TROPICAL RAINFOREST NOT FAR FROM BERLIN
Yes, you did read the title correctly, this is Germany's capital city we are talking about! Berlin. Germany’s capital it is very rich with historical sites, just a short distance from it where you can enjoy a day trip to a tropical rainforest in Potsdam.
Potsdam is the capital city of Brandenburg, one of the sixteen states in Federal Republic of Germany. Geographicaly, Berlin lies in the center of Brandenburg but is not part of it.
The tropical rainforest not far from Berlin, it is an indoor area called Biosphäre Potsdam.
I found it to be very educational but also very entertaining at the same time, for both children and adults, as I grew up in a tropical country, I found it very intruiging that Biosphäre Potsdam tries to simulate a tropical environment just like a forest from somewhere in Borneo.
There is very informative information here advising of how technology development mimics what nature has been doing for many centuries, for example the construction of Eiffel tower is based on human’s femur bone fiber.
Visit the Butterfly House then see how this insect is hatched from eggs which then transforms into caterpillars, then they cocoon themselves and change into extremely beautiful butterflies.
Metamorphosis of butterflies is something you do not want to miss. If you only learn it via biology text books at school, then this is the perfect place to see the real thing.
Biosphäre Potsdam additionally has some collections of tropical Geckos, Snakes, Frogs, Insects, Bantam Chickens & other varieties of birds.
The birds are singing and flying around from one tree to another within the Biosphäre and the Bantam Chicken crackles is some of the ambient noises that you would surely enjoy.
There is a Aquasphäre (marine) section which shows you the beauty of what is in our oceans, this is presented in aquarium tanks, located inside a German submarine (U-boot). It presents what healthy corals and ocean life should be.
Unfortunately nowadays human activity does threaten life within the earth‘s oceans, for example coral bleaching, over fishing, algae blooming and plastic polution alongside other pollutants that harm our beautiful planet, this section is well worth visiting too.
Another special exhibition known as Orchid Bloom is running from 17th March until 1st May
This exhibition has a series of beautiful orchids which only usually grow in a natural tropical rainforest environment are now also on view in the Biosphäre Potsdam.
Try not miss this as it will only there for the aforementioned period of time.
Biosphäre Potsdam is an indoor tropical rainforest that everybody should visit. This is a delightful place to educate children and inform adults of our way of living and could help prevent more environmental damage. Enjoy your short get away to a tropical rainforest, so very close to Berlin.
How to get there
Option One:
travel on the S-bahn:
S7 line, direction to Potsdam
S1 line, direction Wannsee and change to S7 direction to Potsdam
Option two:
With Regional train: RE1
From Postdam Hauptbahnhof, take Tram 96 and stop at Volkspark station, which will stop directly in front of Biosphäre Potsdam.
Travel Tickets
From Berlin: You will need farezone C by VBB to travel to Potsdam, if you only have farezone AB by VBB (for Berlin) you will need to purchase an additional ticket a so called Anschlussfahrausweiss (valid for 120 min) costs €1,60.
Entrance Fee to the Biosphäre
Day ticket:
Adults (>14 yo) €11,50
Children (5-13 yo) €7,80
Infants (3-4 yo) €4,50
For more information of Biosphäre Potsdam click here.
