The Werder Baumblütenfest, or Tree Blossom Festival, started on the 25th of April this year and will run through the fifth of May. About 35 km south west of Berlin, the official word is that the festival is a celebration of spring. But ask a local German, and they will remind you that the festival is second in size only to Oktoberfest.

The festival was described to me as a small village playing host to a wine tasting event. I expected an idyllic stereotypical German village, populated by posh sommeliers. I was wrong. Although, the town was quite idyllic, the crowd was not what might be associated with a wine tasting event. Instead, it was more of a drinking crowd.

And that’s really what this festival seems to focus on. Drinking. While Oktoberfest focuses on beer, Baumblütenfest focuses on homemade fruit wine. Everything from strawberry to rhubarb, with prizes being handed out for the best wines.

The streets of the city are lined with stands of locals selling their fruit wines. People everywhere wander around sampling the different fruit varieties, usually with their own bottle in hand. The more adventurous can be found on the various carnival rides near the water. A word of advice though, tackle all of the spinning rides before you’ve had too much of the wine. Trust me.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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