Although there’s no stretch of natural sand within miles of the capital, Berliners dust off their tiny bikinis (and, yes, their figure-hugging Speedos) at the first sign of good weather in spring, when the bare concrete banks on the Spree are transformed into Strandbars (‘beachbars’).

If you’re keen to kick back and relax with locals over a cocktail, you’ll find the appropriate gear at reasonable prices at H&M or Zara (stock is seasonal). Esprit also has a good selection of basics to mix and match.

The department stores KaDeWe, Galeria Kaufhof and Karstadt generally have conservative beachwear options all year round for both adults and children. Körpernah Berlin is a well-regarded specialist store and has a select range of swimwear, as well as undergarments. If you’d rather buy before you try, Figueroa Beachwear (www.figueroa.de) has an excellent range of bikinis and one-piece swimsuits, all available online. Also online, Otto (www.otto.com) and Quelle (www.quelle.com) both have a simple range of one and two-piece swimwear in their summer catalogues. Neckermann offers labels including Adidas and Esprit and has particularly good online specials in winter, when plain bikini sets cost less than €20. For larger sizes, try www.badehosen.com.