By Sara Orlos Fernandes
Best conditions for September summer: 30 degree heat, blue sky, plenty of sun. Where? Sure – out to Wannsee. 4,200 Berliners were drawn to the lido, splashed around with fries and beer and enjoyed the warmth before the approaching autumn.
At 12 p.m. there were already 1,500 visitors in the pool and all 120 beach chairs were occupied – 4,200 tickets had been sold one hour before the box office closed. Because of the wonderful weather, the pool was open until 7 p.m. on the weekend. With the water temperature at a really pleasant 22 degrees, many guests stayed until the evening and enjoyed the holiday feeling as the sun slowly set.
Daniel J. (40) and Jade S. (44) with their son Oskar (6) from Potsdam are building a sandcastle in the lido: “We’re here for the first time in many years. Childhood memories come back. I was in the surfing club here. It’s a shame that it only operates here in summer. You could have an open-air cinema here and make better use of the potential.” Photo: Olaf Selchow
“I love the lido and have been here every day this week. Sitting in the front row and looking at the water makes me feel like I’m on Lake Maggiore. It’s like vacationing in Berlin,” says Sylvia S. (64) from Charlottenburg.
A hungry and thirsty line formed in front of the food stand throughout the day. Salesman Dennis sold half a ton of fries, and 150 liters of beer flowed down the throats of the guests. But: You had to queue for a popular lido snack for up to an hour.
For Wannsee swimming champion Frank Archie (57), on the other hand, there was less to do. He has been working at the lido for 33 years, it’s like his second home. He ended the day satisfied: “Everything went smoothly,” was his conclusion.
Robin (35) and Arabella (32) from Mitte stood in line for fries for three quarters of an hour. “We split up. A buddy stood in line beforehand and we then took over the second tour” Photo: Olaf Selchow
Other Berlin open-air and beach pools also attracted visitors on the hot weekend with extended opening hours, the Gropiusstadt summer pool was even open again, although it was actually closed on September 3rd.
This is how the September summer will continue: Until Tuesday, it will still be a whopping 31 degrees, on Wednesday it will finally rain, then a pleasant 22 to 24 degrees until Sunday.
The Wannsee lido is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until September 17. Then the lake beach with Baltic Sea feeling falls into hibernation.