Into the wild blue yonder along the Seenland Route (Lakeland Route)

Witness the transformation of a landscape decades in the making in just five days on the Seenland Route. All stages of flooding, from disused opencast mine to finished lake, can be seen along the cycle route’s 191 kilometres.

A cycle holiday with friends is a great idea, especially when exploring new lakes for a few days. The starting point is Lake Grossräschen, which is currently being flooded. The IBA Terraces visitor centre is located on the edge of the former opencast mine and provides insights into the creation of the lakes and the development of the marina.

The new lakes stretch out like a string of pearls on the first leg towards Spremberg, hinting at how much fun it will be to sail across the network of lakes on a pleasure craft or sightseeing boat when the project is completed. The sun shimmers on the lakes and halfway along the route you can hear the water falling into what will become Lake Bluno. The water is still several metres short of its final level, and sandy, earth-coloured mounds peek out on the bank opposite. They are the remnants of opencast mining. “What a sight!” says a surprised Felix, who is cycling the Seenland Route with two friends. Matthias agrees: “You don’t see that every day.

It’s easy to see how much fun it will be to sail across the network of lakes.

A change of scene around 50 kilometres further along

The sun is shining. Lake Bärwalde, with its extensive sandy beaches and clear water, provides the perfect opportunity for a break. When they reach Boxberg beach, all three of them strip off and jump into the lake. But there’s much more to enjoy at Lake Bärwalde than swimming. How about in-line skating on the circular trail around the lake, open-air performances at Theater im Ohr, a spot of sailing or chartering a motorboat? What was meant to be a short break turns into two long hours by the lake. Clemens is dozing in a wicker beach chair: “I love it here!”

Two days, around 70 kilometres and five lakes later

The observation tower on the Sorno canal elicits the three cyclists’ first “Wow!”. The landmark is symbolic of the transformation and offers views over four lakes from 30 metres up. The steel from which the landmark was constructed rusts particularly quickly on the surface and is a deliberate reminder of the Lusatian Lakeland’s industrial history. Just one more lemonade before heading off. “We call the tower the Rusty Nail,” says the owner of the snack bar. The cycle route continues along the shore of Lake Senftenberg, and before long the destination on this penultimate stage, Hafencamp campsite, is almost in sight.

Services for cyclists

The cycle route criss-crosses the region from the north-west to the south-east and back again. It mainly follows asphalt cycle paths and cycle-friendly roads, with some sections on side roads or on unsurfaced tracks, and is mostly flat. Cyclists’ needs are well catered for all along the route, with a wide choice of cyclist-friendly Bed & Bike accommodation, for example Ferienhof Radlerslust on Lake Senftenberg. The Seenland Route can be booked as a package deal with daily stages of between 30 and 45 kilometres. And there’s no need to worry about luggage as it will be transferred for you.

Tip

The Seenland Route leaflet contains a map with the route and provides recommendations for places worth visiting and cycle-friendly accommodation along the way. The leaflet is only available in German.