Pssst – for your eyes only! This time our BCO tour of discovery took us right across the Grunewald district, to palaces, country houses and Bavarian-style huts on the shores of the Wannsee lake! Here, you can find the inspiration for your event in Berlin’s green spaces.
An exceptional event starts with an exceptional location. To keep you up to date on the latest on the event map, the BCO team regularly heads off through Berlin’s neighbourhoods or explores the green suburbs to find (new) event venues for conventions, congresses, meetings, events and incentives. This time we explored the boroughs of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Steglitz-Zehlendorf by bike. On our tour through the Grunewald forest and along the shores of the River Havel and Wannsee lake, we found some amazing places...
Just 20 minutes – that’s how long Berlin’s S-Bahn (city railway) takes from Mitte to the Grunewald forest. And those twenty minutes transport you to a very different world – yet one that does seem familiar. After all, this is also Berlin. Woodland, green spaces, lakes and rivers, mansions and imposing residences – and a palace.
Quite captivated, we push our bikes into the sunny courtyard of Berlin’s oldest surviving palace building. Grunewald Hunting Lodge lies in the heart of dense deciduous woodland directly on the shores of the Grunewald lake. Measuring around 1000 square metres, the courtyard is an impressive setting for open-air events. The spaces of the Alte Küche (Old Kitchen), the lakeside terrace and the Hunting Depot and Armoury are available additionally for hire on demand for selected, smaller event formats. You could also opt for exclusive guided tours through this unique Renaissance building with Berlin’s largest collection of works by the renowned artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. And whatever option you choose, the priceless magic of this location is always included.
From the Grunewald Hunting Lodge, we cycled on to our next location in the south-west of Berlin – literally straight across the forest. We only stopped when we reached the banks of the River Havel. A little ferry took us over a short stretch of water to the island of Lindwerder, where managing director Moritz Hardieck was waiting to meet us and show us around. This green island, which covers around 2.2 hectares, offers plenty of space for groups of different sizes for incentives and events, as well as such inspiring team-building events as raft construction. If you prefer, you can also exclusively rent the entire island.
The facilities for events include a rustic-style restaurant with a festive hall, conservatory and terrace together with – a must for Munich-born Moritz Hardieck – a beer garden with a view of the water. This island location has a simple approach – from incentives to conferences, (almost) everything goes, whether for 10 or 2000 guests.
The island of Schwanenwerder lies at the start of the Größer Wannsee lake. This is the site of the historic villa housing the conference centre of the Evangelische Akademie zu Berlin (The Protestant Academy Berlin). This idyllic location, surrounded by water and meadows, is perfect for selected seminars, conferences and congresses. Not only does the venue offer peace and quiet, but also seven meeting rooms up to 120 sq. meters and equipped with the latest conference equipment. There is also an option for three-star overnight accommodation for 62 guests in a separate building with its own restaurant and club room. The main building’s terrace has stunning views across a good two hectares of park and a bay in the River Havel. No wonder Stefanie Jüngerkes, head of the venue, says, “Most guests ask if we are still in Berlin.” Though that’s an easy one to answer – yes, and how!
The little island of Schwanenwerder was so lovely it was hard to leave! So we took a look around the vicinity of the Protestant Academy venue and came across the equally impressive building housing the Würth Group in Berlin. Set on a spreading site of over four acres with picturesque grounds and gardens, Würth Haus Berlin offers plenty of space for conferences, receptions and exclusive events. The main hall can supplement the attractive foyer to cater to meetings with smaller discussion groups or, with a range of seating options, provides an impressive setting for larger receptions. Once again on this tour, though, the terrace is a real highlight – this time with a view out across the charming landscaped park and the River Havel.
Push bikes are one thing, motorbikes another. But we were still sure of a warm welcome at what must be Berlin’s best-known meeting point for bikers – the Spinnerbrücke event location with its restaurant and beer garden. Just off the Spinnerbrücke bridge, this legendary location accommodates 200 guests inside and up to 1000 on the terraces and green spaces outside – a flexible venue for presentations, meetings, incentives and congresses. The space available for guests is much in evidence during Spinnerbrücke’s annual Oktoberfest. When the first barrels are tapped in Munich, this bikers’ meeting point becomes Berlin’s Bavarian heartland, attracting several thousand Oktoberfest fans.
We rounded off our tour by visiting one of the best-known locations along the Wannsee lake shoreline. We had cycled a good 20 kilometres through the Grunewald and along the River Havel and the Wannsee lake. Now, we recharged our batteries in the shade of tall old trees with a view of the lake – just one good reason why Lorretta’s motto is “Where Berlin relaxes!” And that sentiment applies equally to companies and event planners. Loretta’s beer garden offers plenty of space for an event with up to 1200 guests, while the restaurant can additionally accommodate 130 guests for an exclusive meeting. For smaller events, the Alpine hut provides a special Bavarian flavour in Berlin with space for 130 guests inside and seating for another 60 on the terrace. But whether you are looking for an Oktoberfest theme, lakeside Alpine cuisine or a winter event, or planning a conference, meeting, or incentive venue in Berlin’s green spaces, here you can escape the bustling big city. An ideal location – yet only 20 minutes from the city centre.
Shhh! Top Secret! On our BCO tour from Gendarmenmarkt to Potsdamer Platz, we've climbed roofs, met 007, and entered the fourth dimension, all just to prove that there are no limits to where meetings...
