Berlin Day Trips: Where to Escape When the City Gets Too Hot
- Filip
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
There’s a moment every Berlin summer when you’re standing on the U8 platform, melting into your crop top, wondering why you ever romanticized “gritty urban living.” It’s hot, your hangover is wearing sunglasses, and someone just spilled Club-Mate down your leg. Babe, it’s time to escape. Because as seductive as Berlin is in the heat, sometimes you need trees, silence, and water that doesn’t have a rogue cigarette butt floating in it.
The good news? You’re surrounded by forests, lakes, and weirdly wonderful small towns just a train ride away. So if you’re looking for a reset that doesn’t involve canceling plans for three weeks straight, here’s your no-bullshit, slightly feral guide to the best Berlin summer day trips—for sweating less and feeling more.
Liepnitzsee – The Off-Grid Softcore Fantasy
Liepnitzsee is what happens when a lake and a daydream hook up. Hidden among pine trees and reachable by ferry (or a mildly regrettable hike), this turquoise stunner is peak Berlin nature escape. Think: foresty picnic vibes, discreet skinny dips, and the kind of water that feels like it’s flirting with your nervous system.
Why it’s worth it: Crystal-clear water, low-key magical, suspiciously hot people reading poetry.
How to get there: S2 to Bernau, then bus or bike.
Müggelsee – Where the Chaos Feels Cleansing
Berlin’s biggest lake is big enough to lose your friends, your clothes, and your sense of what day it is. Müggelsee has it all—nudist beaches, forest trails, old-school kiosks slinging beer, and secret coves if you want to disappear from society for a few hours.
Why it’s worth it: It’s sprawling, chaotic, and kind of perfect.
How to get there: S3 to Friedrichshagen + walk or ride.
Potsdam – For History Nerds and Picnic Sluts
If Berlin is your emotionally unavailable lover, Potsdam is the one who sends flowers and remembers your birthday. With baroque palaces, endless gardens, and lakefront chill zones, it’s basically Versailles without the Instagram mobs. Perfect for playing pretend in a linen set.
Why it’s worth it: Sanssouci Park, boat rentals, royal-core delusions.
How to get there: S7 from Berlin Hauptbahnhof.
Spreewald – Cucumber Canoe Couture
Yes, this is the place with the canals and the famous pickles. But Spreewald is also wildly beautiful—think endless waterways, dense green forests, and kayaking through towns that look like they were designed by a witch with excellent taste. Ideal for day-tripping when you want nature with a twist.
Why it’s worth it: Canoes, quiet, and a side of fermented magic.
How to get there: Train to Lübbenau or Lübben.
Bad Saarow – Wellness But Make It Sexy
Sometimes self-care looks like a day of floating in thermal water while trying not to think about your dating history. Bad Saarow is Berlin’s spa-town fantasy: calm, curated, and extremely mineral-rich. You can sauna your way through regret and then dip into Scharmützelsee for an actual lake moment.
Why it’s worth it: Spa culture, swim spots, deep exhale energy.
How to get there: RE1 toward Frankfurt (Oder), around 1 hour.
Wünsdorf-Waldstadt – Abandoned Soviet Daddy Energy
This one’s for the ghost-lovers. Once the biggest Soviet military base outside the USSR, Wünsdorf-Waldstadt is now a semi-abandoned dreamscape of overgrown bunkers, echoey halls, and Cold War eeriness. Go for the history, stay for the weird thrill of maybe being haunted.
Why it’s worth it: Zero crowds, high aesthetic, mildly spooky.
How to get there: Train to Wünsdorf-Waldstadt from Südkreuz.
Tropical Islands – Tacky, Surreal, and Weirdly Liberating
It’s a tropical beach inside a former airship hangar, and honestly, what’s more Berlin than that? Think artificial palm trees, indoor water slides, and the kind of overstimulation that somehow cures a rave hangover. It’s chaotic. It’s a little cursed. But it works.
Why it’s worth it: Irony, escapism, sauna sweat.
How to get there: Train to Brand Tropical Islands.
You Can Love Berlin and Still Leave It (Sometimes)
Escaping the city doesn’t make you a traitor to the Berlin grind. It makes you smart, hydrated, and slightly less insufferable at brunch. Whether you’re craving a swim, a spiritual reset, or just some trees that haven’t been urinated on, these Berlin summer day trips are your golden ticket. So grab your train ticket, pack questionable snacks, and run—before the sidewalk starts melting again.
