Lusatian Lakeland: number of guests stable - regional differences

The Lusatian Lakeland recorded a similar number of guest visits and overnight stays in 2025 as in the previous year. Tourism in the region remained at the high level of the previous year "despite difficult economic conditions", according to the Lusatian Lakeland Tourism Association. According to the report, there were around 800,000 overnight stays in accommodation establishments with ten beds or more. Around 269,000 guests visited the lakes in the border region between Saxony and Brandenburg.

This is almost unchanged overall compared to 2024, although there were regional differences: the number of commercial overnight stays increased by more than a third in Lohsa in Saxony (Bautzen district) with Lake Dreiweibern and Lake Silbersee. The same applies to the town of Guben (Spree-Neisse district) in Brandenburg. In the Brandenburg town of Altdöbern (Oberspreewald-Lausitz district), the number of commercial overnight guests even rose by more than half.

5,300 hectares of water for ships and boats from the end of June

The most important foreign market for the region is the Czech Republic. Around 23,000 overnight stays by guests from Saxony's neighboring country correspond to an increase of around 16 percent. In the same period, the number of overnight stays by Polish guests fell by almost 42 percent to 4,399.

At the end of June, the entire Lusatian Lakes Association will be officially opened to shipping traffic. According to the association, five navigable lakes will then be connected by canals for the first time. Previously, only two canals were navigable. Together, the Senftenberger, Geierswalder, Partwitzer, Sedlitzer and Großräschener lakes have a water surface area of around 5,300 hectares for boating. The largest of the five lakes, Lake Sedlitz on the Brandenburg side, is due to open for its first swimming and water sports season at the beginning of May.

Europe's largest artificial lake landscape will then have been created in the former lignite mining area. In total, the Lusatian Lakeland comprises over 20 artificial post-mining lakes. Kathrin Winkler, Managing Director of the association, is hoping for a boost in awareness for the region. At the same time, inflation, price increases for raw materials and energy and the shortage of skilled workers remain major challenges.