Five Ways to Escape the Summer Heat in Berlin

Swim in the many lakes and other cool places.

Berlin has a huge amount of water in and around it, from the majestic Spree river to many lakes around the city. The water is clean and safe to swim in at many of the lakes, the famous Wannsee and Müggelsee, and many smaller and quieter areas too. If you don’t want to get out of the city centre, visit Badeschiff, a pool on a boat on the spree, or one of the many public pools in the city. 

Visit the Berlin Icebar

If you’re really in need of refreshment, you should definitely visit the Berlin Icebar. The entire bar is made out of real ice, and kept at a freezing -10 degrees celsius at all times. Located in the heart of Berlin, near Alexanderplatz, it's the perfect escape from the burning city centre streets. Cold drinks are waiting inside, and are included in your ticket, so you’ll be refreshed in no time. And don’t worry, to prevent cold shock, the Berlin Icebar provides you with a poncho and warm gloves.

Get 10% off your Berlin Icebar tickets during the heatwave with the code HEATWAVE10, valid for as long as the temperatures are above 30 degrees. 

Take a relaxing Berlin boat tour

Speaking of water in Berlin, did you know that it’s almost always a few degrees cooler on the water than on land? So a comfortable boat tour is the perfect way to explore the city while staying cool. At Berlin City Tour we offer two boat tours, both perfect for comfortable and heatwave proof sailing. The Historical City Tour is a one hour tour that takes you past all the highlights along the Spree in comfortable modern boats, with an inside for shade and a bar with a bar with cold drinks on board. For a true escape of the city we recommend the Green Spree Tour, a two hour boat tour that takes you out of the city and into the green watersides of the river to the east, where the city and the forests blend together. Enjoy the quiet and the shade of the trees with this comfortable cruise. 

Visit a well cooled museum

Looking for education and air conditioning? Berlin has many museums, from classical art museums to intriguing immersive experiences.

• Spend a day at Museum Island, and visit five fascinating museums at once
• Head out of the sun and into the dark and admire light art at Dark Matter
• Dive into Germany’s history in the DDR Museum or the Deutschlandmuseum
• Admire many cool celebrities at Madame Tussauds Berlin
• Escape Berlin for historical Japan at the Samurai Museum

We also have another few options, check out our tickets page for your perfect air conditioned indoor adventure.

Ice cream and ice cold beer

Berlin’s culinary culture is world famous, but in this weather most people lose their appetite for currywurst and kebab. Two things that taste even better in the heat however, are ice cream and beer. A German classic is spaghetti-eis, spaghetti shaped ice cream covered in strawberry sauce. Also typical are extravagant ice coupes, with big waffles with many flavours and toppings. Try the huge portions at Aldemir Eis (Falckensteinstraße 7) for big refreshments. Try funky flavours at Fraulein Frost (multiple locations), or vegan ice cream at Tribeca (Rykestrasse 39, Graefestrasse 9), or find a parlour anywhere near you.

And of course, just as refreshing is an ice cold beer. Try one of the many biergartens along the Spree for a breeze, or grab a few beers from the Kiosk and head into the park like a true Berliner. We of course recommend Berliner Kindl for the true Berlin flavour, but also definitely try some beers you’ve never seen before, craft beer is huge in Berlin and definitely worth discovering. If you’re worried about dehydration, a Jever Fun is just as tasty but without the alcohol, so extra safe.