Um den Gräbendorfer See ab Vetschau

You start at the Schlossremise tourist information centre at Schlossstraße 10 in Vetschau/Spreewald. The route first takes you past the Wendish-German double church and the Vetschau market square. Here you will discover small alleyways, historic buildings and squares from different eras. Via Hospitalplatz square, you reach the Vetschau district of Märkischheide, which was still called Weißagk until 1937. The famous Spreewald painter Wilhelm Schieber, in whose honour a monument was erected in the castle park, lived in this part of the Spreewald town. Cycling towards Babow, you cross the "border" after a good kilometre and continue into the Spree-Neisse district. On the cycle path, past meadows, fields and forests, the route leads to Eichow. You cross the village along the 524 country road and head towards the Gräbendorfer See lake. Before that, you cycle through a wooded area, where you leave the paved paths and enjoy the tranquillity of the forest. Once you arrive in Wüstenhain, the ice cream parlour of the "Kśišowka" cycle guesthouse invites you to take a short break.   The Lower Sorbian/Wendish name "Kśišowka" refers to the Kzschischoka, a once water-rich river that powered the wheels of the Wüstenhain water mills for many centuries. In 1937, the Kzschischoka was given the official name "Greifenhainer Fließ", which is still used today. A short stop on the Wüstenhain bank of Lake Gräbendorf offers a magnificent view of the impressive 475-hectare expanse of water. The lake, created from the former Gräbendorf open-cast mine, was released from mining supervision in September 2018. The 9 km long, asphalted circular route around the lake is not only excellent for cycling, but also for skating or walking. After cycling around the lake, you arrive in Laasow. Before you explore the village, take a look at the floating houses directly on the shore of Lake Gräbendorf, which can be reached via a jetty. One of these buildings was created as a project of the International Building Exhibition (IBA) "Fürst-Pückler-Land". Further development for tourism is planned and already recognisable. Laasow, whose Sorbian name "Łaz" means "light place in the forest or forest meadow", has a small Gothic-style church, probably dating back to the 14th century, as well as a manor house hidden in the park. The manor house, built in 1856 in the Swiss villa style, has been lying dormant for a very long time and is certainly worth waking up. Now leave the village in the direction of Briesen and cycle along the road to Tornitz for approx. 3 kilometres. Here you will pass what was once the highest wind turbine in the world. The steel lattice tower with a rotor measuring 90 metres in diameter is 205 metres high. Shortly before your destination, you pass through the small village of Lobendorf. The estate, which is located slightly off the road, is a real gem. In the immediate vicinity is the "Loboschitza Holy Spring", the surroundings of which are known as an archaeological monument. The square is surrounded by three old lime trees, which were planted by the former owner of the manor, General Paul von Leszczynski. On the home stretch, you pass the NABU White Stork Information Centre. The centre's exhibition focuses on the white stork, the characteristic bird of Lower Lusatia. After around 33 km, you will arrive at the starting point of the tour, the Schlossremise tourist information centre in Vetschau/Spreewald.