It might sound like a myth, but somewhere nestled in a leafy patch of Köpenick, a houseboat floats on the Müggelspree and hikers toast to summer.

It’s both a restaurant—a pit stop for those trekking along the 700-meter Muggelschlösschenweg—and a labor of love from Frank Cotte, the tan, broad-chested owner of the Spree Arche who built the two-story wooden house, veranda, floors and tables included, with his own two hands. With four anchors stationing the boat mid-water, the restaurant produces uncompromised seasonal fare like bouletten over diced potato salad or generous skewered shrimp with tzaziki. Add chilled Radler beer and a hot Berlin day, and it becomes nothing short of a cruisecation.

**Note: Getting there can cause confusion. From Friedrichshagen station, turn right and walk straight for about two kilometers until reaching the water. Take the Spree Tunnel, then follow the dirt path for another 200 feet until you see a sign and a small docking station, from where a raft will motor you safely onboard.