{"id":51873,"date":"2026-07-10T01:16:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T01:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/51873\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T01:16:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T01:16:14","slug":"see-for-yourself-the-best-lakes-in-and-around-berlin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/51873\/","title":{"rendered":"‘See’ for Yourself: The Best Lakes in and Around Berlin"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\"\"Teufelssee. IMAGO \/ Stefan Zeitz<\/p>\n

Sweltering summer temperatures have arrived in Berlin, and what better way to cool off than by taking a dip in one of our countless lakes? With almost 100 of them within the city limits and thousands within a short train or bike ride, there are plenty to choose from. For those who don\u2019t know which one to pick, we\u2019ve put together this handy little guide of our favourite spots for a swim \u2013 go see for yourself how lovely they can be!<\/p>\n

Teufelssee<\/p>\n

The Wild One<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"IMAGO \/ Zeitz<\/p>\n

Not far from the former Cold War spy station turned street art gallery at Teufelsberg, Teufelssee is a small, secluded lake in the middle of the Grunewald forest. It\u2019s famous for being clothing-optional and can draw quite the crowds in summer due to its relatively clean water that\u2019s ideal for swimming. It\u2019s also famous for being the site of that viral incident involving a wild boar stealing somebody\u2019s laptop bag back in 2020.<\/p>\n

Krumme Lanke<\/p>\n

The Easy-To-Access One<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"IMAGO \/ Christian Ender<\/p>\n

The terminus of the U3 gets its name from the famous swimming spot that is Krumme Lanke. It\u2019s the oppostie of a crummy lake, with clear, algae-free waters, plenty of little beaches along its shore and at least one good tree for kids to jump into the water from. The forest trail around Krumme Lanke offers a perfect place for a jog to warm you up before you plunge into the lake.<\/p>\n

Schlachtensee<\/p>\n

The Beautiful One<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"IMAGO \/ Sabine Gudath<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t find a spot amidst the crowds at Krumme Lanke, don\u2019t fret! Just a few minutes further south is its larger sibling, Schlachtensee. In 2020, CNN named it as one of the most beautiful swimming spots in the world \u2013 that\u2019s just how pretty it is. Admittedly, Schlachtensee does also draw masses (honestly, who can blame them), but as the shoreline stretches for many kilometres, you should be able to find a place without too much trouble.<\/p>\n

Wannsee<\/p>\n

The Classic One<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"IMAGO \/ Stefan Zeitz<\/p>\n

Beyond Schlachtensee lies one of the biggest lakes on this list: Wannsee, famous for having a huge (albeit paid) sandy beach, complete with lifeguards, a Pommes Bude and everything else you\u2019d expect to have at a Freibad. But if you don\u2019t like the idea of paying to swim in a lake, there\u2019s also a free swimming spot directly south of the main beach.<\/p>\n

Plotzensee<\/p>\n

The Party One<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"IMAGO \/ imagebroker<\/p>\n

On the opposite side of the city, Plotzensee has established itself a reputation as the \u201cparty lake\u201d of Berlin, with DJs, drinks and pizza available to compensate for the \u20ac10 entry fee (unless you have Urban Sports, in which case it\u2019s free). The lake is fenced off in other spots and swimming there is illegal, but a little birdie told us that authorities tend to turn a blind eye to wild swimmers by the Steingarten opposite the designated Strandbad.<\/p>\n

Flughafensee<\/p>\n

The One with the Biggest Glow-Up<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"IMAGO \/ Sabine Gudath<\/p>\n

Located just north of the former Tegel airport, Flughafensee used to have a reputation as being dirty due to bacterial contamination. Nowadays, however, the water is as pristine as can be, plus there\u2019s a nice sandy beach and plenty of peaceful woods to take a walk in. The northwestern shore of the lake offers the best swimming spots, both for FKK enthusiasts and those who prefer to keep some things covered.<\/p>\n

Tegeler See<\/p>\n

The One Without Crowds<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"IMAGO \/ F. Anthea Schaap<\/p>\n

Tegeler See is Flughafensee\u2019s bigger cousin. For a long time, the main beach was closed to the public and slowly decaying, but it was recently renovated and reopened. For those who don\u2019t want to pay, there are plenty of other spots where you can access the water for free; most of these are located mostly along the northwestern shore, away from the city. It\u2019s quite far away (taking your bike is recommended) and there can be algae in the water, but the crowds at Tegeler See are usually not as big as elsewhere.<\/p>\n

M\u00fcggelsee<\/p>\n

The Biggest One<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"IMAGO \/ J\u00fcrgen Held<\/p>\n

At 7.4 square kilometres, M\u00fcggelsee is Berlin\u2019s biggest lake and one of the city\u2019s most beloved. The shallow water and plenty of sand at Strandbad M\u00fcggelsee make it the perfect place for those who want a real beach experience without having to leave Berlin. There\u2019s also a dedicated FKK beach nearby and Seebad Friedrichshagen on the lake\u2019s north-western shore, which you need to pay to enter, but offers umbrellas and a beer garden. M\u00fcggelsee is best in the early summer, because as the days get shorter, algae can become a problem.<\/p>\n

Orankesee<\/p>\n

The One With the Best Slide<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"IMAGO \/ J\u00fcrgen Held<\/p>\n

Although the beach at Orankesee is another one where you have to pay to enter, it has a big slide which makes it worth those couple of euros. It\u2019s a small lake, similar to the nearby Wei\u00dfensee but nicer \u2013 and there\u2019s a slide, did we mention?<\/p>\n

Orankensee, Alt-Hohensch\u00f6nhausen, location<\/a><\/p>\n

Liepnitzsee<\/p>\n

The Island Oasis<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"IMAGO \/ Emmanuele Contini<\/p>\n

Want to really escape the crowds? Then grab your bike (or Deutschlandticket) and head north of Berlin, where the picturesque Liepnitzsee awaits you. For a truly unique experience, you can take a boat out to the island in its centre \u2013 just make sure to note when it goes back, so you don\u2019t end up stranded! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Teufelssee. IMAGO \/ Stefan Zeitz Sweltering summer temperatures have arrived in Berlin, and what better way to cool…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":51874,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[18,1185,42068,21457,11869],"class_list":["post-51873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-berlin","tag-berlin","tag-lake","tag-lakes","tag-summer","tag-water"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51873"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51873\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}