Diving the Northern German Lakes | Müritz, Stechlinsee & Schweriner See

About Northern German Lakes – Mecklenburg Lake District & Brandenburg

The lakelands of Mecklenburg and Brandenburg are the freshwater heart of German diving, a vast, interconnected mosaic of clear lakes, flooded forests and sunken villages within a few hours of Berlin. The Müritz and the Mecklenburg Lake District offer the submerged trees of Plauer See and the paddle-steamer Freya wreck in Schweriner See, while the crystal-clear Stechlinsee is a deep, dark jewel prized for night dives and courses. Around Berlin, the Liepnitzsee and the city lakes of Müggelsee, Wannsee and Schlachtensee give residents easy access to sunken forests and training platforms, and the deep Werbellinsee hides shipwrecks beneath its 55 m. These are gentle, cold, immensely accessible dives: perfect for training, photography and family trips, with the chance of pike, perch and the occasional catfish gliding through the submerged woods.

Highlights

• ✓Stechlinsee: exceptionally clear (up to 20 m), deep and popular for night dives
• ✓Wreck of the Freya: a paddle-steamer wreck at 15-25 m in Schweriner See
• ✓Plauer See: an underwater forest and sunken boats
• ✓Liepnitzsee: clear water, a sunken forest and easy Berlin access
• ✓Werbellinsee: a 55 m-deep lake with shipwrecks for technical training

Getting There

Fly into Berlin (BER) or Hamburg and drive the A24/A19; regional trains reach Waren, Schwerin and the Brandenburg lake towns. The lakes are linked by good roads and cycle paths, and most have a dive centre or club at the public slipways.