Every ten years, there's a new IGA in Germany, with the latest on plants, gardens, horticulture and landscape architecture. This time it's taking place in the district of Marzahn in Berlin. It also benefits the residents of the district, which is densely populated and dominated by high-rises. The cableway is set to remain for at least three years after the exhibition ends.

Kienberg Hill rises from the center of the IGA. It's an ice age mound that was artificially raised to almost twice its original height beween 1946 and 1984, with debris from World War II and masses of earth from Berlin building sites. Thus the hill grew to be a good 100 meters tall. Here the cableway fulfils its purpose, taking a mere five minutes to reach the top.

And because a hill like this simply begs for a crowning touch, there's a spectacular viewing platform atop the Kienberg. The Wolkenhain (Cloud Grove) takes you 30 meters higher. Above the treetops, you can see the entire IGA grounds, great stretches of Berlin and the surrounding countryside in the state of Brandenburg.

A park that already existed in Marzahn, the Gardens of the World, was integrated into the International Horticultural Exhibition and extended. The park was created after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 in the US, and was meant to facilitate dialogue between cultures through themed gardens. One was the Chinese "Garden of the Regained Moon," one of the largest of its kind in Europe.

The "Garden of the Four Streams," an oriental garden based on the traditional design principles of Islamic horticulture, was also part of the Gardens of the World. It unites the traditions of various countries of the Orient, according to which gardens are reflections of paradise, a place of peace and contentment.

At the IGA, new exhibits designed by renowned landscape architects from nine countries and five continents join the Gardens of the World with, for instance, a wide variety of playful approaches to the theme of water.

Beyond that, international artists reflect their own cultural origins and show their views of a landscape. The installation "Reflecting Gardens" is by Danish sculptor Jeppe Hein, who lives in Berlin.

Of course, no major horticultural exhibition would be complete without a stage on which open-air events can be presented: music, cabaret and comedy. The highlights include a concert conducted by Daniel Barenboim.

Under the motto ‘an OCEAN of colours’ in more than 5,000 events held over the course of 186 days, everything will be centring on contemporary garden design and landscape architecture, natural experiences, green urban spaces and multifaceted culture on an area of land covering 104 hectares. Some 2.4 million visitors are expected until the exhibition closes in October.