The best spots to watch the sun go down
New landmarks and scenic lookout points offer fantastic views of the transformation of a landscape, but none of them can draw as many ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ as a sunset. Here are five suggestions for where and how you can enjoy this natural spectacle.
No. 1: Grosskoschen beach on Lake Senftenberg
The region’s transformation began with Lake Senftenberg as far back as 1973. When the lake was opened on 1 June, the first swimmers jumped into the water where just seven years before the opencast mine had produced its last lumps of coal. The lake is still considered to be the most beautiful in the Lusatian Lakeland and is a firm favourite for family outings and water sports. In the summer, crowds flock to the lake’s seven kilometres of sandy beaches and sunbathing lawns. It’s quieter in the evening, when you can make yourself comfortable in a deck chair with a Caribbean cocktail at Seelounge, a beach bar in Grosskoschen, and watch the sun set across the water. And if you have your own stand-up paddle board, you can set off from here and head towards the sunset.
No. 2: Lake Partwitz – sunset on the terrace of Schwimmendes Haus
Lake Partwitz has been open for swimming and boating since 2015, by which time the former opencast mine, where the village of Scado once stood, had been completely flooded. Guests staying in the Schwimmendes Haus have the best views of the sunset. The small holiday home’s terrace has space for two or three guests to enjoy uninterrupted views of the lake and the reflections of the evening sun. Elsewhere, the shores of Lake Partwitz provide ample room for a sunset picnic.
No. 3: Lake Geierswalde – sunset at the Leuchtturm restaurant
Leave the cooking to others and enjoy a perfect evening by Lake Geierswalde taking in the uninterrupted views over the lake and the marina from the Leuchtturm restaurant’s terrace. In keeping with the name of the restaurant, the waiters serve ‘LeuchtTurm’, a cocktail of sparkling wine and sea buckthorn liqueur, and dishes include ‘Seglerpfanne’, pasta with chicken and vegetables, and ‘Möwenschiss’, potatoes with quark and linseed oil.
No. 4: Sightseeing flight over the Lusatian Lakeland
From the air, visitors can get a feel for the size of the Lusatian Lakeland with its 25 lakes spread over almost 15,000 hectares. Lausitzer Seenland Touren, for example, offers sightseeing flights in a Cessna from Hoyerswerda across this new holiday region. Sunset tours are available from the end of August. The Spree-Neiße-Flug flying school also offers sightseeing flights from Welzow across the lakes in a propeller aircraft.
No. 5: Welzow – sunset over an active opencast mine
The team at excursio has proven that opencast mining can be a draw for tourists. During a three-and-a-half-hour sunset tour, a miners’ transporter takes visitors directly into the Welzow-Süd opencast mine, which is still operational. As the sun sets on the horizon, visitors walk through a desert-like landscape past huge machines like the 500 metre long F60 overburden conveyor bridge. Surrounded by this impressive scenery, participants are served soup, sandwiches, cake and fruit. The next public sunset tour will take place on 31 August. The tour can also be booked for groups of eleven or more.
No. 6: Wolkenberg viewing point – sunset in the vineyard
On the edge of the active Welzow-Süd opencast mine, nature has reclaimed the post-mining landscape with some help from mankind. In 2010, energy company Vattenfall planted 26,000 new grape vines where the village of Wolkenberg once stood. The grapes are turned into wine by winemaker Martin Schwarz in Meissen, Saxony, and sold as Wolkenberg wine. The wines can be tasted at the Wolkenberg vineyard as part of a three-hour evening tour organised by iba-aktiv-tours. The next public Lusatian Wine Region tour will be held on 21 September. Individual tours for groups of six or more are available by arrangement.
And now it’s over to you
Whether on the beach, in the water, on a cycle route or at a lakeside restaurant, we want to see your best sunsets in the Lusatian Lakeland. Share your experiences in the sun with us and our fans on the Lusatian Lakeland Facebook page.