About Green Week Berlin
The International Green Week is Berlin's long-running January fair for food, agriculture and horticulture at the exhibition grounds under the Funkturm. Regions and partner countries present regional specialities that visitors can taste and buy.
When is Grüne Woche and who goes?
The International Green Week runs for about ten days, usually in the second half of January, from a Friday to the Sunday of the following week. It is one of the few large Berlin fairs that is fully open to the public: German regions, partner countries, farmers' associations and food producers present their products, and you can taste and buy. Weekdays bring school classes and trade visitors, weekends the big crowds. At the start of the fair, agriculture ministers and experts from many countries meet at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, which brings delegations through BER.
How long does the taxi take on a winter day?
In dry conditions the 35 km from the terminals to the grounds take 35 to 50 minutes via the A113 and A100. Snow or freezing rain can easily add 20 minutes, and in January it is dark by about 16:30, which slows the evening rush. The rebuilding of the A100 bridges near the Funkturm makes Messedamm a bottleneck, so if you land late in the afternoon, drive to your hotel first. More on the route: BER to Messe Berlin.
At the grounds: where your driver pulls up
- North entrance, Masurenallee: the main public entrance under the Funkturm, with the taxi rank.
- East entrance, Messedamm: often less crowded at opening time on Saturdays.
- South entrance, Jafféstraße: for CityCube and the conference programme.
Name the gate in the booking; at 10:00 on a Saturday every minute in the queue counts.
Arriving as an exhibitor
Stands are built in the days before the opening Friday, so exhibitors from abroad often land on Tuesday or Wednesday with sample cases, brochures and sometimes their own products in the hold. At that time BER is quiet, but the halls are busy with forklifts and set-up crews, so delivery vehicles block parts of Messedamm. Tell your driver whether you want the hotel or the stand first, and put the hall number in the booking. A pre-booked airport taxi waits even if the baggage belt is slow.
Shopping bags, wine boxes and the boot
Many visitors leave Grüne Woche with cheese, sausages, honey or a case of wine. If you are flying out afterwards, remember that liquids belong in checked luggage. For the taxi it simply means more boot space: note extra bags in your booking, or pick a larger vehicle for a family. A family transfer with child seats suits weekend visits with children.
Hotels and getting back in the dark
Charlottenburg hotels are 10 to 15 minutes from the halls; see BER to Charlottenburg. When the halls close in the evening, the public and exhibitors leave at once and the rank on Masurenallee is besieged in the cold. A pickup booked for a fixed time at the east or south gate spares you the wait. With a departure the same evening, budget 75 minutes on the road, or more if it is icy.
Checklist for January
- Flight number, so the driver follows any de-icing delay
- Gate and hall in the booking
- Space for shopping bags
- Warm layers: the walk from the drop-off to the gate is outdoors
- Opening hours on the Grüne Woche website ↗
