Müggelsee

The Müggelsee is the largest lake inside Berlin's city limits, roughly 3 square miles (about 7.4 km²) of open water in the far southeast. This is not a pond in a park. It is a proper lake with sailboats, passenger ferries, forest along the southern shore and public swimming beaches, and standing on the shore you would never guess you are still inside a capital city.

In summer Berliners come out here to swim, sail and paddle. There are Strandbäder, which is the German term for a supervised lake beach with changing rooms and a small entrance fee, along with free stretches of shoreline where people simply walk in. Shaded trails run around much of the water for anyone who would rather hike than swim.

On the hill above the southern shore stands the Müggelturm, a lookout tower from the early 1960s. The climb is short, and the view takes in the lake, the wooded Müggelberge hills and, on a clear day, the TV Tower back in the center of the city.

Getting here takes about 40 minutes from the center, S-Bahn line S3 plus a tram or bus. Combine it with the old town of Köpenick, a small historic center with a baroque palace on its own island, or with one of the boat tours that run on the Spree and Dahme rivers. It is a full day trip, not a stop you squeeze between two museums.