The Vield in Brandenburg is a place where teams can meet anew at an offsite, retreat, or team-building event. Just an hour from Berlin, rural charm meets contemporary design. Louisa and her husband Caspar have transformed the former stables into a space where groups of up to 45 people can think, create, and spend the night. If you like, you not only get space, but also support. The team can help you plan the content of workshops or off-site days on request, depending on the needs of the team in question. We were there for the second time and experienced The Vield in a whole new way. A lot has happened since our first visit in 2021. The site in Vielitz in the Prignitz region has grown, just like our team. For the first time, we saw the new single rooms with en-suite bathrooms in the barn. What has remained is what we liked back then: the smell of freshly baked bread rolls in the morning and salads straight from the garden at lunchtime, prepared by Desiree and Chris, who live next door and take care of the catering. The heart of the place is the main house: the workshop area and open kitchen downstairs, and the sleeping areas upstairs. Everyone has their sleeping cabin or “indoor glamping” space above, so retreat and privacy are possible. A new addition is the converted barn: a refuge between vintage charm and modern sustainability, made possible by the solar-panelled roof.

There are single rooms and a separate kitchen; the barn can be rented separately or all together for large groups. Here, as everywhere on the site, there are plenty of places to sit together. The repertoire ranges from rocking chairs to Acapulco chairs by the fireplace, beer benches in the patio, and a small grandstand in the courtyard. In other words, there’s a place for everyone. And if required, you can rent additional rooms in the small village. The many whiteboards and post-its in the main building? They remained largely untouched. Instead were conversations by the fire, a pottery workshop with artist Bettina Krieg, who has her studio right next door, and spontaneous trips to the lake, kayak tour included. The most valuable thing: space for the unexpected. Conference rooms and telephone booths feel a long way away. Instead, loving and fun details are everywhere: eclectic vases in the courtyard, an old carriage, an overgrown flower garden… And that’s exactly what makes The Vield so special. A little Pippi Langstrumpf charm and so much space for real encounters and new perspectives. So for us, it was more than just an offsite, it was time to simply be together again.

Text: Nina Trippel / Photos: Ruby Watt, Savannah van der Niet

The Vield, Kirchstr.40, 16835 Vielitzsee–Vielitz; map

@the_vield

Brandenburg forests are living organisms — full of scents, sounds, and hidden wonders. From the moment you enter the coolness of the forest, everything changes. Sun flickers through the leafy canopy, moss springs underfoot, the scent of pines, the crackling of dry branches, the buzzing of insects — wandering through the forest becomes a restorative experience, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. This is where “Parallax Encounters” comes in — an immersive walk that invites you to consciously look for the forest’s hidden wonders. The focus is on a fascinating forest dweller: the octopus stinkhorn. With its intense smell and bizarre appearance, it becomes the starting point for a series of excursions that push sight into the background and challenge the other senses. Under the guidance of composer and multimedia artist Gabriel Francisco Lemos, participants will explore selected forests in Berlin and Brandenburg on three Saturdays in July 2025. Go in search of the stinkhorn, absorb the forest soundscapes, and experience how consciousness changes when you give more space to hearing, smelling, and touching.

The term “parallax” — the shift in perspective that gives rise to new meanings — serves as a poetic guideline. An encounter with the forest quickly becomes an encounter with oneself. The hike is for creatives, nature lovers, writers, and anyone interested in sensory perception and nature. The routes are quiet, accessible, and suitable for beginners. You are welcome to bring your own recording devices and notebooks.

Text: Laura Iriondo / Photos: Gabriel Lemos

Parallax Encounters
Upcoming tours: 05., 12. & 19.07.2025 12–18h

You will receive all further information on registration and location by email:
gabrielfranciscolemos@gmail.com

@gabrielfranciscolemos

The world’s most popular urban sport is getting a new look at Ding Dong Ping Pong in Prenzlauer Berg. Four people, one palm — let’s go. According to community maps, there are 2,800 publicly accessible table tennis tables in Berlin and almost as many obstacles that make playing challenging. The city dust on the table, the eternal wait until the wind dies down, and, of course, counting the score far too loudly so as not to forget it. And then the rubber comes off the old racket. Nevertheless, everyone loves the rhythmic ping-pong. Waldemar Zeiler and Kian Pariwar feel the same way, which is why they’re paying homage to the playground classic with a particularly aesthetic comeback in yellow: Ding Dong Ping Pong. A table landscape that is fun and high-quality equipment that leaves more room for community. “Ping Pong for everyone” adorns the façade of the club on Prenzlauer Allee. What exactly does that mean? Table tennis around the clock (from 6 am to midnight), seven days a week. All you have to do is register and reserve a table for up to four people.

The weather can’t affect your game; the boards are perfectly illuminated, and the equipment is in excellent condition. The score is automatically counted on a large screen so you can concentrate on the next point. And if your backhand is still causing you problems, book a coach to help you with technical tips. You can even watch a video replay of your game and evaluate your performance with your coach. Want to get started right away, but your friends aren’t that spontaneous? Find playing partners from the neighborhood via the app. There’s table tennis for pros and beginners, for old table rivals, new matches, early birds, and night duelists. It’s ping pong for everyone.

Text: Emma Zylla / Photos: Helmut Sattler

Ding Dong Ping Pong, Prenzlauer Allee 38, 10405 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map

@dingdongpingpongclub