Senftenberg is in Brandenburg. 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
- 2 Sedlitz Ost.
Get around
See
- 1 Festung Senftenberg. Also hosting a museum.
Do
- 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.
- 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.
- 3 Neue Bühne Senftenberg. The local theater.
- 4 Geierswalder See (Lejnjanski jězor).
- 5 Sedlitzer See (Sedlišćański jazor).
- 6 Sornoer Kanal. A 1,250 m (4,100 ft) long canal linking Geierswalder See and Sedlitzer See.