5th Stage “Lower Lusatian Mining Tour”: Cottbus - Forst (Lausitz)

The stage starts at Cottbus central station. It is a journey through the history of the Lausitz region from the 19th century to the present: visionary landscape architecture by Prince Pueckler in Branitz, active lignite surface mining and power generation in Jänschwalde, textile history in Forst (L.), once the “Manchester of the Lausitz region”, landscape design after surface mining. The historical cultural landscape of the pond area of Peitz and the idyllic Neiße river landscape complete this bicycle tour.

Length: 62 kilometres
Start: Cottbus
Finish: Forst (L.)

Logo/route sign: Red devil with bicycle

Arrival: Take the RE2 (Cottbus) from Berlin central station to Cottbus (approximately 1.5 hours).
Departure: From Forst take the regional train RB46 to Cottbus. From here, continue on the RE2 (rapid transit train) (Wittenberge) to Berlin central station (about 2 hours).

Route: Cottbus, Wilmersdorf, Maust, Neuendorf, Bärenbrück, Heinersbrück, Kolonie Pipanojce, Drewitz, Kerkwitz, Taubendorf, Albertinenaue, Briesnig, Forst (L.) / Neu Sacro

Points of interest/background information:

• Cottbus: Art museum/diesel power station, Fürst-Pueckler Park in Branitz (detour), historic centre, state theatre
• Peitz (detour): Ironworks museum, fortress tower, pond landscape
• Bärenbrück: Teichland adventure park with exhibition and observation tower
• Heinersbrück: Viewpoint, Jänschwalde surface mining
• Jänschwalde: Power station, Wendish-German local history museum
• Grießen: Technical monument, hydroelectric power station, church
• “Kulturkirche” Sacro
• Forst (L.): Archive of disappeared places, Brandenburg textile museum, East German rose garden

Possible combinations

• Prince Pueckler Cycle Path
• Oder-Neiße Cycle Path
• Guben Lake Tour
• Tour Brandenburg
• Spree Cycle Path
• Gherkin Cycle Path

Trail conditions/surface:
mostly asphalted cycle paths and cycle roads, some sections also on side roads, unpaved paths or paved roads, some root break-ups, few gradients

Maps/Literature: 

• Upper Spreewald-Lausitz district, 1:50,000, Sachsen Kartographie GmbH, ISBN 978-3-86843-058-5
• Lusatian Lakeland, 1:50,000, Sachsen Kartographie GmbH, ISBN 978-3-86843-021-9
• Niederlausitz/Lausitzer Seenland, 1:75,000, ADFC regional map, BVA Verlag, ISBN 978-3-87073-783-2