We got up early (at 7 am) to leave Berlin before the tourist boats got going. Again this proved to be a wise decision as we passed through Charlottenburg Lock and were out on the Havel See (Lake) by 9.am, just as things started to get busy. So bye bye Berlin.  

Many boats on Havel See

As it was Saturday, there were many boats out and about on the lake. We motored down the Havel See shadowed by a police boat all the way but who did not stop us. We must have not done anything wrong and we worked our way thought hundreds of motor boats, sailing yachts, dinghies and kayaks making sure we did not break the speed limit.

Apparently during the Cold War, this was the only lake in Allied control. There were so many boats that wanted to use it, they had to designate separate times each day for motor boats and sailing boats. Four hours later we arrived at our destination in the centre of Potsdam.

Potsdam – Where Princes hid the steam engine pumping water to their palace fountains in mock mosque

We had intended making a nonstop run back to Koblenz to save time but Ulrich who we had met in Boothaus Roll said we must visit Potsdam. He told us how to get into a marina in the centre of the city. Following his instructions, after going under the Potsdam Bridge (very famous- but Nuala said nobody will know or be interested) and going through a very tricky narrow canal, we found ourselves moored in the centre of the city. (Thank you Ulrich, without you we would never have found it).

Nuala in the centre of Potsdam – with all the tourists

We spent the afternoon in the city- doing a hop on hop off bus tour and walking around the city centre. It’s a famous town and now a big tourist destination. It is famous because it was the capital of the Prussian State and they built many fantastic palaces here, most of which were never lived in, a bit like a Disney World Place. It is also famous as it was the setting for the conference between the Allies and Russia after the Second Word War to agree how they would divide up Germany. Also, during the cold war, the Potsdam Bridge was the scene where the GDR/ Russians and the Allies exchanged spies as the Berlin American Sector was on one side of the Bridge and GDR and Potsdam on the other. So a lot of history is one place. Well worth the stop. Now we will get back to the job in hand and getting to Koblenz by the 11th September.

City full of high rise low cost apartments build by GDR

Sky line full of high rise apartments