Cold Water · Germany
Feldberger Seenlandschaft
Clear glacial lakes where freshwater sponges grow on fallen trees
The Feldberger Seenlandschaft is a nature park of glacial lakes around the small town of Feldberg in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The headline water is the Schmaler Luzin, a narrow former meltwater channel up to 34 m deep, where fallen trees carry freshwater sponges. The Feldberger Haussee, the Breiter Luzin and the shallow Dreetzsee round out the lakes. Most dives run from about 2 m to 20 m at the Luzinfähre, and the draw is clear, clean freshwater.
About diving in Feldberger Seenlandschaft
The lakes are dived from the shore, at entry points such as the Luzinfähre on the Schmaler Luzin, which sits at the bottom of 104 steps that divers walk down and back up. An electric pontoon platform carries divers on day tours to stretches of the Schmaler Luzin that are hard to reach from land. Guided dives run by day and by night, and every diver on the lakes of the Feldberger Seenlandschaft has needed a dive permit since 1 July 2022, available at the dive base on the Dreetzsee.
The lakes are glacial, left by the last ice age. The Schmaler Luzin is a former meltwater channel that runs up to 34 m deep despite its narrow width, with steep banks for most of its length, huge boulders and visibility of 5 to 20 m depending on the season. Beeches line its shores and now and then fall into the water, and the submerged trunks and branches carry freshwater sponges, the so-called corals of the north, which need very clean water. Pike, tench, eel, perch and crayfish are the typical residents of the Dreetzsee.
The Schmaler Luzin is rated suitable for beginners. Any valid certification card is enough to dive independently, and Open Water courses, guided dives and try dives run locally, which suits divers who want to train or to dive with family. Divers who want big animals or coral should look elsewhere, since the lakes hold freshwater fish, crayfish and sponges. Winter dives, the ice dives above all, need special equipment and meticulous planning.
Best time to dive Feldberger Seenlandschaft
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
The bases dive the lakes through the whole year, and winter is the hardest stretch: the water drops to around 4 °C and calls for proper thermal protection. In the colder winters the Schmaler Luzin freezes over and ice dives run under a closed ice cover, though the ice does not form every year. Summer water reaches about 20 °C, comfortable for lake diving, and July brings week-long children's and family dive weeks.
Best months: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Dive types & marine life
Pike, tench, eel, perch and crayfish live in the Dreetzsee; in winter the fish keep to the deepest parts of the lakes and only a few perch show. The freshwater sponges of the Schmaler Luzin grow on fallen trees and branches; they are soft and fragile, so divers keep their distance and drift past without touching them.
- Freshwater
- Night
- Ice
- Freshwater fish
Best dive sites in Feldberger Seenlandschaft
- 1
Luzinfähre
Schmaler Luzin entry with fallen trees and a depth of about 18 to 20 m.
- 2
Erddamm
Schmaler Luzin entry for a relaxed dive without the 104-step descent at the Luzinfähre.
- 3
Feldberger Haussee
Glacial lake north-east of Feldberg in three basins, the northern one down to 12 m.
- 4
Breiter Luzin
Glacial lake next to the Schmaler Luzin and the second-deepest in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
- 5
Dreetzsee
Shallow lake to about 10 m at a campsite base, with two training platforms and a buoyancy park.
Site guides
An abrupt drop to 13 m, then a steady slope past 30 m
Freshwater
Bent trees that hide fish in the shallows beside the bathing spot
Two training platforms and a buoyancy park in a 10 m lake
Old plates, bottles and rowing-boat parts among fallen trees
How to get to Feldberger Seenlandschaft
Feldberg lies about 176 km from Berlin Brandenburg Airport, and the municipality has no railway link. Dive centres are based in the Hotel Deutsches Haus in Feldberg and on the campsite at the south end of the Dreetzsee.
Questions divers ask
Is a permit needed to dive the Feldberg lakes?+
Yes. Since 1 July 2022 every diver on the lakes of the Feldberger Seenlandschaft needs a dive permit, available at the dive base on the Dreetzsee.
How do divers reach the Luzinfähre entry on the Schmaler Luzin?+
On foot, down 104 steps to the water and back up after the dive. The Erddamm entry on the same lake avoids the stairs.
When is the best time to dive the Feldberger Seenlandschaft?+
Diving runs all year. Summer is warmest, at about 20 °C, and ice dives run only in winters when the Schmaler Luzin freezes over, which does not happen every year.
Can beginners dive here?+
Yes. The Schmaler Luzin is rated suitable for beginners, a valid certification card is enough to dive independently, and courses and try dives run locally.
How do divers get to Feldberg?+
Berlin Brandenburg Airport is about 176 km away, and the municipality has no railway link. The dive centres are in Feldberg and on the Dreetzsee campsite.
Sources
- Tauchcenter Feldberg — Tauchcenter Feldberg
- Reviere — Tauchcenter Feldberg
- Spots — Luzin Diver
- Preise — Luzin Diver
- Feldberger Seenlandschaft — Wikipedia
- Die Eistaucher vom Schmalen Luzin — Nordkurier
- Diving in Schmaler Luzin — DiveSSI
- BER to Feldberger Seenlandschaft — mytransfers
- Wintertauchen — Tauchcenter Feldberg
- Tauchplatz Schmaler Luzin — Taucher.Net
- Tauchplatz Carwitzer See — Taucher.Net
- Boots-Tour — Tauchcenter Feldberg
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