Hohenbocka: Sandstone, Trails and History

In Hohenbocka, geological traces, hiking destinations and architectural history come together. Bucksche Schweiz near Hohenbocka is considered a hiking area; the castle and church each tell their own stories. This lets you explore a range of interests during your stay—from sandstone and trails to historical details.

Glass Sand and Hiking Trails

The white Hohenbocka glass sand formed around 16 million years ago from the beaches and dunes of a shallow sea. The sandstone formations of Bucksche Schweiz consist of solidified glass sand. If you like to think about how the landscape formed while hiking, you will find a tangible geological connection here: deposits from ancient coastlines and dunes became solid sandstone.

A prominent landmark is the observation tower on Possenberg, east of Hohenbocka. It is around 25 metres tall. At the foot of the tower, a path leads to the sandstone cliffs at Heinrichsschacht. Alongside the hiking area, these provide two specific points of reference for exploring: the tower and the cliffs as a destination along the way.

The Castle and Church: Two Local Stories

Hohenbocka Castle was built in 1897 and 1898 to Hans von Götz’s own designs, based on a fairy-tale image. The façade reconstruction based on the historical design is dated to 1996. The construction and later reconstruction thus represent two distinct moments in the castle’s history.

The history of Hohenbocka Church also includes several clearly distinct dates. In 1958, murals dating from the church’s construction were rediscovered. Its 600th anniversary was celebrated in November 2008. The rediscovery of the paintings and the anniversary celebration each mark a different milestone.

Indoor and Outdoor Activities

Reiterhof Schäfer offers carriage rides, riding holidays and equestrian tournaments. The riding stables are also considered a popular starting point for hikes in Bucksche Schweiz. As the business’s offerings may change, it is advisable to check current dates and options before making specific plans.

Hohenbocka Castle has a yoga room available for free training and gymnastics exercises. In good weather, the castle park can be used for outdoor exercise and relaxation. The room and park offer different options for active or more peaceful moments. As facilities and access conditions may change, please check these details before visiting.

A Cycling Loop and the Wider District

One described cycling tour runs from Hosena through Hohenbocka, Peickwitz and Großkoschen, and back to Hosena. The start and finish are at Hosena station. The route runs mostly along paved cycle paths; some sections around the Sandgrubenweiher ponds are partly covered with gravel and sand. The tour is part of the Lusatian Lake District. This provides both a set sequence of locations and information about the route surface for planning.

The wider destination of Oberspreewald-Lausitz offers a greater variety of routes. The district of Oberspreewald-Lausitz has hiking routes between 4 and 32 kilometres long. Cycling routes are described from 40 kilometres upwards, including individual or guided multi-day tours with good places to rest and eat. More than 580 kilometres of signposted cycling routes connect regions between the Spreewald and the Kmehlener Berge, as well as linking southern Brandenburg with Saxony and northern Brandenburg. These options cover the district and offer a different scale from the cycling loop described above.

The district’s landscape also has its own story: in the south of Oberspreewald-Lausitz, the flooding of former open-cast mines is creating a waterscape with more than 20 artificial lakes, the Lusatian Lake District. The district’s cultural history also includes the historic old town of Lübbenau/Spreewald with its ensemble of Neoclassical buildings around the castle.

Would you also like to consider the longer tours and other landscapes in the district? This distinction links your choice of overnight stay to the kind of trip you are planning.

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