6 beaches in the middle of the city
Beach, Please!

Packing your bags to head to the seaside? No need. The nearest beach is right on your doorstep.

By Victor Meuche

Once Grey, Now Green: Flaucher, Munich

“The Isar is but a wee river,” grumbled Irish writer Samuel Beckett in 1937. Back then, the riverbank was made of concrete and the water was dirty. In the 1970s, environmental groups pushed for the Isar to be cleaned and its banks to be restored to a more natural state — successfully: today, the Flaucher in the south of the city is a popular recreational area with sandy and rocky beaches as well as small islands. During summertime, the whole city comes here for a swim and grill.

A Beach in a Parking Garage?! Citybeach, Frankfurt

You won’t find much water here — just a small pool — but Citybeach Frankfurt offers an impressive view of the skyline of Germany’s finance capital. This artificial sandy beach sits on the roof of a parking garage right in the middle of the city. If you book in advance and bring your wallet, you can relax with a cold drink or play some beach volleyball.

Battle Zone Beach! Wannsee, Berlin

During the Weimar Republic, National Socialists brawled here with Social Democrats and Communists, each faction marking its “territory” with flags in the sand. As soon as the Nazis took power, Jews were banned from entering Wannsee beach. After World War II came the Cold War: For many West Berliners, the inner-German border made trips to the sea nearly impossible. Wannsee became their substitute. As the band Die Ärzte sang: “Every day I sit by the Wannsee — imagining I’m by the sea.”

From Mining Pit to Beach: Lake Cospuden, Leipzig

Until 1994, lignite was mined south of Leipzig. Later, the pit was closed and flooded, creating Lake Cospuden. Its northern shore stretches for one kilometre, making it the longest sandy beach in all of Saxony. In summer, locals visit “Cossi” to swim or play some beach volleyball. There is a large nudist (FKK) area as well, for those who prefer bathing au naturel.

Ships Instead of Palm Trees: Elbstrand, Hamburg

Summer in Hamburg means standing barefoot in the sand and watching ships pass by on the Elbe. The best place to do that is the Elbstrand in the Övelgönne district. This is also where you’ll find the Café Strandperle — once called “the mother of all urban beach clubs” by the newspaper Die Welt. The water of the Elbe is cleaner now than it used to be, so many visitors go swimming. However, the city advises against it due to strong currents and heavy ship traffic.

Dunes and Lighthouse Views: Falckenstein Beach, Kiel

Falckenstein Beach in Kiel-Friedrichsort stretches for about two kilometres along the Kiel Fjord and is the city's longest bathing beach. The fjord is especially narrow here, which is why a lighthouse was built on a nearby sandbank back in 1866. Visitors can enjoy coastal dunes, fine sand - and ships passing impressively close to shore.