Grunewaldsee

The Grunewaldsee is a glacial lake of about 175,000 square metres on the eastern edge of the Grunewald forest in Berlin's Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district. It is part of the Grunewald lake chain, formed by the same subglacial meltwater channel during the last ice age. On the northern shore stands Schloss Grunewald, the oldest surviving palace in Berlin, built in 1542 by Elector Joachim II as a hunting lodge and now home to a Cranach painting collection. The lake itself is one of Berlin's official dog-bathing spots and a meeting point for the city's dog community; on weekends walkers, joggers and families mingle on the southern meadow. Swimming is not recommended due to water quality, but the hour-long circuit through beech and oak woods is a classic Berlin walk.