Lübbenau is the gateway to the Spreewald, and the first thing you notice is the quiet that comes from a town where half the traffic moves by punt. The Spree breaks into a lace of channels here, called Fließe, with flat-bottomed boats, the Kähne, gliding between banks of alder and willow, and the old harbour in the centre is the place where visitors board. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, farmers poled their vegetables and mail along these waterways, and some villages were only accessible by water. The rich soils grow cucumbers, horseradish and onions, and the gherkins have become a regional symbol.
The town is about seventeen thousand people, with a Baroque palace and park that was the seat of the Counts of Lynar, and a pleasant old centre with a church, a small museum and cafes. The Spreewald is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and it supports otters, white storks, kingfishers and a surprising number of dragonflies. The air is humid and smells of wet wood and pond weed, and in early mornings, mist hangs on the water and the world seems far away.
For riders, this is flat-country riding, easy and calm. The roads between Lübbenau, Lübben and the villages are straight with avenues of old trees, and the main hazards are cyclists, who flock to the cycle paths along the canals, and farm vehicles. The surface is mostly good, though the narrow lanes through the villages may be patched and flooded after heavy rain. Expect crowds at the harbour in July and August, when day-trippers arrive in coaches. Spring, with the blossom, and early autumn, with the mist, are the better seasons. In winter, the canals sometimes freeze, and locals skate along them.
Practically, the town has fuel stations on the approach roads, supermarkets, bakeries and a good choice of restaurants serving fish, potatoes with linseed oil and the inevitable gherkin. Parking near the harbour is limited at weekends, so arrive early. Lübben, nearly ten kilometres north, is the other main town of the Spreewald, with a lovely old town on an island in the Spree. If you have time, take a boat trip, because the canals are best seen from the water.