Spreewald
A flat canal delta about 100 km southeast of Berlin, explored mainly by punt, where villages use the canals as their streets.
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The Spreewald is a large inland delta of the Spree river in Brandenburg, about 100 km southeast of Berlin and close to Cottbus. Here the river splits into many branches, creating a flat region of canals, alder forests on wet ground and pine stands on dry sandy soil. The land was shaped by the last Ice Age. Most visitors explore it by punt, the flat-bottomed Spreewaldkähne poled along the water. UNESCO has recognized the area as a biosphere reserve since 1991.
Lehde and Leipe are villages where waterways take the place of roads. The Sorbs, a Slavic people, have kept their language and customs, and public signs are bilingual in German and Lower Sorbian. Boat trips leave from Lübbenau, the main town, and from Lübben, Lehde, Burg and several other villages. Pickled gherkins from the area carry EU Protected Geographical Indication. Fog is more common here than on the surrounding land, and frost is more likely, so check the weather before you go.
Spreewald in five
- Take the regional express to LübbenauA regional train from Berlin reaches Lübbenau in about an hour. The harbor is a short walk or bike ride from the station, so you can skip the car.Berlin travel guide
- Book a punt boat tour at the harborPole-driven wooden boats run mainly from spring to autumn, and tours last from one hour to a full day. Queues build at weekends, so go on a weekday or early.
- Rent a bike or kayak for your own routeThe paths are flat and the canals are signposted. A kayak gives quiet and a boat-free view, and bike rentals are common near the station and the harbor.
- Eat the local gherkin and linseed oil dishesSpreewald gherkins are the region's best-known product, and potatoes with linseed oil and quark is the classic plate. Try them at a village inn.
- Add Lehde for the village on the waterLehde is a canal village near Lübbenau with an open-air museum of local life. You reach it by boat, bike or on foot along the water.
Need to know
- Airport
- Berlin Brandenburg (BER), about 1–1.5 hours with a change
- Getting there
- Regional express from Berlin to Lübbenau, about 1 hour
- Getting around
- Punt boats, bikes, kayaks and buses between villages
- Best base
- Lübbenau for the harbor and trains; Burg for quiet
- Time needed
- 1 day; 1 night for the quiet after the boats
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Snowy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryRain14 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh4°Low0°Cold, boats offJanuaryRain
Poor
- High
- 4°
- Low
- 0°
- Precipitation
- 56 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 2
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, boats off
- FebruaryRain12 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh6°Low0°Cold, quietFebruaryRain
Poor
- High
- 6°
- Low
- 0°
- Precipitation
- 51 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
- MarchPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh10°Low2°Cool, boats offMarchPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 10°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 41 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, boats off
- AprilPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh14°Low5°Spring, boats startAprilPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 14°
- Low
- 5°
- Precipitation
- 36 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Spring, boats start
- MayPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh19°Low9°Green, boats runMayPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 19°
- Low
- 9°
- Precipitation
- 44 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Green, boats run
- JunePartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh25°Low14°Long daysJunePartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 72 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Long days
- JulyPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh25°Low15°Hot, busyJulyPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 73 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, busy
- AugustPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh25°Low16°Punt seasonAugustPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 57 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Punt season
- SeptemberPartly cloudy8 rainy daysHigh21°Low12°Pickle harvestSeptemberPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 46 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Pickle harvest
- OctoberPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh15°Low8°Fall colorOctoberPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 8°
- Precipitation
- 58 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Fall color
- NovemberPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh9°Low3°Gray, quietNovemberPartly cloudy
Poor
- High
- 9°
- Low
- 3°
- Precipitation
- 41 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Gray, quiet
- DecemberCloudy12 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh5°Low1°Quiet, coldDecemberCloudy
Poor
- High
- 5°
- Low
- 1°
- Precipitation
- 49 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Quiet, cold
Average daily high and low in Lübbenau, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Spreewald
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
7
- Feels like
- 7°
- Humidity
- 55%
- Wind
- 6 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 3%
Spreewald
09:47 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today9°4°3%Monday: Rain. High 9°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 3%.
- Tue10°3°5%Tuesday: Rain. High 10°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 5%.
- Wed8°4°0%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 8°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu8°1°0%Thursday: Cloudy. High 8°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri9°0°0%Friday: Cloudy. High 9°, Low 0°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Sat7°1°0%Saturday: Fog. High 7°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Sun7°0°0%Sunday: Fog. High 7°, Low 0°. Chance of rain 0%.
Updated 05:45 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Every year
- Jan–FebtransmedialeBerlin, a day trip
- MayBerliner TheatertreffenBerlin, a day trip
- JulLesbian and Gay City FestivalBerlin, a day trip
- AugBerlin AtonalBerlin, a day trip
- SepBerlin International Literature FestivalBerlin, a day trip
- Oct–NovJazzFest BerlinBerlin, a day trip
Before you go to Spreewald
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Rules for Spreewald, checked
- Germany is in the Schengen area. Non-EU visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Check entry rules on the German Foreign Office site before you book.Source
- Dial 112 for fire or an ambulance anywhere in Germany, and 110 for police.
- The Spreewald is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Ask the reserve administration about local rules before you leave marked paths or waterways.
Plan around Spreewald
Palaces and parks, 30 minutes from Berlin
Read the guideBerlin & BrandenburgThe region around the capital
Read the guideBerlin travel guideThe gateway, about 1 hour away
Read the guideDresden travel guideA baroque Elbe city to the southeast
Read the guideSaxon SwitzerlandSandstone towers east of Dresden
Read the guideRügen IslandThe Baltic coast, a longer rail trip north
Read the guideAll of GermanyCities, regions and trains for a Germany trip
Read the guideSpreewald FAQ
Is the Spreewald worth visiting?
Yes for a quiet day out of Berlin. The canal landscape is unusual in Germany, and it is easy to do by train. It is less interesting in winter, when boats stop or run on a reduced schedule.
How do you get from Berlin to the Spreewald?
By regional express to Lübbenau in about an hour. From the station you walk or cycle to the harbor. Check the return times before you set out, because the last trains leave early in the evening.
How long do you need in the Spreewald?
One day covers a boat tour, a village stop and lunch. A night lets you cycle at dusk and see the canals after the groups leave, which is the main reason to stay.
What is a Spreewald punt tour like?
A boatman pushes a flat wooden boat with a pole through narrow canals under trees. It is slow and quiet, and tours range from about an hour to a full day. Book at the harbor or online.
When is the best time for the Spreewald?
May to September, when the boats run daily and the canals are green. Late summer brings the pickle harvest. Winter is quiet and many services shut or run less often.