There used to be a busy industrial port here, but the operation largely came to a standstill with the division of Germany. The first conversion took place in the 1980s: as part of the international building exhibition, new residential buildings were built by well-known architects. In the meantime, the old harbor with its idyllic location between Tegeler See and Tegeler Fließ has become a trendy residential area. Not only are there elegant city villas on the shore, but also the so-called ‘floating houses’. If you stroll through the harbor here, the modern architecture will remind you of Copenhagen or Stockholm…

Tegeler Fließ is the name of the river at the former GDR Border. Despite it raining on me for must of the trip, this hike spanned an impressive landscape. The moors were speckled with informational signs on plants, birds, and other wildlife. When I have more time, and it’s not constantly raining on me, it would be a great place to revisit. I was pleasantly surprised by how many other people were also hiking, in the rain, on a holiday. I seem to fit in well with the German tradition of afternoon walks in nature. ‘Hike’ often feels like too…