When people think of day-trip destinations around Berlin, the Spreewald—also known as the “German Venice”—is probably the first thing that comes to mind . Whether it’s brunch during a boat ride or seasonal events and festivals at the open-air museum, there’s plenty to experience here. In 2026, however, it’s actually a different region that has seen a particularly sharp rise in popularity. The Lusatian Lake District was Brandenburg’s fastest-growing travel region in the first half of 2026 . From January through June, the number of overnight stays there rose by 10.4% compared to the same period in 2025. No other travel region in Brandenburg recorded a higher percentage increase.
This is particularly striking because tourism in Brandenburg as a whole showed somewhat weaker growth: In the first half of the year, approximately 2.5 million visitors arrived, accounting for about 6.3 million overnight stays—slightly fewer overall than in the same period the previous year. The Lusatian Lake District is thus developing very positively, bucking the statewide trend.
The trend is also interesting when compared to the Spreewald. During the same period, the Spreewald saw a decline in overnight stays compared to 2025, while the Lusatian Lake District grew by 10.4%.
The lake landscape is largely man-made. Where lignite was once mined in open-pit mines, former open-pit mines have been and continue to be flooded. This has created an entirely new aquatic landscape featuring large lakes, beaches, harbors, bike paths, and water sports opportunities. Among the well-known lakes are Senftenberger See, Geierswalder See, Partwitzer See, Sedlitzer See, and Großräschener See. Several lakes are connected by navigable canals or are slated to become part of a contiguous network of waterways.
Since June 29, 2026, the Lusatian Lake District has had another unique feature: for the first time, five large lakes have been connected to form a contiguous body of water. Lake Senftenberg, Lake Geierswalde, Lake Partwitz, Lake Sedlitz, and Lake Großräschen are linked by navigable canals. This allows visitors to travel by boat from one lake to the next without having to take it out of the water in between. The new Five-Lakes Network covers a contiguous water area of approximately 5,300 hectares. In the long term, the plan is to connect as many as ten lakes via navigable canals.
In some places, the former mining region now resembles a coastal landscape. Around the lakes , sandy beaches, marinas, harbors, beach bars, vacation resorts, and floating homes have sprung up. Senftenberg’s city harbor, in particular, with its pier, restaurants, cafés, and numerous boats, exudes an almost maritime flair.
