Fühlinger See

Fühlinger See is a chain of seven interconnected lakes spreading across 100 hectares in the Cologne suburb of Fühlingen, within the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. All seven lakes are grouped around a central rowing facility.

The area traces its origins to aggregate excavation beginning in 1912. One source attributes the extracted material to the construction of what are now Bundesautobahn 4 (Aachen–Cologne) and Bundesautobahn 3 (Krefeld–Cologne); a newspaper article from 1935, however, connects it to expansion work on the Aachen–Cologne railway line, which underwent widening to four tracks from 1912 onward. Given the proximity of the Rhine, the excavated ground accumulated water at a rapid pace.

As early as the 1930s, people were heading to the site for swimming, even as extraction work proceeded. Official designation as a recreation area came in 1967.

Each individual lake is assigned a distinct use: diving, fishing, windsurfing, rowing, and three lakes allocated to boating. Swimming is confined to the privately run "Blackfoot Beach" in lake no. 5, where an entry fee applies. The city of Cologne limits open-water swimming elsewhere out of concern for legal liability in the event of accidents, in part because structures installed within the lakes might lead visitors to assume that swimming is under supervision.

Fühlinger See holds an international rowing course and served as the venue for the 1998 World Rowing Championships. Men contended for titles across 14 categories, while women's competition spanned 10 events; Germany ended the championships atop the medal table.

Paths for horse riding encircle the lakes, and the equestrian club Reiterverein Oranjehof has its premises in the surrounding area.