Garden City Tour

The circular “Garden City Tour” is 41 kilometres long and will take you from Germany’s first garden city “Marga” in Senftenberg’s district Brieske, via the garden city “Lauta-Nord” to Germany’s youngest garden city “Erika” in Laubusch. You will visit the three garden cities that are protected monuments and that tell a story of the riches of the formerly thriving industrial region. Demand for workers increased rapidly, as mining developed in the Lausitz region. Three attractive works housing estates were created in the early 20th century to accommodate workers. Inspired by the idea of the garden city, the estates are characterised by spacious greens and centres with shops, restaurants and theatres. The garden cities were build for miners and other staff members of the mines “Marga” and “Erika”, and for the workers of the aluminium mill in Lauta-Nord. The goal was to establish residential areas that were functional yet people-friendly and that formed a contrast to the typical workers’ quarters. The bright, spacious estates that are surrounded by gardens and green areas continue to radiate a very particular charm. Taking a look over garden fences and behind hedges is very worthwhile. 

Length: 41 kilometres

Start/finish: Garden city Marga in Senftenberg, town district Brieske
Circular tour via: Niemtsch - Peickwitz - Hosena - Lauta-Dorf - Lauta-Nord - Laubusch - Geierswalde - Kleinkoschen - Senftenberg

Trail conditions: Circular tour with hardly any inclines. Mostly well-developed, asphalted cycle paths and bicycle streets, a few sections on side roads. Most of the trail has a smooth surface. 

Points of interest along the route:

• Garden city “Marga”
• Market square as the centre of the former garden city.
• Former restaurant “Kaiserkrone” at the market square
• Martin Luther Church: The Art Nouveau style church was built for the miners’ colony of the mine “Marga” in 1913. Behind the church there is an impressively designed cemetery that is characterised by geometric shapes, and a chapel.
• The old school: The public school on the north-eastern side of the market square opened in 1911
• Wooden art at “Peickwitzer Hütte”, Senftenberg, town district Peickwitz
• Garden city “Lauta-Nord”
• Garden city “Erika” in Lauta, town district Laubusch
• Exhibition about the garden city at the cultural centre in Laubusch
• Church of St Barbara
• At three places across the village, there are two-sided panels with pictures of the garden city and the biography of the garden city’s architect Heinrich Ewald Kleffel
• Floating holiday homes on the lake Geierswalder See
• Koschener Kanal and lock - the first navigable waterway in the Lusatian Lake District connects the lakes Senftenberger See and Geierswalder See
• Town harbour in Senftenberg
• Castle and fortress in Senftenberg

Parking: on Briesker Strasse in the centre of the garden city “Marga”

Bicycle rental: various bicycle rental services in Senftenberg

Maps/Literature: Radwanderkarte Lausitzer Seenland, 1:50.000, Sachsen Kartographie, ISBN 978-3-86843-021-9, Euro 6.50