully booked well into the new year.

 

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