Between barges and canals
Cycling vacation along the spree river
Beginning in Cottbus, one of the greenest cities in Germany with a great number of parks , this journey leads you along the Spree on the edge of the capital Berlin. First you cross the Spreewald, a region that used to be a popular recreation area in the times of the DDR. You will encounter a colourful mosaic of forests, grasslands, rivers and lakes with a corresponding rich animal world. Not without purpose the Spreewald is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. When leaving the Spreewald you go on cycling comfortably along the Spree as it meanders into the Mark Brandenburg and the Märkische Heide. At Müggelsee you finally reach the edge of Berlin.
Spree cycle path or crisscross through the Spreewald
Cycling is possible on the fully signposted, varied Spree cycle path from the three springs in Upper Lusatia in Saxony, through Märkische heath and pond landscapes and lignite areas to the Brandenburg Spree Forest and to Berlin, where the Spree flows into the Havel. Or drive across the Spreewald on the cucumber cycle path and many other, smaller routes, because the region is crisscrossed by pretty bike routes.
Wooden pots and sorbs
Cottbus in Lower Lusatia is known for its landscaped gardens. In Branitzer Park, an earth pyramid and a lake pyramid appear between trees, an Egyptian-looking staircase and a bridge on the edge of the lake lead to it. The extensive park with its pyramids was planned by the “green prince” Prince Pückler-Muskau. In the late Baroque castle, built in 1772, remains of his oriental collection can be seen. Things are less exotic in Lübbenau. Lübbenau is the tourist center of the Spreewald, and right next door is the Venetian-looking lagoon settlement of Lehde, where the houses, as usual in the Spreewald, have low thatched roofs. In the Spreewald village only the gondolas were missing, but with a little imagination you will also find the silent gliding wooden Spreewald barges so. Countless wooden bridges lead over the so-called tiles. Keelless barges sail past. Their pack (the barge with which one stakes the barge) is made of ash wood and up to four meters long. Hop on a ride in Lübbenau, Burg or Schlepzig! For a good overview, climb to the Wehla Tower and enjoy the view over the Spreewald and the many streams. Finally, you could take a boat trip in and around Berlin or on the Müggelsee just before the capital.
Sorbian culture
Sorbs or Wends are a Slavic people who came here more than one and a half millennia ago from the Oder and the Dnieper and settled here. In the Wendish Museum in Cottbus, a beautifully restored townhouse with neoclassical ornaments, visitors marvel at Sorbian Easter eggs, blueprints and perforated embroidery, as well as photos of Spreewood women in their costumes. In the open-air museum Lehde, the oldest open-air museum in Brandenburg, visitors can also gain insights into the life of the Wenden/Sorbs: old courtyards, thatched houses and costumes are exhibited. Visit the Heimatstube in Dissen and learn more about the culture of the Sorbs. In Vetschau there is even a German-Sorbian double church.
Spreewald cucumbers, but not only!
Knack! Did you bite in yet? You just have to try the popular Spreewald cucumbers from the wooden barrel. On the cucumber cycle path you will meet you all the time. In Lehde there is even a museum dedicated to them. Mild horseradish is also praised in the region, it tastes particularly good with beef in horseradish sauce, as well as linseed oil and buttermilk. The sweet buttermilk yeast lentil is a sorbian speciality, looks like a rolled-up pancake and is often served hot with cinnamon sugar, apple sauce or cream for coffee or dessert. Their exact composition is usually a well-kept family secret. And of course, the kitchen is all about fish from the rafters: Zander and herring in sauce are Spreewald specialties. By the way, buttermilk, cream and fresh herbs are added to the sauce – and beer or malt beer, which gives the whole thing its own touch. Enjoy a beer from the Spreewald brewery Schlepzig.
Forest and water
The Spreewald was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1991, not only because the landscape is unique, but also because the meadows, forests and rivers are a habitat for diverse flora and fauna. Discover bright yellow marsh daisy flowers and rooster's feet in the vast meadows, watch birds such as the gannets and the gannets, hear moor or grass frogs and red-bellied chunks croak in the waters. Colourful shimmering dragonflies, meandering ringed vipers, circling buzzards and red mites, white storks and cranes are further attractions of this diverse region.
