Elbe-Elster: Industrial Heritage, Nature and Regional Discoveries
Accommodation in Elbe-Elster
Elbe-Elster offers unusual insights into the history of energy production—from preserved factory complexes to a visitor mine. There are also nature experiences, cycling tours and a regional wine tradition. If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home for your vacation, the themes of your outings can help you decide where to stay: would you mainly like to discover industrial heritage, spend time outdoors, or combine both?
Discover the history of industry
The Louise briquette factory in Domsdorf is the oldest preserved briquette factory in Europe. Visitors can experience working historical machinery and discover steam engines there. Plessa Power Station, meanwhile, is one of the oldest lignite-fired power stations in Europe and has retained its original structure. A visit offers the chance to discover authentic power station technology from the 1920s and the scale of a historic energy facility.
A guided tour of Plessa Power Station, entitled “The Path of Coal,” leads through the outdoor bunker, boiler house, turbine hall, control room and transformer area. The stops bring different parts of the power station into focus. The experience power station is also located on a cycling route. If you are interested in the history of energy production, the 200-kilometre “Coal, Wind and Water Tour” offers another way to explore this theme while on the move.
The F60 visitor mine is located south of Lichterfeld. Visitors can explore nearby Lake Bergheider by bike, Segway or on a walk along the long beach. So, in addition to visiting the mine, there are different ways to spend time at the lake. For an outing with children, you can decide together whether to focus on technology, exercise or a walk.
Museums, local history and nature
Four important museums in Elbe-Elster district have formed a joint museum network since January 2015. A special historical point of interest is the Museum Mühlberg 1547: it explores the meeting of armies in 1547, which shaped the course of the Reformation, and has been awarded the European Heritage Label. The museum can be reached by bus routes 433/437 from Riesa, 536 from Falkenberg or Bad Liebenwerda–Koßdorf, and 565 from Bad Liebenwerda. It is about 300 metres, or a four-minute walk, from Mühlberg bus station.
There are also different ways to get to know the region outdoors. On outings with a ranger from the Nature Conservation Service, visitors to the Elbe-Elster region can identify birdsong, find rare plants and observe animals. The Elster Cycle Tour is a circular route that passes old mills and runs through the heart of the Niederlausitzer Heidelandschaft Nature Park. If you would rather combine a guided tour with a cycling trip, you could also consider the 65-kilometre Apple Route, which includes a guided tour of the Pomological Garden in Döllingen.
Wine and regional towns
Wine has been grown again on the southern slope of Langer Berg in Schlieben since 1992. More than 2,000 vines of the “Müller-Thurgau” and “Bacchus” varieties now grow there. Visitors can discover and taste Schlieben wine on a guided tour. The historic cellar lane is also part of the history of winegrowing: more than 30 wine cellars have been excavated in Langer Berg since around 1540. Winegrowing, tastings and the cellar lane offer different insights into the local tradition.
Towns with historic centres in the Elbe-Elster region offer interesting walking tours. When choosing your accommodation, you could therefore consider whether to plan your outings around industrial heritage and museums, or around cycling, nature and wine. The following town pages offer further starting points for your search: Herzberg, Bad Liebenwerda, Sallgast, Sonnewalde, Schönewalde, Finsterwalde, Elsterwerda, Falkenberg/Elster, Schlieben, Hohenleipisch, Massen-Niederlausitz, Doberlug-Kirchhain, Wahrenbrück, Gorden-Staupitz, Mühlberg, Fichtwald, Schönborn, Lebusa, Röderland, Plessa, Gröden.
For the overarching travel guide: Brandenburg.
