Wochenmarkt Boxhagener Platz — Open-air market in Friedrichshain, Berlin

Wochenmarkt Boxhagener Platz sets up on Gärtnerstraße in Friedrichshain, one of the oldest and largest weekly markets in Berlin, and it runs on Saturday alone. What you walk into is a market centred on a garden with lawns and trees, so there is shade to stand in while you browse at your leisure.

The produce is the reason most people come. Stalls across the market sell fresh fruit and vegetables, several of them arranging their displays by season, and a large share of the offerings is organic, both to eat on the spot and to take home. Beyond the produce you find specialty vendors with honey, sausage and cheese, a kimchi stall worth seeking out among the prepared foods, and a small bread stall with sourdough bread and rolls.

It is not only food. Flower stalls are one of the market's visual highlights, handmade jewellery stalls are good for browsing, and art and craft stalls round out the visit. Food stalls from various countries add variety, and a few stalls sell clothing and other miscellaneous items.

On cost, the market leans organic-focused and prices run slightly high; walk the whole loop and look at the offerings before picking a stall, since some are overpriced and some relatively ok. The raclette is the highlight every Saturday, and the atmosphere stays relaxed even as the market has grown.

The market suits a slow Saturday morning rather than a quick grocery run: come for the seasonal displays, stay for the raclette, and leave with a bag of fruit, a loaf and something from the craft stalls.