Burg is where the Spreewald water becomes a thing you can touch. The village has canals on every side, and a number of small landing stages where people launch punts and canoes, and in summer the water is warm, shallow and the colour of tea from the alder roots. A swim here is a traditional pleasure, and several spots along the channels have been set aside with steps and platforms.
The water is gentle, slow-moving and fairly clear, with beds of water lilies near the banks and tiny fish that nibble your toes. It is not the sort of swimming where you cross a lake, more a case of lowering yourself in and floating among the reeds. Canoes and kayaks can be hired at several points, and paddling is a good way to see the quieter channels, where kingfishers, herons and the occasional otter go about their business. In the evening, the water turns copper and the mosquitoes come out, so bring repellent.
The village has a Sorbian heritage, and you can find traces of it in the architecture and in the language on the signs. Not far to the north-west, near Vetschau, stands the Slawenburg Raddusch, a reconstruction of a ring-shaped Slavic fortress from the early Middle Ages, with a museum telling the story of the settlers who first drained and farmed the marsh. It is an easy detour, and children enjoy it.
The ride into Burg is flat and straightforward, with bridges and gentle bends. Fuel is not in the village, so you should fill up in Vetschau, seven kilometres away, or in Lübbenau. There are small shops and restaurants in the village, and a lakeside sausage stand in summer. Carry cash.
Come on a weekday morning if you can. The water is clearer, the light is soft, and you may have the landing stage to yourself. A swim, a coffee and a bowl of gherkin soup make a very good midday.