Berlin’s Spree River is a federal waterway, more or less, which can only mean one thing: it is loud and dirty. But it doesn’t have to be – in Switzerland and in other German cities, it is a tradition to swim in the city’s rivers during summer. Back in 1998, two architects, Jan and Tim Edler (realities:united), came up with the great idea of ecologically upgrading the Spree canal. Their idea is to transform the Spree into a 750-meter-long swimmable urban river, between Schlossplatz and Bodemuseum. The staircases at Lustgarten invite us to sit and linger. The biotope area and reed beds in the upper river region of the 1.6km watercourse ensure clean, natural river water. Turning their vision into reality – target year 2020 – calls for our commitment too. For instance there is the Verein Flussbad e.V. that awaits to be supported financially or by you taking action (more info here). Let’s make this happen! (Text: Milena Kalojanov)
