Berlin is in a region of many lakes, and is fortunate to have lakes both within the city as well as in the surrounding countryside of Brandenburg. Today we visited Müggelsee again, a big lake in the south-east of Berlin, in the Treptow-Köpenick district, surrounded by the suburbs of Freidrichshagen, Rahnsdorf, Köpenick and Muggelheim. It is so lovely there that I thought I would share some photographs.

In warm weather you can go there for the perfect day out. Around the lake you can find more than one “Strandbad” (beach area) for swimming and sunbathing, some free and others with a cover charge. I’ve only been to the free one, Strandbad Müggelsee, which has sand and a seaside feeling. It’s well equipped with bathrooms and changing areas, cooldrinks, ice-creams and food.

Apart from swimming, there are also people doing all sorts of watersports. At the end of the Strandbad is a place where you can hire pedal-boats, kayaks, rowboats, stand-up paddling (SUP) boards, kite-surfing boards and so on. Previously we tried a pedal-boat, which was great fun.

Today we rented a kayak and also had a great time. From inside the boat you get a different view of the lake around, and are closer to the ducks, swans, reeds and water lilies, and as you get splashed a bit it’s also nice and refreshing. The kayaks are stable although it takes some practice to get used to steering them. Someone gave us the tip that the heavier person should sit at the back, which seemed to help a bit today.

On Müggelsee you will see many yachts and other boats around, usually with people on them relaxing, sunbathing and swimming nearby. Motorboats and bigger boats also pass by in specific lanes. Apart from rowing around Müggelsee itself, you can also enter the smaller canals next to it. It’s really beautiful and peaceful in the canals, where you see boats moored next to the gardens of the homes there. Earlier this year in spring we rented kayaks and rowed around Neu Venedig (New Venice), an area of canals. This area is particularly pretty, and was especially beautiful in spring with the tree branches full of blossoms hanging over the water and lending their fragrance to the the air. Here are some photos taken in Neu Venedig.

To get to Müggelsee, you can take the S bahn to Friedrichshagen and then take a tram to Strandbad Müggelsee, Strandbad Friedrichshagen, or other areas of the lake you prefer. Around the lake are also some forests which are nice to walk in. Neu Venedig is near to the train station Erkner, and kayaks can be rented directly on the canals. The towns of Köpenick and Friedrichshagen are also interesting to walk around in, even in winter, as they are quite different to the centre of Berlin.

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