Strandbad Wannsee

Bathing at Wannsee began informally in the 1900s and the lido was formalised and then rebuilt between 1929 and 1930 to a design by Martin Wagner and Richard Ermisch in the New Objectivity style, a long low terraced building in brick and concrete facing the water; it is a listed building. The beach runs 1,275 metres and is replenished with sand from the Baltic coast. Strandkörbe, the hooded two-seat wicker beach chairs of the German coast, are hired in rows. It is one of the largest inland lidos in Europe and holds several thousand people.

Background

The lido lies on the eastern shore of the Großer Wannsee, a large bay of the Havel, and its beach measures 1,275 metres by 80 metres. Bathing was first officially permitted in 1907 on a 200-metre stretch. As the Freibad Wannsee it later had separate beaches of 65 metres each for men and women, with 350 metres for families between them. In 1924 thatched pavilions replaced the tents, the beach grew to 800 metres and it opened all year to winter bathers and skaters. Only the four-structure complex of a larger plan was built, for about 2 million Reichsmark. The grounds cover about 355,000 square metres and are designed for about 12,000 bathers.

Source: Wikipedia, "Strandbad Wannsee"

What to look for

• The 1930 buildings - a listed New Objectivity terrace facing the lake.
• The imported sand - 1,275 metres of beach, topped up with sand from the Baltic coast.
• The Strandkörbe - hooded wicker beach chairs hired in rows.
• The scale - one of Europe's largest inland bathing places.

When to go

May to September; it opens seasonally and is packed on hot weekends, when queues form at the entrance. The water warms slowly in early summer.

Practical notes

It closes outside the summer season. Hot weekends are extremely crowded. The lake water quality varies and is posted at the entrance.

Nearby

Pfaueninsel lies west; Potsdam is southwest.

Key facts