4th Stage “Lower Lusatian Mining Tour”: Vetschau - Cottbus

From Vetschau im Spreewald, this stage takes you to Gräbendorfer See, a lake which emerged as a result of the flooding of a former surface mine. Then you continues through small villages until you get to Cottbus. 

Length: 39 kilometres
Start: Vetschau
Finish: Cottbus

Logo/route sign: red devil with bicycle

Arrival: Take the RE2 (Cottbus) from Berlin central station to Vetschau (about 1 hour).
Departure: From Cottbus, take the RE2 (Wittenberge) regional express train to Berlin central station (about 1.5 hours).

Route: Vetschau, Lobendorf, Tornitz, Briesen, Wüstenhain, Casel, Illmersdorf, Koschendorf, Putgolla, Kolkwitz, Cottbus

Points of interest/background information:

• Vetschau: Wendish-German twin church, castle, White Stork Centre
• Laasow (detour): floating house on Lake Gräbendorfer See
• Casel: Lake Gräbendorfer See with bird sanctuary island, environmental and meeting centre
• Illmersdorf: Church with mummy tomb
• Cottbus: Art museum/diesel power station, historic town centre, state theatre, Wendish museum, airfield museum, Branitz Prince-Pueckler Park

Possible combinations

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