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Landing in Berlin, we picked up our polished, silver metallic Porsche Boxster Spyder. Sun shining, top rolled down, we embarked on our 2-day excursion.
Deciding to commence our journey in the Scharmützelsee region, it’s characterized by forested, hilly landscapes and makes for a magnificent drive through the charming lakeside villages. About an hour from Berlin Schönefeld Airport, follow the A113 Highway south and then continue east on B246 until arriving at Scharmützelsee Lake.
The region combines untouched countryside with modern sports, thermal and wellness facilities, which is why we chose to spend our night at A-Rosa Resorts & Hideaways, located on the Western shore of Scharmützelsee Lake, Parkallee 1, 15526 Bad Saarow. Our room was the Tower Suite Lake Side spread over two floors, and the balcony afforded beautiful views of the lake.
The area provides many options for activities and the bountiful amount of lakes and waterways grant the opportunity for swimming, sailing, surfing, canoeing, and fishing. It also presents over 300 km of well-marked hiking and biking trails dotting the landscape. For those appreciating an exceptional round of golf, Scharmützelsee has three 18-hole golf courses where professionals - Nick Faldo and Arnold Palmer - helped in the planning and development of these first-rate courses.
Arriving mid-morning we elected to start with some exercise and try our hand at tennis in one of the resort’s 12 tennis courts. After exerting ourselves, lunch was taken at Cafe Dorsch. Perched on a hill, the seats on the terrace offered up the perfect locale to provide a wonderful perspective of the Scharmützelsee Lake.
Starting our meal with the cheese dish, it included three different varieties as well as figs, grapes, butter and a baguette. For mains, we ate pink roasted lamb with rosemary potatoes and aioli, as well as a fillet of roasted pikeperch. Paired with some lovely German wine the meal was delectable and ended with espressos and raspberry cheesecake.
After indulging on the sensational food we headed back to our resort for an afternoon of pampering. The spa has a combination of indoor/outdoor swimming pools, relaxation pools with sound, saunas, treatment rooms, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and its own beach.
With so many options available, on recommendation, we proceeded with a Traditional Turkish Hammam Ritual. Not finished with the pampering, we opted for manicures and pedicures.
Finally relaxed and rejuvenated we moved to the sun loungers at the resort’s beach and spent the rest of the afternoon lazily sipping wine and watching the boats pass by.
Breakfast, included in the price, consisted of a heavenly buffet. Upon checkout we drove north around the lake, stopping for a quick wander through the town of Bad Saarow, before continuing on the remarkable 1 1/2 hour drive to reach the area of Spreewald. Spreewald was deemed a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1991 and known for its collection of canals.
We spent the night at Bleiche Resort & Spa, located at Bleichestraße 16, 03096 Burg im Spreewald, in the Spa Suite. Staying here also grants access to their spa which consists of an outdoor pool, whirlpool, saunas, steam baths, fitness rooms, library and resting rooms.
Arriving in the afternoon, we decided first to take a boat trip offered by the hotel to enjoy the lovely scenery and canals. Selecting the Glow Bug tour, the boat goes into the sunset hours as it slowly cruises down the rivers. Regaled with interesting tales of Spreewald’s history and life, we indulged in a fine selection of regional sheep and goat cheese with grapes, bread, and butter.
Later making use of the sauna/spa in our room, we savored an evening pampering ourselves with some champagne.
Breakfast was brought by our concierge to the privacy of our room. Afterpacking we headed out for the journey to Berlin. Having some time to spare we opted for the longer way, taking 1 1/2 hours on the L44, eventually to B179 and then onto A113, arriving at the airport.
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