Lake

Ormos by Milchhäuschen is located on Parkstraße directly on the shore of Lake Weißer See, where the old Milchhäuschen already served day-trippers in the 18th century. It is run by two restaurateurs with Greek roots, so shakshuka, fava, and bowls are on the breakfast menu. For breakfast in nature, this means: terrace by the water, followed by a walk around the lake.

At the Nixe Marina on Königstraße, a hydrofoil lifts the electric surfboard out of the Großer Wannsee, allowing you to fly over the water without wind or waves. Training is conducted on premium boards with jet propulsion; the beginner's course lasts 120 minutes and costs 249 Euros. For water sports in Berlin, this is the most unusual way to get on the water.

The Gründerzeit villa Am Sandwerder is situated above the Großer Wannsee, with its garden extending to a private jetty. Up to 86 guests can celebrate in the house, and 34 can stay overnight in the 17 rooms, with double rooms starting from 88 Euros. For a romantic wedding in Berlin, this means: a ceremony on the shore, and no one has to travel across the city at night.

On Lake Motzen in the Dahme Lake District, the Residenz Seehotel Berlin-Brandenburg combines Märkisch country house ambiance with a wellness area, private beach, and a 27-hole golf course right next door. It's about 30 kilometers from Berlin to the water.

Kuhhorn bathing spot in Grunewald is the city's wild Havel beach: an undeveloped headland on the eastern bank of the Lower Havel, small bays, a narrow strip of sand, and a view of Gatow. Swimming is allowed here, but there is no supervision, no water rescue, and no infrastructure. Free, accessible by bus 218 to Schildhorn.

The bike tour through Lichtenberg and Hohenschönhausen takes a good hour and a half from the memorial in Genslerstraße via the Mies van der Rohe House from 1932 to Obersee and Orankesee. Afterwards, it becomes rural: The Malchower Aue has been a nature reserve since 1995, and Scottish Highland cattle graze on the Malchow Nature Farm.

The Lübars lido is located on Ziegeleisee, a swimming lake that originated from a clay pit of a brickworks. It features a diving platform, two water slides, beach chairs, beach volleyball, and a restaurant with an outdoor terrace. EU standards rate the water as excellent. A day ticket costs 7 Euros, reduced 5 Euros, evening rate 4.50 Euros.

From November to February, the Winter Raft operates as a heated cabin on the Spree, featuring an electric fireplace, furs on all seats, and approximately 25 degrees Celsius on board. For Christmas parties, 15 to 32 people embark at Oberbaumbrücke or Treptower Park, and the Spreeküche's winter buffet starts at 29.90 Euros net per person.

The family-run Landhaus Himmelpfort is located on Lake Haussee near Fürstenberg an der Havel: an almost 100-year-old house with a large garden, private lake access, and boat rental. Nine suites and two double rooms, there are no more beds here.

With 41 hectares, Schlachtensee is the largest lake in the Grunewald lake chain and is one of Berlin's bathing lakes with officially excellent water quality. The entire undeveloped shore is considered a bathing area; Paul-Ernst-Park adjoins the south shore. A seven-kilometer-long lakeside path connects the shady coves. Swimming is free, dogs are not allowed.

Strandbad Weißensee is a swimming lake with cultural activities: a stage on the water, a beach bar, a beer garden, and pizza, plus a designated non-swimmer area and 8.5 hectares of almost perfectly circular water. The municipal bath from 1912 was designed by Carl James Bühring. A day ticket costs 9.50 Euros, reduced 6 Euros; payment is exclusively electronic.

The Großer Tiergarten spans 207 hectares between the Brandenburg Gate and the Zoological Garden, making it Berlin's largest park. Peter Joseph Lenné transformed the old electoral hunting ground into a landscape park starting in 1818; today, the Victory Column, English Garden, New Lake, and Bellevue Palace are located within it. No other park in Berlin covers so much at once.

On the western shore of Lake Weißensee in Weißensee, Ormos by Milchhäuschen sits as a sun-drenched café with a Greek soul. The expansive lakeside terrace, the bright glass pavilion, and a menu ranging from mezze to homemade cake make this place a sun café with true lido charm.

Orankesee Lido in Hohenschönhausen features a 52-meter long water slide, a children's slide, a soccer arena, beach volleyball, and a separate non-swimmer area. The bathing lake is about four hectares in size, and the lido opened in 1929 with Baltic Sea sand. Admission costs 8 Euros, reduced 5.50 Euros, cash payment only.

Located directly on the Greenwich promenade in Tegel, the Tegeler Seeterrassen are among Berlin's most beautiful waterfront restaurants. The view over Lake Tegel, the spacious sun terrace, and a seasonally changing cuisine make this place a recommendation far beyond the north of the city.

A neo-baroque manor house directly on the Großer Lankesee in Löwenberger Land: The Seehaus at Schloss Liebenberg combines historical charm with a peaceful hotel operation, about 60 kilometers north of Berlin. 18 double rooms, a bathing jetty, and lots of surrounding forest.

About 90 minutes north of Berlin, on the shores of Lake Grienericksee in the Ruppiner Lakeland, Rheinsberg awaits with one of Northern Germany's most beautiful Rococo castles. This small town in Brandenburg combines Prussian history, Kurt Tucholsky's romanticism, and the Brandenburg lake landscape into a weekend trip that is far more than just a castle visit.

Far out in Köpenick, right on the banks of the Dahme, the Köpenicker Seeterrassen serve regional cuisine with a view of the Palace Island. This waterside restaurant is one of Berlin's most beautiful waterfront locations and can be reached by boat as well as on foot.

Liepnitzsee is the only larger clear-water lake in the Barnim Nature Park and one of the bathing lakes around Berlin with the best water quality. At the last measurement of the season, the visibility depth was three meters. The forest lido offers sandy shores, paddling pools, and boat rental, and in the middle of the lake lies the island Großer Werder.

Rübezahl am Müggelsee offers its goose as a complete package, which includes not only the goose but also all side dishes and a bottle of red wine. Orders are placed via email with advance payment and picked up during the Christmas holidays. The order deadline is November 30th, significantly earlier than most other providers in the city.

Lieper Bucht is a bay of the Lower Havel and one of Berlin's few swimming lakes with a real sand beach in the middle of Grunewald. The DLRG maintains a water rescue station here, and access is free. However, blue-green algae often appear in mid and late summer; an official warning was issued in August 2026.

The Panorama See Resort & Spa in Warnitz is uniquely located on the shore of Lake Oberuckersee in the Uckermark region and has its own bathing area. Across more than 2,000 square meters of spa in two buildings, it offers indoor and outdoor pools, a salt room, and a Finnish sauna with lake view.

Located in Alt-Hohenschönhausen, directly by Lake Orankesee, you'll find one of Berlin's most beautiful waterside restaurants. The Orankesee Terrassen combines Mediterranean cuisine with lake views, a beer garden, and a tranquility rarely found in the city.

The Pianocafé am Lietzensee is located on Neue Kantstraße at the edge of Lietzenseepark, just a few meters from the S-Bahn Messe Nord/ICC station. The menu features about a dozen breakfast options, from the small breakfast for 7.90 Euros to the Lietzensee breakfast for 14.50 Euros. Breakfast in the green here includes live piano music in the afternoon and homemade cakes.

Located directly by the lido of Lake Rangsdorf, about 30 kilometers south of Berlin, is the Seehotel Berlin-Rangsdorf: a four-star hotel with private lake access, a 700 square meter wellness area, and a restaurant with lake views. BER Airport is a 20-minute drive away.