Germany’s lake district

The Mecklenburg Lakes north of Berlin are a popular focus of "Teutonic recreation", says Andrew Eames in the Observer. Explore them in a hired canal boat and you can be sure of three things: "reliable equipment, lots of unspoilt nature and plenty of unexpected nakedness". There are over a thousand lakes connected by an intricate canal system - a world of "sparkling blue" waterways "set in a frame of fir forest". They are not far from the capital, so you’ll encounter many other holidaymakers here and frequently pass "water-facing villages" with facilities for them. The water is surprisingly warm in summer, and good for swimming – naked or not – while more sophisticated diversions are on offer in the larger towns of Mirow, Zechlin and Rheinsberg, with its 18th century schloss.

Kuhnle Tours (0049 3 9823 2660) offers a small cruiser with room for four from €540 a week. ·