Through Krabat’s Sorbian Home

This bicycle tour goes through the traditional settlement area of the Sorbians, a Slavic people who have called the Lausitz region their home since the sixth century, and whose language and culture have been preserved to this day, and you can discover Sorbian culture and cuisine as you go. Museums and local history parlours along the route provide an authentic picture of the lives of past generations, and provide interesting information about customs, traditions and folk dress. Craftspeople provide an insight into their work, and memorial sites commemorate key Sorbian figures. Perhaps the best-known legendary character is Krabat, a good Sorbian sorcerer, who is said to have learnt his trade in the Black Mill, today the Krabat-Mühle adventure farm. Here the legend of Krabat comes to life again in the original setting in Schwarzkollm.

Length: 48 kilometres

Start/finish: Hoyerswerda railway station

Logo/route sign: not specified

How to get there:

• Train: Take the RB18350 from Berlin Ostkreuz to Senftenberg. From here take the RB18284 to Hoyerswerda (about 3 hours).
• Car: Take the A13 from Berlin to Hoyerswerda (about 2 hours).

Route: Hoyerswerda, Seidewinkel, Bergen, Neuwiese, Nardt, Bröthen, Schwarzkollm, Bröthen, Michalken, Neudorf-Klösterlich, Wittichenau, Brischko, Neu-Buchwalde, Groß Särchen, Koblenz, Mortka, Lohsa, Knappenrode, Maukendorf, Zeißig, Hoyerwerda

Points of interest/background information:

• Hoyerswerda: Trachtenhaus Jatzwauk, castle (Sorbenstube exhibition), local history museum
• Bergen: Sorbian Agricultural Museum, chopped-wood barn (glass and porcelain painting by Birgit Pattoka, exhibition on Sorbian customs, legends and Easter egg tradition)
• Krabat village of Schwarzkollm: Village square with the Krabat Fountain and 12 Ravens, local history parlour at Frentzelhaus, Krabat Column, Hegewald pottery workshop featuring Krabat products, Krabat-Mühle adventure farm
• Bröthen: Sorbian local history parlour in the community centre
• Wittichenau: Krabat Fountain in the market square, parish church where the Croatian colonel Johann Schadowitz, also known as Krabat, was buried in 1704
• Lohsa, village district of Groß Särchen: Krabat’s New Barbican, Zejler-Smoler-Haus (meeting point for Sorbian and German culture, featuring exhibitions on the life and work of the pastor and poet Handrij Zejler (1804–1872) and the publisher and linguist Jan Arnošt Smoler (1816–1884)).
• Hoyerswerda, town district of Zeißig: Zeißighof (typical four-sided farmyard in the region)

Possible combinations:

• Lower Lusatian Mining Tour
• Schwarze Elster Cycle Path
• Lakeland Route

Trail conditions/surface: This circular trail is mostly even and for the most part covers asphalted cycle paths and side roads with very little traffic. Some short segments of the tour cover gravel forest paths, but the trail remains firm.

Maps/Literature: “Lausitzer Seenland: Wander- und Radwanderkarte”, 1:50.000, Sachsen Kartographie, Auflage: 8 (30. September 2014), ISBN 978-3-86843-021-9, Euro 5.90