The Princess Garden in Berlin. Where exactly is it? Shards of green stab through grey concrete. After a quick gust of wind, my face is filled with dust and dirt. Cars, trucks and buses honk their horns over and over again as they dance in a circle. Are they communicating? Pedestrians jump back onto the pavement when they realise that there is no zebra crossing at the roundabout. Is this really the place? He told us to meet us here. He told us to meet at Moritzplatz.
Prinzessinnengärten – The Princess Garden in Berlin
Firstly, I’d better lock up my bike. Before I go any further on foot, at least I know where to come back to. Just then, a black and yellow bus whizzed past me. Did I get out at the wrong exit? Small droplets of water sprinkle and splash my face as I gaze across the busy square. “Looks more like a circle.” I thought out loud. Luckily there was no one close enough to hear what I said. “Oh, on the corner, that must be it. A garden!” I quickly made sure that my bike was properly locked up and took a gulp from my water bottle.
As the sun shines through the clouds, I see the nearby area booming with green animal and plant life – Birds, insects as well as people flock to the princess garden to experience one of the most underrated pleasures – nature. In 2009 the not-for-profit organisation Nomadisch Grün established the princess garden (Prinzessinnengärten) as a place of community in the heart of Berlin, Kreuzberg. What was once a waste land has blossomed into mobile, lively and organic garden.
A Community Based Garden in Kreuzberg
Last week I read about this place, a community-based garden in Kreuzberg. Why didn’t it click that this was the place we were meeting? The not-for-profit group is famous for transforming used spaces into mobile gardens. This particular garden, the princess garden in Berlin, offers a safe environment for people with any background to come together and see and take part in the benefits of sustainable living in an urban environment.
I darted back to the underground, leaving my bike safely locked to a tree. The cellist was still busking in the station. Not my usual choice of music, but it must have been the allegro which meant that the music was moving almost as fast as I was running through the station.
I was early for our meeting. Finally, I had enough time to explore the garden on my own. Unfortunately I was moving too fast and did not notice that my shoe was untied. Just as I arrived at the front gate of the princess garden, I tripped and landed in a puddle of mud. As a result, my clothes were ruined and required a quick trip home to get changed. At least I found the princess garden!
If you’d like to explore Berlin but have no idea where to start, have a read of our events in Berlin blog for some inspiration.