Lake landscape: Flooded Lusatian opencast mines are connected with canals

According to the Lausitzer Seenland tourism association, Lusatia wants to further establish itself as a local recreation area. A journey takes up to 2.5 hours – there are additional waiting times.

What is the Lusatian Lake District?

The Lusatian Lake District extends across the federal states of Saxony and Brandenburg. It is located about 140 kilometers south of Berlin and 60 kilometers north of Dresden and consists of 23 lakes that were created from former opencast mines. Five lakes will have a navigable connection from summer 2026. The plan is for even more lakes to be connected to each other through canals.

What changes with the new channels?

According to the information, the opening creates a contiguous water area of ​​around 5,300 hectares. For comparison: According to the Water and Shipping Office, the Müritz – Germany’s largest inland lake – is around 11,300 hectares in size. A complete lap on the water is around 50 kilometers long.

Until now, the Koschen Canal between Senftenberger and Geierswalder See and the Barbara Canal between Geierswalder and Partwitzer See were the only navigable waterways in the region.

How were the lakes formed?

In the 1980s, almost 190 million tons of lignite were mined per year in Lusatia, according to the Lausitz and Central German Mining Management Company (LMBV). The deep holes in the ground were renovated and flooded so that they could be used for water sports and as a local recreation area. “The flooding of the former opencast mines creates the largest man-made water landscape in Europe,” writes the tourism association.

How will the opening be celebrated?

On June 29, 2026, the five large lakes – Senftenberger, Geierswalder, Partwitzer, Sedlitzer and Großräschener See – will be connected into a navigable network. The plan is for people to gather on the banks at the same time and go into the water together wearing a blue swimming cap. The 5 Lakes Challenge is supposed to be: “Which lake brings the most people into the water at the same time?”

There will also be a ceremony at Lake Sedlitz. According to the information, around 150 guests from politics, business, tourism, municipalities and authorities are expected, including Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) and the Prime Minister of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer (CDU).