The last glacial period shaped the Spree River's course by which the ice produced lagoon-like meadows, unprecedented in Europe. The riverside’s landscape within the UNESCO Spreewald Biosphere Reserve is ideally explored from the water. The Spreewald comprises a network of almost 1,000 km of streams and creeks, of which about 300 km are navigable. Among the indigenous birds are the white storck, the hoopoe, and countless other endangered species.
Start your traditional boat ride in Burg or Lübbenau, the "Spreewald’s hidden capital", as the town was once coined by the poet Theodor Fontane. Start off your journey across the Lower Spreewald in Lübben by heading toward Schlepzig.
The gentle moving of the boat as it floats downstream feels a bit magical. Pass along quaint villages, open woodlands and meadows, with the typical haystacks scattered across the fields. Numerous little island homesteads are interconnected by small and greater waterways. Old traditions and crafts like the construction of boats, clog-making or basket-weaving are preserved to this day in the 200-year-old houses. The traditional crafts can be experienced in the Museumsdorf Lehde.
The punting boat not only serves as the most important means of transportation during the gherkin harvest, but also ensures mail gets delivered during the summer months. In the winter, you can enjoy the Spreewald’s wintry landscape aboard a boat, being wrapped up in a blanket, and drinking mulled wine or hot tea.
On the edge of the Spreewald Forest you can spot Brandenburg’s largest natural lake, called the Schwielochsee. Here, you can have fun doing kite surfing or water ski. Discover the sprawling fields and mystical high forest in the heart of the Spreewald Forest by foot or by bike, and be enchanted by the idyllic landscape.
Experience special boat rides from Straupitz, Alt Zauche or Neu Zauche, far off from the busy routes. Cultural destinations, such as the Schinkelkirche, the Kornspeicher (granary) or Europe’s last traditional triple windmill in Straupitz (combination of flour mill, oil mill, and saw mill), invite visitors to stay and stroll around.
