Scharmützelsee Lakefront at Theater am See

A Panorama of the Märkisches Meer

The camera faces out over the Scharmützelsee, a long glacial basin that reaches some twelve kilometres through the pine woods south-east of Berlin. Its sheer scale earned it the affectionate name Märkisches Meer, the sea of the Mark, and the far shore visible across the water is the low wooded ridge that screens the lake from the surrounding forest. The wide, open expanse in the middle of the frame is what makes this one of the most expansive water views in the state.

Bad Saarow, a Spa Town on the Shore

Bad Saarow sits on the northern shore of the lake, in the district of Oder-Spree. It grew into a fashionable Kurort in the early twentieth century, when Berliners came out by rail for the water and the woodland air, and it still carries that resort character today, with a thermal spa, lakeside hotels and golf courses laid out along the shoreline. The town's low villas and mature trees frame the water rather than crowd it.

The Promenade and the Theater am See

In the foreground the lakeside promenade runs along the water's edge, with lawns, benches and lamp standards set between the trees and the shore. The camera itself is mounted at the Theater am See, the venue and lakeside restaurant that gives this vantage point its elevated line of sight straight down the lake. Walkers, cyclists and visitors moving along the promenade give the view its steady rhythm of activity.

Boating and Lakeside Recreation

The jetties and moorings in the middle distance serve one of the busiest sailing waters in the region. Dinghies, rowing boats and passenger launches work the lake through the warmer half of the year, and the shoreline path links the bathing beach, the pier and the marina. For anyone planning a visit, a swim or a day on the water, the camera offers a reliable read of conditions on the open lake.