Discovering Germany
Leipzig New Lakeland
Leipzig’s Neuseenland (New Lakeland) offers a host of leisure activities, including windsurfing, feeding chipmunks in the forest and exploring the landscape with geocaching. This former open-cast mining area has developed into a popular destination for excursions.
About the Region
Neuseenland is a series of man-made lakes surrounding the city of Leipzig in the eastern regional state of Saxony. The area has lots of small bodies of water. The most well-known is the Cospudener See lake, nicknamed ‘Cossi’. It’s not only the closest lake to Leipzig but also the easiest to reach.
The Neuseenland was born when Leipzig closed its lignite coal mining facilities. The industrial part of the city was dotted with such disused open-cast mines, and Leipzig authorities decided to flood them to create man-made lakes. This return to nature initiative was very popular with city residents because it gave them opportunities for water sports, sunbathing and hikes through forest.
How to get there
A playful way to explore
You can explore the area by signing up for a geocaching tour, a kind of scavenger hunt using GPS devices. Searching for small treasures is a playful way of getting acquainted with the lake. All you need to do is download the free geocaching app from geocaching.com onto your smart phone, and you’re ready to go.
‘Cossi’ and Sports
Renting a canoe and paddling around the lake is a great way of discovering lovely spots that you cannot access via the forest trails. There, trees extend up out of the water, and frogs leap from branch to branch. Make sure to look for these natural highlights and don’t forget your camera!
You can also play volleyball and table tennis beside the lake if you bring along the necessary equipment. Sailboats are available for rent, too, although you will need to show a valid sailboat license.
A tip for a relaxing day
A relaxing end to the day
After these sporting activities, it’s time to relax. Enjoy the sun on the beach and reflect on your experiences. Or how about a lakeside picnic? If you’d rather eat something warm, you can get chips, curry sausage and hamburgers from the kiosks. Or if you need to cool down, there’s always ice cream. Most of the lakes in the area have ice cream shops where you can satisfy your craving for something sweet.
The lake is especially lovely at sundown. It’s a perfect end to a successful excursion.
Outside the summer season
If you’re not a big fan of sunbathing and prefer to enjoy the landscape, you can of course visit the lakes outside of summer. And even when it rains, it’s still possible to do water sports.
Conclusion
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