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At the foot of the Müggelberge is a lake. It is 20,000 years old and associated with myths, one of which tells of a princess who lives in it.

It is called the Teufelsee (Devil's Lake) and it is surrounded by astoundingly beautiful moorland with varied landscapes.

From reeds to birches and lizards to snakes, the lake and its surrounding water-logged soils host an array of species.

At this site is the Lehrkabinett Teufelsee, Berlin's oldest forest and environmental learning centre. I loved its interactive exhibits.

Berlin's forest schools supplement formal curriculum by aiming to expose every primary school child in the city-state to a forest habitat.

Climbing up the hill, I reached the GDR-era Müggelturm, a derelict watchtower, which the month before, celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Stairs to the top got me to 118 m above sea level and glorious 50km views of the surrounds, including the nearby eponymous lake.

The bird's eye view shows how evenly distributed the trees are; two-thirds are pine and the rest alders and birches as well as old oaks.