Sports and the Outdoors in Berlin

Bicycling

Berlin is a great city for biking. Particularly in summer, you can get just about anywhere you want by bike. An extensive network of bike paths is generally marked by red pavement or white markings on the sidewalks (when you’re walking, try to avoid walking on bike paths if you don’t want to have cyclists ring their bells at you). Many stores that rent or sell bikes carry the Berlin biker's atlas, and several places offer terrific bike tours of the city.

Fahrradstation. Fahrradstation rents bikes for €15 per day (12 hours) or €35 for three days. Bring ID and call for its other locations. Dorotheenstr. 30, Mitte, Berlin, Berlin, 10117. 0180/510–8000; www.fahrradstation.de.

Swimming

Public pools throughout the city cost €4 for a day pass. For full listings, ask at the tourist office or navigate (in German) www.berlinerbaederbetriebe.de. When the weather is good, Berliners grab a towel and head to one of the many lakes in and around the city (you can take public transportation to reach most of them). The Wannsee, Halensee, Müggelsee, and Plötzensee lakes all have beaches.

Sommerbad Olympiastadion. The Sommerbad Olympiastadion was made for the 1936 Olympic games and includes a separate area with three diving platforms. It's open late April to mid-September, daily 7–8. Olympischer Pl. 3, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Berlin, 14053. 030/6663–1152.