Photo by H Köpping Athanasopoulos

Insider guide to the lakes around Leipzig

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If you live in Leipzig like me, it is about a 20-minute car journey to get the sensation of being on another planet.

After an idyllic drive through corn fields, patches of forest and carefully groomed villages, you end up overlooking our region’s largest operational lignite mine. Using some of the biggest machines on earth, dozens of square kilometres of surface soil and rock are removed to lay bare the vast lignite reservoirs the towns and villages of our region were built upon. Everything that stood in the way of the strip mining was flattened.

If you want to visit a veritable ghost town, nearby Pödelwitz should most certainly be on your list. The majority of its residents have left, as the village is likely to completely disappear within five years.

But alas, where there is destruction, there can also be opportunity.

The iconic scars the excavators left behind have ironically enhanced the touristic potential of Leipzig’s surrounding area. What has happened in our city’s southern periphery over the past 20 years is one of Europe’s most significant terraforming projects.

An entire landscape was artificially constructed from scratch: the Leipziger Neuseenland. The dozens of mines were filled with water, and roads and hotels were built around them.

Where Greece has the diversity of its islands, Leipzig has the diversity of its lakes – some easier to reach than others.

Let me now give you a brief overview of the most important lakes in Leipzig’s immediate vicinity, namely Cospudener See, Markkleeberger See, Kulkwitzer See, Zwenkauer See and Störmthaler See. You may be surprised by the diversity of amenities and experiences they offer.

Lake Cospuden

The lake many of you are probably the most familiar with is Cospudener See, which is named after one of the villages that gave way to a lignite mine. Cospudener See is where you go to have fun. It boasts Saxony’s longest sandy beach, excellent infrastructure and relative proximity to Leipzig’s city centre.

Kite surfing, wind surfing, scuba diving, paddling, a golf course, lots of restaurants on the waterfront and even a beach bar – there is so much to do that on a hot weekend our Cossi can get overcrowded.

But still, if this is your thing, you’ll feel like you’re on holiday. Many of you may thus be surprised that mining operations only ceased in 1992, and that it took eight years until the final water level was reached.

Getting there: S2, S3 or S5 to Markkleeberg Hbf, then either walk or catch bus number 65 to take you right to Cospudener See.

Lake Markkleeberg

In many ways, you will probably find Markkleeberger See similar to Cospudener See, but in some ways it is better.

It is pretty close to Leipzig, has great infrastructure (although not as good as Cossi) and possesses lots of little sandy beaches. Seriously, when you reach one of these hidden little bays after a walk through a dense forest of black locusts, you’ll feel like you’re somewhere much farther south than Leipzig, particularly on a hot August afternoon.

In my opinion, the coolest thing about Markkleeberger See is the little island in the middle, though. Technically, you’re not allowed to set foot on it because it’s inhabited by rare species of birds; but if you’re a good swimmer, you can go there at night when no one’s watching. You’ll feel like a survivor in Lost – pretty cool indeed.

Getting there: Catch tram 11 to Markkleeberg-Ost.

Lake Kulkwitz

By far the oldest of Leipzig’s artificial lakes is Kulkwitzer See, which was opened as a lake to the public in 1973. The lake boasts a major campsite as well as several restaurants. It is known all over Germany as a mecca for scuba diving.

Kulkwitzer See possesses a submerged airplane and fascinating underwater wildlife, including eels, pikes and crayfish. It doesn’t have sandy shores, but that’s one of the reasons for its crystal-clear water.

Getting there: S1 to Miltitzer Alle, or tram 1 to Lausen.

Lake Zwenkau

Zwenkauer See is sort of the southern extension of Cospudener See, as the two lakes were once part of the same coal mine. A canal is being constructed between them as we speak, which will allow you to paddle there all the way from Schleußig.

The flooding of Zwenkauer See has only recently been completed, and there are tree tops sticking out of the water all over the lake’s shoreline.

The City of Zwenkau, on the lake’s southern shore, is currently building beaches and roads to make Zwenkauer See more accessible. If you like contemporary architecture, have a look at the new housing area at the northern tip of Zwenkau (luxury accommodation for more affluent Leipzigers).

Getting there: S2, S3 or S5 to Markkleeberg Hbf, then catch bus number 107 to Zwenkau Hafen.

Lake Störmthal

In some ways this is my favourite lake, which is largely due to its relative remoteness – at the moment, Störmthaler See is pretty hard to get to unless you have a car.

Growing up in nearby Großpösna, I remember Störmthaler See when it was still a coal mine. When I first saw the desert the excavators left behind, patched with tiny bright blue puddles of water, I felt like I was in a science fiction film. The eerie silence added to the general feeling of otherworldliness.

Störmthaler See is by far the bluest of Leipzig’s lakes, and it has maintained much of its original atmosphere. Nevertheless, there is some infrastructure. In the middle of the lake there is a floating church tower which is meant to commemorate the destroyed village of Magdeborn. If you’re the adventurous type, you can try your luck on a water jetpack.

There is also a great sandy beach near the Lagovida luxury holiday resort. With a bit of luck, there won’t be too many people around.

Getting there: S2, S3 or S5 to Markkleeberg Hbf, then catch bus number 106 to Störmthaler See (only on weekends and public holidays); better yet, drive

So, do you still feel like you need to travel to enjoy your holiday? It looks like the weather will remain good for the next couple of weeks… perhaps it is time to do a little exploring.


The original version of this story was published here on 24 July 2016.

Harald grew up in Großpösna, a village just outside the boundaries of Leipzig, but it is only after living elsewhere for four years that he really came to appreciate the city he was born. He is an idealist, a Christian, a socialist, a Europeanist, and, above all, a true Leipzig-lover. He will write about Leipzig’s history and politics, both of which are rather inaccessible to our English-speaking audience.

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