Kahnfahrt im Spreewald

Punt Tour in the Spreewald: Silently through a Labyrinth of Water

A Spreewald punt is a flat-bottomed boat without a keel, usually made of aluminum, occasionally still of pine wood, up to nine meters long and barely two meters wide. The method of propulsion is called ‘staken’: with a pole made of ash wood, over four meters long, called a ‘rudel’, the ferry operators push off directly from the bottom of the streams. Without haste, without a motor, accompanied only by the splashing of the ‘rudel’, the labyrinth of the Spreewald streams unfolds. The result is pure deceleration.

The most popular starting point is the Großer Spreewaldhafen Lübbenau, which offers the widest range of daily punt tours. From there, you go to the Spreewald villages of Lehde and Leipe, as well as to Wotschofska. Prices start from 17 Euros for adults, children pay from 9 Euros. From April to October, the punts depart flexibly from 11 AM depending on capacity. During peak season: a reservation is definitely worthwhile.

Sorbian Culture, Pickles, and the Way to Lehde

The Spreewald was predominantly shaped by the Sorbs and is a historical cultural landscape. Even today, Sorbian and Wendish customs and traditions can be experienced in many places. The ferrywoman or ferryman is solely there for the guests during the entire tour and provides information about the peculiarities of this region. Those who stay on board for more than two hours will be rewarded: after about an hour, you reach the Spreewald village of Lehde, where a break is taken for a visit to the open-air museum.

Those who prefer a more romantic experience can book a chimney punt tour in summer or start the day unusually with a breakfast punt tour. With the punt tour to the farm distillery, punting can also be combined with tasting regional liqueurs and brandies. For a weekend trip from Berlin, it also applies: with the RE2, you can be in the Spreewald from the capital in just one hour.