The German coastline -- let's be honest -- is kind of pathetic. Sure a number of fish-heads (as northern Germans are often called) will rave about the beauty of the Baltic and North Sea coasts. And there are some nice spots. The country’s largest island Rügen is a popular tourist hangout jammed with Germans perched in their beach baskets  on nice summer days.

Much of the German coast, though, tends to be rather on the drab side -- and if you don't happen to live in Hamburg or Kiel, the seaside is a hell of a long way away. Which goes along way toward explaining the obsession Berlin residents have with the stagnant bodies of water sprinkled in the countryside surrounding the German capital. To get a Berliner really excited about the prospect of a day out, you only have to mention lakes. With the first hint of sunshine, the locals hop into their bikes, cars, trams, carts, ponies, scooters, tricycles -- any mode of transport available -- and hightail it out of the city and to a lake. It’s not hard to find one. There are hundreds of them available, large and small, developed and undeveloped. Everyone in Berlin has their favorite, secret spot, a jewel of a lake that they'll only tell you about under extreme duress.

But many won't tell you even then -- and will give you directions to some measly second or third rate pond. And count on the directions being complicated: Take the train out to some tiny little village, take a left past the post office, turn right at the Currywurst stand, take a ferry across a channel, make your way over a fence, past a factory, under a bridge, and -- presto! -- you're at the most wonderful, peaceful, idyllic place. Along with the 50 or so other day-trippers who have also discovered this beautiful nugget of nature.

Never mind. After your journey, a dip is just the thing. But be warned: swimming the lakes of Brandenburg is a far cry from the refreshing dip that the ocean provides. Instead you often have to fight through thickets of dense shrubbery and clouds of mosquitoes to find a free spot not already mobbed with families grilling, punks shouting at their dogs, and teenagers doing a bit of heavy, summer flirting. Once you do find a spot, the joys of the swim are more than enough to outweigh the ankle-deep mud on the lake bottom and the luke-warm water. Think of it as a huge, slightly dirty bathtub.

Despite the challenges, though, a day out in Brandenburg can be an excellent escape from the city. Quaint villages, dirt paths through the forest and not too many people all add up to lovely day out. And for those a bit more ambitious, a trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Spreewald -- an area of waterways, canals, wetlands and forests just one hour south of the capital -- may be just the thing. The Grimm-like forest is criss-crossed with canals and home to the Sorbs -- an indigenous Slavic tribe with their own language and costumes who settled the region in the 6th century.

You can't miss them. They often line the canals -- clad in traditional Sorbian costume -- to sell the region's famous pickles to tourists boating by. But be nice to them. They are often mortified teenagers, dressed up in starched lace headdresses and pinafores, who look like they would much prefer to be in their hoodies and trainers and sitting at their PlayStations, but have instead been forced by their parents to turn on the ethnic charm for the tourists.

Of course, you could just stay in Berlin. After all, there is enough to keep one busy. And you'll save a ton of money on mosquito repellent.