Our long-distance cycle routes in Upper Lusatia
Oder-Neisse and Spree cycle paths
In our cycle path network, these two cycle routes are the best known and perhaps also the most beautiful long-distance cycle paths, both of which lead northwards. The Spree Cycle Path takes you to the heart of Berlin, while the Oder-Neisse Cycle Path takes you past idyllic landscapes all the way to the island of Usedom.
The following long-distance cycle routes are also recommended: Mittelland route, Seeland route, Frog cycle path and the Via Sacra cycle pilgrimage route.
Oder-Neisse Cycle Route
On the ride along the eastern border of Germany, which is naturally marked by the Neisse and Oder rivers, the glittering blue water surface, green overgrown Neisse floodplains, refreshingly rustling pine forests and sunny yellow rapeseed fields make for a colorful enjoyment of nature. At the same time, cyclists cover a route full of history. From the source of the Neisse at the southernmost point of the tour in Nová Ves (CZ), the route leads to Zittau, with its baroque town houses, pretty town hall and mighty salt house at the foot of the Zittau Mountains Nature Park. Downstream, the bikes roll to Görlitz and then on to Bad Muskau, known above all for the UNESCO award-winning Prince Pückler Park. Around 20 kilometers north of Guben in Brandenburg, the Neisse flows into the Oder at Ratzdorf. From here, it is a good 400 kilometers to the island of Usedom with many other attractions worth seeing.
More information about the Oder-Neisse Cycle Route!
Spree cycle path
The variety of landscapes along the Spree invites you to recharge your batteries. The cycle path leads along mostly asphalted sections past traditional half-timbered houses with their wooden door arches and ornate slatework. From the Upper Lusatian Highlands, the tour continues towards the 1,000-year-old town of Bautzen and through the UNESCO biosphere reserve of the Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape. At the end of the approximately 120 Saxon kilometers, the transition into the largest man-made water landscape in Europe is seamless. After a scenic ride through Upper Lusatia, the cycle route in Brandenburg leads through Spremberg, Cottbus and the Spreewald before finally reaching Berlin.
More information about the Spree Cycle Path!
Twin cycle path
Discover the best of Upper Lusatia along the Neisse and Spree rivers - that's a short description of the route of this long-distance cycle path! The Oder-Neisse Cycle Route and the Speer Cycle Route, equally enchanting and with different temperaments - like fraternal twins - are the region's best-known cycle routes along the Spree and Neisse rivers. The paths cross the most beautiful areas and towns of Upper Lusatia downstream and then welcome the extensive river landscapes of Brandenburg. And the best thing is that the twins can be perfectly combined with the Frog Cycle Route in the north and the Mittelland Route in the south to create a great cycle tour.
More information about the twin cycle route!
Via Sacra cycle pilgrimage route
Ever been on a pilgrimage by bike? Then the 260 km Via Sacra cycle pilgrimage route is just the thing for you! The tour leads along sacred sites through Upper Lusatia. As it is designed as a circular route, you can start from wherever you like. In Kamenz, cyclists are greeted by the ambience of a medieval town. The route then continues towards Nebelschütz and Panschwitz-Kuckau. In Temritz, the impressive silhouette of Bautzen can be seen from afar. This is followed by smaller villages and tree-lined roads with sweeping views over fields. On this stage, you will be accompanied by views of the Löbauer Berg. The route continues to Jauernick-Buschbach, where a great atmosphere awaits you thanks to its location on Lake Berzdorf. You reach another highlight in Görlitz. The "Holy Sepulchre" is an interesting destination for pilgrims from all over the world. You reach Zittau along the Oder-Neisse cycle path. The cycle pilgrimage route continues through Herrnhut, the memorial town of Obercunnersdorf to Cunewalde. From Obergurig, the cycle pilgrimage route leads back to Kamenz.
More information about the cycle pilgrimage route!
Frog cycle path
The approx. 260 km long frog cycle path leads around the Upper Lusatian heath and pond landscape. Dune forests, wet meadows, moors - the entire Upper Lusatian heath and pond landscape is a paradise for frogs. And also for anyone interested in rare plant and animal species. They are so unique that UNESCO has placed the biosphere reserve under its protection. Designed as a circular route, the cycle path leads through a sparsely populated area where the language and customs of the Sorbs are still very much alive.
More information about the Frog Cycle Trail!
Neißeland tour
On the Neißeland tour, which is over 140 kilometers long, you can experience the entirety of "Silesian Lusatia" in several sections. The route follows existing and signposted paths (Oder-Neiße cycle path, Frog cycle path) which are optimally linked together. Numerous sights along the route and the charming heath and pond landscape make this tour a unique experience.
More information about the Neißelandtour!
Central Plateau Route
Zittau in the border triangle is a fitting start to the Mittelland Route, which finally ends in Aachen after Saxony and Thuringia. The small town with its baroque buildings has a treasure that goes well with Aachen Cathedral: The Great Lenten Veil from the 15th century, one of the most beautiful and significant in Europe. Explore the picturesque section of the Mittelland Route between Zittau and the Valtenberg in Upper Lusatia. The route takes you past varied landscapes, charming villages and historical sights.
More information about the Mittellandroute!
Lakeland route
From north to south and back again, the Lakeland Route crosses the Lusatian Lakeland, including parts of Upper Lusatia. Along 191 kilometers, cyclists can experience first-hand how the largest man-made water landscape in Europe is growing. Here, where lignite mining once dominated the landscape, a new vacation paradise is being created by the flooding of former open-cast mines. The decades-long transformation of the landscape can be experienced quite well on the Lakeland Route in just four one-day stages.
More information about the Lakeland Route!
These highlights await you!
Görlitz - a pearl of Upper Lusatia
Görlitz, the easternmost city in Germany, hides gems from 500 years of European architectural history. The lovingly restored Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings not only delight visitors, but also regularly attract national and international film producers. In addition to the fantastic backdrop, they particularly appreciate the hospitality of the people of Görlitz. Whether at the numerous cultural events in the European flair of the German-Polish European city, in the city's top-class museums, on a shopping tour or relaxing on the beautiful Lake Berzdorf just outside the city gates - Görlitz has something for everyone.
Unique to Görlitz are the hall houses along the historic VIA REGIA trade route. The "merchants' palaces" are a mixture of residential, commercial and representative buildings and give a good impression of what life was like for the well-heeled in the late Middle Ages.
More information about the city of Görlitz can be found here!
Bautzen impresses!
Just half an hour's drive from Dresden is the town of Bautzen - the town of towers. The sight of it takes your breath away: fortified bastions and towers rise up into the sky on a granite rock. Below them, the River Spree winds its way around the more than 1,000-year-old city complex, as if to emphasize with its glitter what connoisseurs have long known: Bautzen's silhouette is one of the most impressive cityscapes in the whole of Germany. Behind the fortress walls, around 1,000 architectural monuments are waiting to be discovered. A family vacation is also guaranteed to be an experience thanks to the dinosaur park, climbing garden and lots of other leisure activities in Bautzen and the surrounding area!
Further information can be found here!
Great heritage - unique landscape art!
The "Great Heritage" is reflected in the special landscape, but also in the architecture and life in Lusatia. With World Heritage, Geopark, Biosphere Reserves and Intangible Heritage, four different UNESCO titles have been awarded to the Lusatian region - which is unparalleled worldwide. The World Heritage Site Muskauer Park/ Park Mużakowski, the transnational World Heritage Site "Settlements of the Moravian Church", the Global Geopark Muskauer Faltenbogen/ Łuk Mużakowa, the Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape Biosphere Reserve and the intangible heritage of blue printing are particularly worthy of protection in the opinion of UNESCO.
You can find more information about the UNESCO titles here!
The Landskron brewery manufactory
Landskron Brau-Manufaktur, a gem that survived two world wars and 40 years of East Germany. Today, Landskron is Germany's largest brewery and the most important beer brand, brewing naturally matured master beers in a high-quality range of varieties using the art of craft brewing. Once in Görlitz, you should not miss out on a guided tour of the Landskron Kulturbrauerei, which can be perfectly integrated into the round trip on the day of arrival or on the last day.
If you have time, stay a little longer and review your experiences in the visitor center.
Click here to go directly to the guided tour of the Landskron Kulturbrauerei
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape
The UNESCO biosphere reserve is known beyond the borders of Saxony for its natural features. Here, forests, moors and ponds alternate in the smallest of spaces, providing a home for white-tailed eagles, cranes, otters and many other animals.
It is also the largest bird and nature reserve in Saxony. During a visit to the "HAUS DER TAUSEND TEICHE", you can learn lots of interesting facts about the flora and fauna of the heath and pond landscape in themed lectures, at events or on guided hikes.
Further information on the UNESCO biosphere reserve Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape!
Zittau and the Zittauer Gebirge Nature Park
The Zittau Mountains Nature Park, which was designated by the state of Saxony in 2007, is the 100th nature park in Germany. Together with the neighboring Lusatian Mountains and the Jeschkenkamm, it forms a joint nature and landscape park. Unique to the nature park is the harmony of the Zittau Mountains, Lake Olbersdorf, the historic town of Zittau and the idyllic villages with their typical Upper Lusatian half-timbered houses. In addition, the town of Zittau, which was once reverently called "the rich" by the neighboring towns in the area, impresses with its unmistakable townscape. A stroll through the historic old town shows that this name was certainly justified.
More information about the nature park and the town of Zittau can be found here!
Lusatian Lakeland - here you can dive!
Huge expanses of water glisten in the sun, families set off on bike tours, stand-up paddlers paddle their lengths and boats sail on the lake. What is now reality in the Lusatian Lakeland was a seemingly infinitely distant dream just a few decades ago. The lunar landscapes of former open-cast lignite mines have developed into an attractive tourist destination. With more than 20 flooded lakes and navigable canals, the Lusatian Lakeland is home to the largest man-made water landscape in Europe.
You can read more information about the Lusatian Lakeland here!
Probably the oldest blueprint workshop in Germany!
If you want to experience artisan creativity and inventiveness, the West Lusatia sub-region is just the place for you. The production of regional products has a long tradition here. Gingerbread is particularly popular in Pulsnitz. But it is also home to what is probably the oldest blueprint workshop still in production in Germany, where 1,000 models are used to print a wide variety of patterns on cotton or linen fabric. They are the treasure of every blueprint workshop. The oldest model in Pulsnitz is the journeyman's piece "Joshua and Caleb" by Samuel Stein from 1720. The fabric becomes blue with a white pattern in various work and dyeing processes.
You can find more highlights from West Lusatia here!
The door is open, even more so the heart!
There are several monasteries in Upper Lusatia, the best known of which are probably St. Marienstern Monastery (Panschwitz Kuckau) and St. Marienthal Monastery (Ostritz). The monastery in Ostritz has existed since 1234 and is therefore older than St. Marienstern. The year it was founded also makes it the oldest nunnery of the Cistercian order in Germany. Both monasteries are well connected to various cycle routes in Upper Lusatia. The best way to reach St. Marienstern Monastery is on the"Sorbian Impressions" cycle route, while St. Marienthal Monastery is on the"Oder-Neisse Cycle Route".
You can find more cultural highlights here!
3,600 km of pure cycling pleasure
