Lake

In the Ruppiner Seenland near Rheinsberg lies the Sunday Resort Marina Wolfsbruch: a lake hotel with its own marina, combining water sports, wellness, and spacious holiday home facilities. Accommodation is directly on the shore, many houses have their boat berth right in front.

Lake Sacrow, located between Kladow and Sacrow, is the quietest swimming lake in the west: 110 hectares in a glacial channel, up to 39 meters deep, fed by groundwater and surrounded by the Königswald forest. Swimming is permitted at two tolerated natural bathing areas, including a sandy beach with shallow entry at the northern tip. No entrance fee, no infrastructure.

Lake Groß-Glienicke is one of the clearest swimming lakes in the region: 66 hectares, up to 11.2 meters deep, almost entirely fed by groundwater, with the state border running right through its waters. The Potsdam bathing area 'An der Badewiese' offers a fine sandy beach, sunbathing lawn, forest playground, and kiosk pavilion with excellent water quality.

Berlin Boat Rental is the central booking platform for renting boats in Berlin, making motorboats, party boats, rafts, and houseboats comparable across the city on the Spree and Havel. Those who want to charter a boat in the capital will find the largest selection bundled here, advised by native Berliners with 16 years of experience on the water.

The Seestar of Britz is located in the Britzer Garten and serves breakfast on slightly elevated terraces directly over the lake. The building itself is an earth-mound structure by architect Engelbert Kremser, completed in 1985 for the Federal Garden Show. For breakfast in the green, this means: first through the park, then scrambled eggs with a view of the water.

The house on Albrechtstrasse opened in 1910 as a hospice and still belongs to the Berliner Stadtmission today, with part of the proceeds supporting their social work. Sunday brunch is a buffet for 35 euros, featuring regional and seasonal dishes from Berlin and Brandenburg. Behind the restaurant lies a quiet courtyard garden, and Friedrichstraße station is two minutes away.

Right on the Great Wannsee and at the edge of the Grunewald forest: The Wannseeterrassen in Zehlendorf is one of Berlin's most famous excursion restaurants, with lake views, a spacious terrace, and cuisine blending German and French traditions.

With 1,275 meters of sandy beach and 355,000 square meters of grounds, Strandbad Wannsee is Berlin's largest lake beach: Baltic Sea sand, historic New Objectivity changing rooms, FKK zone, beach volleyball, and beach chairs. A day ticket costs 6.50 Euros, reduced 3.80 Euros, and the S-Bahn stops 1.2 kilometers away. The whole site is a listed monument.

Friedrichshagen Lido is located on Lake Müggelsee, Berlin's largest lake, and offers a diving tower, beach basketball, free ping-pong tables, and a lakeside bar behind the sandy beach. Residents of 12587, 12589, or 15566 pay less at this swimming lake, with day tickets starting at just 6 Euros and evening rates at only 4 Euros.

The Precise Resort Bad Saarow is located in a park on Lake Scharmützelsee and features a 4,200 square meter spa with indoor and outdoor pools, an adult relaxation pool, and a sauna with lake views. Three 18-hole golf courses are located directly next to the hotel.

Right on Lake Senftenberg in the Lusatian Lake District, the Wellnesshotel Seeschlößchen combines castle romance with an extensive private SPA, an Ayurveda concept, and sophisticated cuisine. The family-run four-star superior hotel in Senftenberg is Brandenburg's most charming answer to the need for true deceleration.

On the shore of Lake Scharmützelsee, there is no thermal bath, but a pure sauna resort: seven saunas and a steam bath, including the SATAMA Theater for up to 160 guests and the Maa-Sauna with up to 120 degrees Celsius. Founded in 2002 with five saunas, today it hosts infusion world championships and attracts around 80,000 guests annually.

Strandbad Jungfernheide is Berlin's only swimming lake with its own waterski and wakeboard cable park, plus four 50-meter lanes in the lake, a long pier, and the Strandhaus Café with a terrace. The artificially created Jungfernheide Pond is located within Erwin Barth's registered garden monument; a day ticket costs 8 Euros, reduced 6 Euros.

Stand Up Paddling on the Havel, right in Spandau: The SUP Center Berlin on Eiswerder Island is the perfect place for anyone who wants to experience Berlin from the water in beautiful weather. Rentals, courses, yoga, and XXL boards make this spot the top choice for watersports activities in the capital.

No party train, no sash chaos: For a bachelorette party on the Finnfloat sauna raft on Müggelsee in Köpenick, the girls sweat, jump, and toast in a Scandinavian way. Wellness on the water, far away from the hustle and bustle of Berlin.

Wandlitzsee Beach is the deepest swimming lake on this list: 24.5 meters deep, 204.6 hectares of water surface, and rated excellent. The municipality of Wandlitz operates it itself, with a lift at the pier, a barrel sauna, 1- and 3-meter diving boards, and a bathing platform with a slide. Adults pay 5 Euros, children aged five and up pay 1 Euro.

The Wellnesshotel Seeschlösschen is located on the shores of Lake Senftenberg in the Lusatian Lake District and features a 5,000 square meter spa area with indoor and outdoor pools, a natural swimming pond, and eight saunas. Additionally, it offers its own Ayurveda center and four private spas for two.

Kallinchen Lido at Motzener Lake is the most affordable swimming lake on this list: adults pay 4 Euros, children 2 Euros. For that, you get a 100-meter swimming beach, a swimming island, a water slide, mini-golf, beach soccer, and a designated naturist area. Motzener Lake is 16.6 meters deep, and motorboats are strictly forbidden there.

Located on the Havel island of Hermannswerder in the south of Potsdam, this owner-managed 4-star hotel is situated directly on Templiner See, far enough from the hustle and bustle of the city of palaces, yet close enough to reach it in seven minutes by car. Lake sauna, lake restaurant, and lake view: here, the water is not just a backdrop, but the main attraction.

The Kleiner Müggelsee (Little Müggelsee) near Neu Helgoland is the quiet alternative to the large Müggelsee: 10.3 hectares, natural shoreline in the Müggelspree landscape protection area and an official bathing area with excellent water quality. Accessible by the BVG ferry F23, free of charge, with a water rescue station and a bathing area protected from boat traffic.

The cable car at Wasserskipark Zossen is 540 meters long, runs over five masts, and pulls riders with seven carriers over the water, including obstacles and kickers. Beginners start on the 150-meter-long practice lift, where only one person starts at a time. Vest, twin skis, and kneeboard are included in the ticket; the adult day pass costs 58 Euros.

Strandbad Wendenschloss is nestled in a forest on Lake Langer See and is the only swimming lake on this list where the evening rate costs nothing at all. A jetty with a diving tower, beach chairs, boules, beach volleyball, and boat and SUP rental are available, and the lido is barrier-free. A day ticket costs 7 euros, reduced 4.50 euros.

Directly on Lake Großer Döllnsee in the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve near Templin: The four-star Hotel Döllnsee-Schorfheide offers lake holidays in Brandenburg with its own bathing jetty, bathhouse, and plenty of surrounding forest, just an hour's drive north of Berlin.

Bad Saarow is a mud spa and recognised health resort in the south of Berlin, directly on Lake Scharmützelsee, which offers a wide range of recreational opportunities.

Plötzensee Lido is Berlin's central bathing lake: a sandy beach in the middle of Wedding, right next to Volkspark Rehberge, with a long wooden pier, water slide, climbing frame, and rentable beach chairs. The entrance building from 1926 is a listed monument; people have been swimming in the lake since 1891. A designated FKK (nudist) area is available.