Sarcower See loop walk
Time for another Berlin hiking route! This is a lovely half day walk that comes in at a neat 3 hours – perfect for a morning before lunch or afternoon hike. The village of Sarcow is super cute and has a VERY cute garden centre, a small restaurant with outdoor seating and some parking spots. The walk is accessible from here via public transport - there are two connecting busses you’ll need to catch from central Berlin. Alternatively you can drive by car (or bike!!) from Berlin, in which case you could also start and finish your hike at the Sarcower See’s Nordstrand, where you could reward yourself for your efforts with a warm meal and a pint at Landleben Potsdam while overlooking the water.
Following my route below, the walk starts off in the village of Sarcow, and the nearby Schloss Sarcow. Surrounded by stunning grounds leading right to the waterside with a positively mediterranean-looking church, this makes for quite a spectacular start. From there head west along the shores of the Jungfernsee. There’s a wide gravelled path through leafy woods, or an alternative narrow path right by the water that I personally loved. Look for little turns off the main walking and cycling path near the shore and presto - you’ve got your very own personal lake-see hiking trail! I’ve done this walk twice and have yet to see another walker on this little path. Occassional beaches along the route are very inviting for a dip or a picnic.
Before you reach the village of Krampnitz you’ll take a right turn into the Königswald. And what a majestic forest it is! Though planted for logging and with wide, straight tracks, this wood is very tall and includes some lovely mixed forestry and wilder sections. It generally has a slightly overgrown feel to it, and the long views along the path invite dreamy afternoon sunrays.
From the Königswald you’ll reach the beachy north side of the Sarcower See, lauded as a “Finnish-feeling” lake for its seemingly unspoiled, tree-surrounded setting. It’s quite a narrow lake too, so you feel like you’ve found a rare water spot in an endless forest of trees dancing in the wind. Honestly, I’m a huge tree hugger anyway, but the woods in this area are really special. Behind the north beach is where you’ll find the Potsdamer Landleben restaurant, if you’re looking for a mid-hike refreshment, and in summer time there’s a beach shack where you can get icecream and drinks.
The last section of the hike takes you back to the village of Sarcow over lake-side woodland tracks with occasional glimpses of cyclists, bathers and book worms in hammocks along the shoreline.
Enjoy! <3
