Now that the days are finally getting longer and the first signs of summer are noticeable in Berlin , the swimming season is also kicking off. It’s still a bit too cold to swim in the most beautiful lakes in and around Berlin, but they’re available all year round for a trip into nature. Griebnitzsee is a body of water steeped in history. Here, you can not only stroll along the former border but also marvel at world-famous villas and parks.
A lake for the elite
The narrow, L-shapedGriebnitzseeis about three kilometers long. It lies in a glacial channel and borders the Berlin district of Wannsee to the north and Potsdam-Babelsberg to the south. Thanks to this location, the lake also serves as an architectural showcase for German high society.
In the early 20th century, industrialists, bankers, and film stars such as Marlene Dietrich and Heinz Rühmann settled here in villas well worth seeing. During the Potsdam Conference in 1945, the heads of state of the victorious powers— Truman, Churchill, and Stalin—resided here.
With the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 , however, Griebnitzsee became a deadly border: the shore on the Brandenburg side was a restricted area, and the border wall ran partly right through the villas’ gardens. It wasn’t until after 1989 that the lakeside paths were reopened to the public, a move that continues to lead to legal disputes with property owners to this day.
Villa tour from the water
Today, a long walk or bike ride along the lakeside path takes you past architectural masterpieces such as Villa Schöningen or the Truman Villa. You can also admire the surroundings directly from the water, for example on a boat tour. The boat rental at the Griebnitzsee S-Bahn station offers canoes and kayaks.
As you walk, you’ll see the rear facades of the villas, the remains of the border fortifications, and enjoy the view all the way to Babelsberg Palace and the Glienicke Bridge. Incidentally , due to its generally poor water quality , Griebnitzsee is less suitable for swimming.
And if you want to impress with some extra trivia during your visit: The lake’s name comes from the Slavic “grib,”meaning “mushroom,” and “(n)ica,” meaning “place.” So how about a hike around the mushroom place?
