Senftenberg (Sorbian: Zły Komorow) is a city of 24,000 people (2019) in Brandenburg right on the border with Saxony. Perhaps the most interesting feature is nearby "Lake Senftenberg" (Senftenberger See), a flooded former open-pit lignite mine which has been used for recreation and tourism since the 1970s.

Understand

The town sits in the middle of the Lusatian Lake District, a collection of lakes created from the flooding of former open-cast lignite mines.

Get in

By train

• 1 Bahnhof Senftenberg.  
• 2 Sedlitz Ost. 

Get around

By boat

• 3 Stadthafen Senftenberg. A marina for private boats to cruise around Lake Senftenberg and connected lakes of the Lusatian Lake District also served by a few public passenger boats operated by Reederei M. Löwa.  

See

• 1 Festung Senftenberg (Senftenberg Castle and Fortress, Art collection Lausitz), Schlossstraße, ☏ +49 3573 870 2400. Tu-F 12:00-17:00, Sa Su 10:30-17:30. The castle is a three-wing complex from the Renaissance. The museum offers the exhibition "Stadt-Land-Industrie" and the "Kunstsammlung Lausitz" - an exciting experience on Lusatia. Adult €6; student, disabled, youth over 16 €4.50; pensioner €5.50; child up to the age of 16 free. (updated Nov 2020)
• 2 Rostiger Nagel. A lookout tower. (updated Nov 2020)

Do

Senftenberg Wendische Kirche

• 1 Wendische Kirche. In addition to being used as a church, it also hosts all number of "secular" events. Wendisch is an old German term indicating speakers of Slavic languages and there are once again occasional services in Sorbian after the last such service was held in 1880. (updated Nov 2020)

Senftenberger See

• 2 Senftenberger See (Sorbian: Złykomorojski jazor). Flooding of the former open pit lignite mine began in 1967 and ended in 1972. Since then, this lake has been used for recreation and there are (as usual for East Germany) a bunch of "textile-less" beaches as well as "normal" ones. (updated Nov 2020)
• 3 Neue Bühne Senftenberg. The local theatre. (updated Nov 2020)
• 4 Geierswalder See (Lejnjanski jězor). (updated Nov 2020)
• 5 Sedlitzer See (Sedlišćański jazor). (updated Nov 2020)
• 6 Sornoer Kanal. A 1,250 m (4,100 ft) long canal linking Geierswalder See and Sedlitzer See. (updated Nov 2020)
• 7 Partwitzer See (Parcowski jězor). (updated Nov 2020)
• 8 Rosendorfer Kanal. A 440 m (1,440 ft) long canal linking Partiwtzer See and Sedlitzer See. (updated Nov 2020)
• 9 Großräschener See (Rański jazor). (updated Nov 2020)
• 10 Ilse-Kanal. A 1,197 m (3,927 ft) long canal linking Großräschener See and Sedlitzer See. (updated Nov 2020)
• 11 Barbara-Kanal. A 1,150 m (3,770 ft) canal linking Geierswalder See and Partwitzer See. (updated Nov 2020)
• 12 Koschener Kanal. A 1,050 m (3,440 ft) long canal linking Senftenberger See and Geierswalder See. (updated Dec 2020)

Eat

• 1 Himalaya, Steindammstraße 5a, ☏ +49 3573 147031. Tu-Su 11:00-14:00, 17:00-23:00; M 17:00-23:00. Indian restaurant. 
• 2 Restaurant Olympia, Bahnhofstraße 42, ☏ +49 3573 798154, info@griechisches-restaurant-olympia.de. Daily 11:30 – 14:30, 17:30 – 23:30. Greek cuisine. 
• 3 Gaststätte Kumpelklause, Otto-Nuschke-Straße 4, ☏ +49 3573 61449, fax: +49 3573 61462, info@kumpelklause-senftenberg.de. Home-style German cooking. 
• 4 Niemtscher Mühle, Dorfstrasse 12, ☏ +49 3573 661026, fax: +49 3573 661026. Tu W, F–Su 11:30–16:00, closed M Th. 
• 5 Restaurant & Eiscafé "Pier 1", Steindamm 51, ☏ +49 3573 810630, fax: +49 3573 658767, info@piereins.com. Restaurant: M Tu 14:00-17:00, W-F 14:00-21:00, Sa 11:00-22:00, Su 11:00-21:00; Cafeteria: M–F 07:00 – 14:00. Large wine list. Temporarily closed due to COVID-19. (updated Dec 2020)
• 6 Gaststätte Heimatruh, Elsterstraße 31, ☏ +49 3573 793990, lapstich@gaststaette-heimatruh.de. M Tu 14:00-157:00, W-F 14:00-21:00, Sa 11:00-22:00, Su 11:00-21:00. Temporarily closed due to COVID-19. 

Sleep

Camping

• 1 Komfortcamping Senftenberger See, Am Senftenberger See 10, ☏ +49 3573 800500. 

Budget

• 2 Pension Kiebeler, Dorfstr. 7, ☏ +49 3573 63098, fax: +49 3573 662606, kontakt@pension-kiebeler.de. from €40. 

Midrange

• 3 Hotel Pension „Mandy“ Senftenberg, Kreuzstr. 27, ☏ +49 3573-790058. Daily 07:00-18:00. from €40 single, €50 double. 

• 4 Strandhotel Senftenberger See, Am See 3, ☏ +49 3573-800400. from €52 single, €68 double. 

• 5 Hotel Kronprinz, Ernst-Thälmann Straße 44, ☏ +49 3573 808845. Restaurant 11:30 – 00:00. Onsite beer garden, and restaurant serving Italian food. single from €40, double from €55. 

Splurge

• 6 Hotel LéonWood, Steindamm 26, ☏ +49 3573 36300-0, fax: +49 3573 36300-333, info@hotel-lido-senftenberg.de. Restaurant Lido: M–F 17:00 – 23:00, Sa 11:00 – 23:00, Sa 11:00 – 22:00. Europe's largest log house. single from €69, double from €110, suite from €139. 

Go next

• Hoyerswerda is just across the state line in Saxony