Breaking News: I’ve found lake utopia in Berlin

I don’t think it bears repeating that winters in Berlin are miserable. Long, dark, grim, isolating, bitter, bone-chillingly damp, and miserable. So as every Berliner knows, once warm weather hits, the pressure is on to make the most of the glorious but short-lived summer. Me, I have a mental bucket list, and summer does not feel complete until I’ve ticked off every last thing (at least once). It looks a little something like this:

– Hang out at a Biergarten
– Watch the sunset from a picnic blanket at Tempelhofer Park
– Watch the sunrise at an open-air party
– Drink beer and eat takeout by the Landwehrkanal
– See a movie at an open-air Freiluftkino
– Eat as much Eis as I can, as often as I can
– Grillen, grillen, grillen

And last but not least: DESTINATION LAKE.

The location of the best Berlin lake is a topic of hot discussion every summer. I’ve been faithfully going to Krumme Lanke for years, and though I wouldn’t say it’s an exceptional swimming spot, it’s quite nice and easy to get to by U-Bahn, Two years ago, I blogged about another worthwhile lake spot, Kleiner Müggelsee. Last weekend though, I made a new discovery that my two lake companions and I agreed is the nicest lake we three have ever been to in Berlin:

Sacrower See. This beautiful gem of a lake is nestled into a crook of land jutting out over Potsdam, the Havel, and Peacock Island (Pfaueninsel). A short trek through a protected forest reserve leads you to a small shoreline of powdery white sand. The air is fresh and pure and the water incredibly clean, sparklingly clear, and a lovely soft blue. There’s a bigger (and apparently more popular) beach on the northern tip of the lake, but on the eastern shore is a small one that, even on a blazing-hot Saturday, was not crowded.

I’m willing to share this secret tip because Sacrower See’s out-of-the-way location ensures it will stay on the quiet side. Even driving there takes you on a somewhat roundabout route, or you can cycle the 15 km each way from S-Spandau station. If you can hack the journey, though, it’s well worth it. I can’t wait to go back – before the long, dark, grim, isolating, bitter, bone-chilling, and miserable Berlin winter returns.