Sunday at Liepnitzsee

The journey to Liepnitzee, a emerald lake situated 8 km. away from Berlin takes more than one hour. In order to arrive, I took a train until Bernau and then a bus until Utzdorf, feeling like traveling across many different countries and landscapes and mentalities too. But once arrived at the destination, the 2 km. left until the sea, the landscape offered compensated the previous hassle. 
The lake is situated in the midst of a beach forest, surrounded by high trees and accessible hills. It is plenty of people around, many of them carrying baby prams too.
Part of the communist Germany during the Cold War, the lake used to be less crowded during those times. The communist elites leaded by comrade Honecker, who in their infinite love for people built up just for themselves a secluded compound at Wandlitz - nowadays an extended medical facility - loved the turquoise blue clean waters. Their visits there meant that the rest of the beloved people were not allowed to be around. 
We took a small ferry wooden boat for 3 EUR. - 2 ways - and went on the other side of the lake, where the 99-spot camping area is located. Bikes and prams, and bikes-carrying-prams are everywhere. It is easy to walk and adventurous to bike - some sharp hills get your teenage adrenaline level high enough to just loose control of your bike and left yourself run from the top.
Is possible to find your peace in the midst of so many happy talkative crowds too. Hidden by vegetation, you have your small but personal slice of beach. Not a few uses this opportunity for some nudist enjoyment, a habit usually assumed to be part of the communist heritage, but I honestly doubt about this. At least nowadays, many 'free' Germans are embracing it too. Wholeheartedly.
A big advantage of this area is the lack of too much 'civilisation' signs. There are no restaurants or other leisure places, except the Insulaner Klause, near the camping place, serving very basic foods, and ice coffee, of mediocre quality, but if not my thirst, I would rather prefer to keep going instead of spending time at a table. The camping facilities look decent and many families with small kids are around.
The boat is ready to take us back on the other side of the lake and I just want to smell and taste every single second in the middle of so much beauty.
It's time for some slow hiking, in the middle of the forest, with views over the lake sometimes hidden by huge fallen trees. Obviously, not the right place to be during a storm.
Like in life, the road has many ups and downs, but some raw parts for a while, but the silence of the surroundings, broken only by the songs of birds balances all the negative energies brought up by our sometimes vain urban life.
Close by, Regenbogensee ('Regenbogen' means rainbow in German) is covered by silence. And it is no one around. I feel like in one of those sci-fi movies when one protagonist woke up alone as the rest of the world sunk away.
Soon, we are back on the concrete road. The high trees and green bushes will keep company for a while smoothing the transition to 'normality'. The next time when I need emerald waters and a corner of quietness, I will take the risk of a long journey for going here. It pays off perfectly.

For more images and inspiration, check the dedicated Pinterest board: https://de.pinterest.com/ilanaontheroad/sunday-at-liepnitzee/

2 comments:

  1. Ahhh German forests - magical!

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    1. Exactly! Need to see the Black Forest for more inspiration! :)

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