Today we headed out towards Steglitz/Zehlendorf to visit Schlachtensee, one of Berlin's many lakes that I hear lots about. We walked down to the lake which is just a few moments from the S bahn Schlachtensee to see beautiful trees, a gorgeous lake and of course, lots of people enjoying it on a sunny day.
We took the path on the left of the main green in front of the station to find a more secluded spot to bathe in the lake. It wasn't quite what I had expected. The areas where you could clamber in to the lake were steeper than I had imagined and it was quite deep (my five year old was fine in this part but my toddler definitely not). We also were on a path which had a lot of passers by. In the end, we couldn't walk any further though and decided on a nice enough spot to sit. The lake was cold at first but we quickly adapted to the temperature and enjoyed a bit of wading around, playing push the toddler (he loved it. Really!) and my five year old sorted through the rocks and stones he found underfoot, getting gleefully dirty despite the water!
At one end of the lake is the Fischerhuette Schlactensee, selling full meals, snacks, beer and ice-cream. It is also possible to rent paddle boards and boats here, and there is a lovely little playpark and lots of outdoor seating to enjoy a view of the lake.
If you fancy a trip there yourself, either take the S Bahn to Schlachtensee station (on the S1 line) or drive to Am Schlachtensee 1, 14129 Berlin.
All photographs @Sarah Winborn Photography