🛶 Trip details
Length: ~15.8 km
Type: Round trip
Time: ~4 hours with two short coffee/snack breaks
Plan for: 5–6 hours if you want a proper mid-route lunch or a relaxed dinner after the paddle
Level: Intermediate to experienced
Location: Schmöckwitz / Zeuthener See / Krossinsee, Berlin-Brandenburg
Start/End: Gemeindeanleger Schmöckwitz
This is a very satisfying south-east Berlin round trip: village-edge paddling, long forest shores, a proper open-water feel, and just enough places for coffee, lunch, or a reward beer to turn it into a full-day outing.
You launch from Schmöckwitz, circle Rauchfangswerder, continue through the quieter Großer Zug stretch into Krossinsee, and return via the Oder-Spree-Kanal and Seddinsee toward Schmöckwitz again. On a calm day, this is a scenic and very manageable mid-length tour. Add wind and some boat traffic, and it becomes a route for paddlers who are comfortable covering distance and handling more exposed water.
🧭 Route Directions
- Launch from Gemeindeanleger Schmöckwitz and head out south on the Dahme river, towards Zeuthener See / Rauchfangswerder. The first stretch is a pleasant warm-up, with a mix of village waterfront, reed edges, and broad views across the water.
- If you crave for a refreshment, make a short stop at Karibik Berlin Köpenick – Strandbar und Biergarten. It’s just at the beginning and acessible from the water.
- Round the southern tip of Rauchfangswerder. This is a natural place for your first short floating coffee/snack break, especially on a calmer day.
- Continue north-east along the island’s eastern side through the Großer Zug stretch. This part feels quieter and greener, with fewer houses and more forest.
- Enter Krossinsee and enjoy the nicest middle section of the loop: long wooded shorelines, more of a Brandenburg feel, and enough space to make the route feel like a real half-day trip rather than a quick spin close to home. This part can get choppy on windy days, so keep it with the bank for as much shelter as possible.
- If you want a proper mid-trek lunch stop, Anglerheim Wernsdorf is the most natural option on this side of the loop. Read further if you prefer a post-trek dinner instead.
- The return is straightforward, via the Oder-Spree Kanal westward. Check out the impressive Wernsdorf Lock on your east, when you first enter the canal.
Finish back at the LZ, or stop for a post-trek dinner at the floating Restaurant Strandlust, just before. If you prefer to end closer to the restaurant, you can exit at the pier just next to it, or at the beginning of the Seddinpromenade.
⚠️ Safety & Conditions
- This is a 15km+ trip, partially at open water prone to wind gusts. This is a route for intermediate to experienced paddlers.
- Wind can matter here more than the raw forecast number suggests. A day that looks merely moderate on paper can still produce tiring chop and noticeably slower progress.
- Boat traffic is part of the route as well. Nothing dramatic on a normal day, still enough that you should stay alert, hold your line, and give larger vessels space. In good conditions, this is a beautiful and very enjoyable half-day to full-day paddle.
- In rougher conditions, the same loop can become tiring surprisingly fast. Open water plus gusts plus distance is the main risk profile here.
🚗 Logistics: Launch & Access
Launch zone:
Gemeindeanleger Schmöckwitz is a practical and proven LZ for this route. There’s plenty of parking nearby, and it’s also accessible by public transport (tram 68 to Alt-Schmöckwitz; depending on where you come from, connect via S Grünau or S Adlershof).
Alternative LZ: Fontane-Gedenkstein can work as an alternative launch point if it suits your approach better.
📍 Notable post-paddle food spots:
Karibik Berlin Köpenick – Strandbar und Biergarten – drinks / ice cream near the start
Anglerheim Wernsdorf – Lunch / drinks mid route
Restaurant Strandlust – proper dinner / bier post trek
