| Berlin is a very active city offering many options for the sports enthusiast. Particularly popular are swimming, golf, horseback riding, and winter sports. Berliners thrive on active lifestyles and the numerous facilities throughout the city exemplify that fact.
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Swimming
Berliners love to swim. There are numerous natural lakes where one can take a refreshing dip during the summer time. The most popular lakes are the Strandbad Wannsee in the southwest of the city and the Strandbad Müggelsee in the southeast. There are also many outdoor swimming pools open during the summer as well as indoor facilities for the colder times of the year. The Paracelsus Bad and Stadtbad Lankwitz indoor swimming pools both have saunas. The Sommerbad Pankow has several large water slides.
Golf
Golf has caught on in Germany recently. There are a large variety of courses and clubs available within Berlin and the immediate surrounding area. One of the most outstanding is the Sporting Club Berlin with courses designed by golfing greats Arnold Palmer, Nick Faldo, Stan Platz, and Jake McEwan. Reservations are recommended and golfers must prove a 36 handicap before playing. Another popular course is Märkischer Golfclub Potsdam. Reservations are also recommended here but during the week the necessary handicap is much friendlier at 54; on the weekends the handicap cutoff for course play is 32. In total, there are at least 25 different golf facilities located in the Berlin area. |
Horseback Riding
There are four horse ranches that offer horseback riding to the public located around the city outskirts. One of these facilities is Reiterverein Onkel Toms Hütte with one of the longest bridle trails in Germany on the edge of the Grunewald forest. Here complete riding lessons are offered for riders ranging from the beginner to the advanced. Another horseback riding facility is Reitsportanlage Preussenhof where riding lessons are offered as well as dressage and jumping courses.
Skateboarding/Inline Skating
Skateboarding and inline skating have become popular sports in the city parks. There are several skate parks and all have ramps or halfpipes installed. The largest skate park is the Skateplatz Liberty Park complete with half pipe, mini ramp, a street course, and a course for BMX bikes. There are also numerous shops available for skateboard or inline skate rental. Another fun possibility for inline skating enthusiasts is a tour on wheels through the city streets. Along a 5 kilometer route starting at the Brandenburg Gate, the skate can pass the Reichstag, Bundeskanzleramt (Federal Chancellery), Regierungsviertel (large park), Schloss Bellevue (a beautiful chateau), Bundespräsidialamt (presidential home), Siegessäule (famous edifice), all along the Straße des 17. Juni (17th June Street).
Winter Sports
Berlin is a wonderful place for winter activities. There is even an indoor skiing facility called Gletcher that claims to have the longest slope of its kind in the world. There are many indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks. Several of the outdoor ice skating rinks are set up among along city boulevards and squares for an exhilarating experience under the Berlin city lights. Frozen lakes offer an authentic ice skating experience during the cold of winter. The hilly terrain of Berlin is transformed into excellent toboggan runs on snowy days. Some city parks feature runs specifically designed for toboggans.
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