Spreewald, nature escape from Berlin
- Maya del Aire
- Dec 10, 2018
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 20, 2019
This is day eight of your nine days vacation itinerary. If you choose to follow this itinerary on your vacation, you will explore three regions, Bavaria, Saxony and Brandenburg, in Germany which include eight different spots. This particular day is about perfect getaway in a beautiful forest and get to know more about folklore of Sorbs. My recommendation for this day is to be spent on a bicycle, however for those who don’t like to bike, they can find more information on other ways to spend a day in Spreewald. As always, this post will reveal all essential tips and tricks, which will save you hours of your time on doing research. All information in one place. The only thing that you need is comfortable clothes/shoes and good weather, as you will be spending 90% of your time outdoors. So just get ready and follow my lead.
Click below to check out the rest of your ultimate Germany itinerary
Day 8 Spreewald, nature escape from Berlin
About
Spreewald, Spree forest is situated 90 km south of Berlin, and it can be accessed through many cities such as Lubben, Lubbenau, Berg, Luckau etc. Imagine a forest that covers 287 square kilometers, and comprises of over 400 kilometers of rivers and canals and little towns within it. What you will not miss to see in this area are, ‘punts’, which are large flat bottomed wooden boats which are driven by guides using a long pole, pretty much like gondola. There are plenty of options how to spend your day. Float leisurely through the numerous waterways and drift past the traditional wooden houses, old bridges and forest, or if you’re feeling more active you can walk or cycle through the numerous paths through the forest.
Walk through a colorful folklore and tradition of Sorbs
Sorbs are descendants of West Slavic ethnic group that was divided into Lower Sorbs, living on the swampy broads of Lower Spree (Spreewald), and Milceni, settled on the fertile soil of Upper Spree[i]. They are nation that has never had their own state, and who have settled here in 6th century[ii]. You may spot their presence especially on bilingual road signs; the second language will be Sorbs language. Today, they number a population of around 50 000 in the Upper and 15 000 people in the Lower Sorb. Despite their hard effort, through centuries, to preserve their colorful folklore and cultural traditions, their young population slowly forgets their own language. At the beginning of the 21st century, there is a question that rises of whether Lusatia, region which is home to this ethnic group, has become an open air museum, or whether it remains a region of living tradition[iii]. I urge you to discover it yourself.
More info about Sorbs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorbs
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/sorbian.htm
How to get to Spreewald from Berlin
a) Every 2 hours, there are trains that leave Zoo Station (Bahnhof Zoo, Berlin) to Spreewald and the journey takes approximately 90 minutes.[iv] The ticket which you should choose is Brandenburg ticket which is €29 for up to 5 people or one way ticket €11.70. The regional RE2 train will take you to Lübbenau, which is your stop, in about an hour.
b) By car, the ride should take 1.15 min from Berlin central.
***For more info about how to choose transport in Germany click here.
How to explore Spreewald
You may experience Spreewald by booking a tourist boat, by kayak or canoe, renting a bike or by foot.
a) My choice was renting a bike, because I prefer exploring places on my own pace, and I found it more comfortable, rather than kayaking all day. I have to admit, I have regretted that in some moments, because obviously the scenery might be different. I rented a bike for €9 for whole day, at the store at the main square in Lübbenau, there is also another store that you may see on the left hand side of the Potstrasse, coming from the main railway station. Remember, no matter what time you rent a bike, during summer you have to return it until 18.00. So plan your day wisely.
There are many websites that can help you to plan your bike route such as www.komoot.com, www.outdooractive.com, or many others. So far, my understanding is that you need to pay for their services, and I didn’t find them very easy to use.
Tips and tricks***
In case you decide to plan the route on your own, make sure you save the map on google, especially if you can’t use your data on this trip. Also, it can be quite hard to decide where to go unless you have a plan and a good map, because even google might not be precise, and will show unnamed roads.
b) Tourist boat season is from April to Oct, the rides can take 2-3 hours. Rides can be taken from many harbors in in Spreewald (Burg, Lehde, Lubben etc). I believe that you can book at the Grosses Spreewaldhaufen, a small square close to the tourist office.
Tip***Advanced reservations are recommended in summer, follow the official link bellow: https://www.spreewald.de/en/boat-rides-luebbenau/
c) You may also rent a kayak or a canoe. There are no current, winds or speedboats around there, so even if you are not good in kayaking you will still enjoy your ride.
This is the official website, but I believe that you can find many more contacts with good price.
Tip***Advanced reservations recommended in summer.
https://www.spreewald.de/en/boat-rental-in-luebbenau/
d) Certainly, you may walk around the forest but it will pretty much limit your experience, since you won’t be able to walk as much and discover paths that are suitable for bikes more than for pedestrians.
Itinerary
Map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/embed?mid=12lL-WRjUrN4DavqSVRCkRgYeGEXXFU59
Get off from your train in Lübbenau, the Spreewald’s most popular tourist center. If you arrive by train, you will have the tourist info center, right at the station. They can give you a map and give answers to your questions. Take Potstrasse , and walk up to the main square. On the way you may spot one bike rental shop, the second one will be right at the square Fahrrad Metsdorf store (opens at 9.30am), diagonally of tourist office, this is where I rented mine.
Lutki, Aquarius and Irrlicht
11:30-11:45
Stop for a moment in front of the Nikolaikirche, built in 18th century in Baroque Saxon style. Take a moment to admire stainless still figures that impersonate Spreewald’s mythical world, Lutki, Aquarius and Irrlicht. To find out more about it, you may purchase a "Legend from the Spreewald,” for only €2.50 in the bookstore and at the tourist office in.
Grosser Spreewaldhafen square
11:50-12:30 350 m, 1 min ride from Nikolaikirhce
Follow Lübbenauer Ehm-Welk-Straße and just before entering the forest, you will enter Grosser Spreewaldhafen. It is a small square and a harbor, where you can have a little coffee break. The food market is also there, and quality products of Spreewald can be found sold by farmers themselves. You may also take a tourist boat tour from there.
Gurken Museum
12:45- 13:00 1.5 km, 5 min ride from Grosser Spreewaldhafen via Schlossbezirk
1.9 km Ride back following the sign for Lehde, a traditional lagoon village. Take Schlossbezirk Street, cross the overpass, let the Waffle stand be on your left. Follow the road and through Lehdscher Weg arrive at the Gurken or Gherkin Museum, the only museum in the world about pickled cucumbers. This is a delicacy in Spreewald, they are that special that as of 1999, “Spreewälder Gurken” became a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) a la Champagne – meaning no gherkins can be marketed under that name if they do not originate from the area[v].
Opening hours: 10:00-17:00
Address: An der Dolzke 4A, 03222 Lübbenau/Spreewald, Germany
More info: https://www.luebbenau-spreewald.com/page/en/recreation-wellness/spreewald-cucumber/city-of-pickles.php?lang=EN
Lunch break
13:00-14:00 600 m, 2 min ride from Gurken Museum
Enjoy your ride through the forest and have a lunch break around the Freilandmuseum Lehde (Open air museum Lehde). Your choices can be Gasthaus Bludnik, Suez or Beer Garden "Bauernschänke".
If you decide to visit a museum, it will give you an insight of an every day life without electricity of Sorbs. The museum itself might not be as interesting for adults as it might be for kids, if you decide not to visit it, just continue your ride over the wooden bridge ( where you will have to take your bike over), and prepare to be more amazed.
Opening hours: 29.03. -30.09.2018 daily 10:00 - 18:00, 01.10. to 02.11.2018 daily 10:00 - 17:00
Address: An der Giglitza 1a, 03222 Lübbenau OT Lehde, Germany
Admission fees: Adults: €5 Children up to 16 years: €1
You will also receive combination tickets for the Spreewald Museum Lübbenau , Freilandmuseum Lehde as well as the castle and fortress Senftenberg.
Leipe
14:00-16:30
Your next stop will be Leipe. This is a traditional fishing village that is situated on a sand bank surrounded by two Spree tributaries. There will be 2 paths next to River Spree, you will take left, and ride for almost 6 km. For nature lovers this will be an extraordinary experience, as you will be assimilated with nature, and completely disconnected from the chaos of the city. Your extraordinary ride will include, long path surrounded by deep forest, passing small wooden bridges from which you can observe people kayaking. If you happen to be there on Saturday or Sunday, stop at the Café zur Spreewalderin, or any other that you would like around that area, as this particular café is not open every day.
Cafe zur Spreewalderin
Opening hours: Saturday and Sunday 12:00- 17:00
Address: Leiper Dorfstraße 5, 03222 Lübbenau/Spreewald, Germany
http://www.cafe-zur-spreewaelderin.de/
If you are enthusiastic cyclist, you may opt for this path. It includes 35 minutes until Leipe and then another 45 minutes until the train stop.
Follow the route bellow:
After your short break, continue riding on Leiper Dorfstrasse ,and when you reach the junction turn left into Burger Weg street that turns into Waldschlosschenstrasse . Pass next to the Boat Rental Service Hafen Waldschlosschen Schimmank GbR, turn left until you reach Polezweg. This road will take you back to the train station in 45min
An alternative
14:00-15:30
If you don’t have enough time left, or you don’t feel like cycling much, take this route. Reach Gasthaus Dubkow-Mühle, which is 6 min away from Caf zur Spreewalderin, turning right at the junction at the end of the Leoper Dorfstrasse. You can have a nice drink or a snack there and slowly get ready to come back.
More about Spreewald
https://www.spreewald-info.de/ausflugsziele/museen/freilandmuseum-lehde
https://www.luebbenau-spreewald.com/page/en/luebbenau/spreewald-village-leipe.php
https://www.bleiche.de/en/spreewald
References:
[i] Native Peoples of the World: Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures and Contemporary issues, Steven L. Danver, Routledge, Mar 10, 2015
https://books.google.ae/books?id=vf4TBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA378&dq=how+do+sorbs+live+today&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiy6KDqxqbdAhVQTBoKHW5OB9gQ6AEILjAB#v=onepage&q=how%20do%20sorbs%20live%20today&f=false
[ii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorbs
[iii] Central Europe on the Threshold of the 21st Century: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Challenges in Politics and Society, Lucyna Czechowska, Krzysztof Olszewski, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Jul 24, 2014
https://books.google.ae/books?id=SdsxBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA69&lpg=PA69&dq=interesting+facts+about+sorbs&source=bl&ots=OwkzzZYD5_&sig=fTGOhoJ4qpuCo71jzrzRirxdh60&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiUoOXC8KbdAhUtmIsKHTrCBI04ChDoATAAegQIABAB#v=onepage&q=interesting%20facts%20about%20sorbs&f=false
[v] http://www.exberliner.com/whats-on/insider-tips/on-the-gherkin-trail/
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