Flooded Lusatian opencast mines are connected with canals

In just a few weeks, the time has come: the canals will open in the Lusatian Lakeland to connect five flooded open-cast mining lakes. This will allow water sports enthusiasts and nature lovers to cross the entire water area for the first time: These are Senftenberger, Geierswalder, Partwitzer, Sedlitzer and Großräschener See.

The Lusatia region wants to further establish itself as a local recreation area, according to the Lusatian Lakeland Tourism Association. It takes up to 2.5 hours to pass through - and there are also waiting times.

What is the Lusatian Lakeland?

The Lusatian Lakeland stretches across the federal states of Saxony and Brandenburg. It is located around 140 kilometers south of Berlin and 60 kilometers north of Dresden and consists of 23 lakes that were created from former open-cast mines. Five lakes will have a navigable connection from summer 2026. The plan is for more lakes to be connected by canals.

What will change with the new canals?

The opening will reportedly create a continuous water area of around 5,300 hectares. By comparison, the Müritz - Germany's largest inland lake - is around 11,300 hectares in size, according to the Waterways and Shipping Authority. A complete round trip on the water is around 50 kilometers long.

Until now, the Koschen Canal between Lake Senftenberg and Lake Geierswald and the Barbara Canal between Lake Geierswald and Lake Partwitz were the only navigable waterways in the region.

How were the lakes created?

In Lusatia, almost 190 million tons of lignite were extracted per year in the 1980s, according to the Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft (LMBV). The deep holes in the ground were cleaned up and flooded so that they could be used for water sports and as a local recreation area. "The flooding of the former open-cast mines has created 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 to form a navigable network. The plan is for people to gather on the shores at the same time and enter the water together with a blue swimming cap. The 5-lake challenge will be: "Which lake will get the most people in the water at the same time?"

A ceremony will also be held at Lake Sedlitz. Around 150 guests from politics, business, tourism, municipalities and authorities are reportedly expected, including Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) and the Minister President of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer (CDU).