A few weekends ago we headed out of Berlin, to Potsdam, a city easily accessible via train or car and checked out the Biosphäre Potsdam. I documented our time there for a review...
The Biosphäre Potsdam is a gigantic concrete and glass structure housing a man-made tropical rainforest which is home to exotic flowers, fish, reptiles as well as a butterfly house. A variety of trails lead you through different sections of the 7000m2 rainforest offering little educational elements along the way (mainly in both German and English). You can learn about the differing scales of reptiles, check out the gigantic fish in the ponds, run across the wobbly bridges and discover the different uses of bamboo.
A variety of flowers and plants can be found amongst the trees and little magnifying glasses are set up to look at these in more detail. There are lots of different things to see on a variety of levels within the Biosphäre so I would recommend avoiding bringing a buggy/stroller inside if possible, to avoid restriction. There is a cloakroom where you can leave your buggy/stroller if needed.
The temperature inside the Biosphere is definitely warmer but on the day it was, I wouldn't exactly have called it tropical, so layers are recommended. According to their website, temperatures can be expected to be between 23 - 28°C, with an 80% humidity and an hourly 'thunderstorm' takes place over the pond!
The temperature inside the Biosphere is definitely warmer but on the day it was, I wouldn't exactly have called it tropical, so layers are recommended. According to their website, temperatures can be expected to be between 23 - 28°C, with an 80% humidity and an hourly 'thunderstorm' takes place over the pond!
Our kids loved seeing the animals, especially the chickens that are free to roam around and the beautiful birds that filled the air with the sounds of the forest (along with the speakers hidden amongst the bushes ha ha)
Whilst we were visiting, there was a special exhibition of Orchids, with many on display throughout the rainforest (on until 1st May 2016). They regularly change the exhibitions that are on throughout the year so make sure to check out the website to find out what extras are on during your visit.
On Saturdays and Sundays, visitors are invited to help feed the Coi fish in the forest pond by the cafe at 12pm and they also offer special children's birthday parties for those who are looking for something different.
A big hit for our oldest boy was the butterfly house. Whilst we were there (in March) a large number of the butterflies were still in their cocoons which gave us the opportunity to see the different stages of what the butterflies go through and the woman working in there was great at showing us where the caterpillars were and explaining which ones turned in to which butterflies. She didn't speak English but was able to show non-German speakers enough through visuals.
On Saturdays and Sundays, visitors are invited to help feed the Coi fish in the forest pond by the cafe at 12pm and they also offer special children's birthday parties for those who are looking for something different.
A big hit for our oldest boy was the butterfly house. Whilst we were there (in March) a large number of the butterflies were still in their cocoons which gave us the opportunity to see the different stages of what the butterflies go through and the woman working in there was great at showing us where the caterpillars were and explaining which ones turned in to which butterflies. She didn't speak English but was able to show non-German speakers enough through visuals.
We spent a good three hours exploring the whole place and found it was definitely value for money. There are two food options inside, a cafe which mainly only has drinks, ice creams and minor snacks. You can order a special breakfast there but you must do so roughly 4 days in advance of your visit. Alternatively, there is a restaurant there which we tried out for the first time and the food was delicious. The kids menu was the more typical chips and one option of pasta but the adult menu had some more interesting choices and both my bloke and I loved our dishes.
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You could theoretically include this as part of a day trip to Potsdam, but it does need some solid time to really make the most of your visit so I would mainly recommend a visit there specifically for the Biosphäre if you have younger children who run out of steam quicker. The Biosphäre Potsdam website gives plenty of instructions in English on how to get there via public transport or by car and there is a big car park for drivers right next door.
Biosphäre Potsdam
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm // last admission at 4:30pm
Saturday, Sunday and holidays
10am - 7pm // last admission at 5:30pm
Cost:
Adults (14 years and older): €11,50
Children (5-13 years): €7,80
Children (3-4 years): €4,50
Children (under 3 years): free
Family and Group Tickets
Families (2 adults with up to 3 children): 33.50 €
Mini families (1 adult with 2 children) 22,00 €
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Biosphäre Potsdam
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm // last admission at 4:30pm
Saturday, Sunday and holidays
10am - 7pm // last admission at 5:30pm
Cost:
Adults (14 years and older): €11,50
Children (5-13 years): €7,80
Children (3-4 years): €4,50
Children (under 3 years): free
Family and Group Tickets
Families (2 adults with up to 3 children): 33.50 €
Mini families (1 adult with 2 children) 22,00 €
Keep up to date with Berlin for all the Family on Facebook and Instagram
