Märkische Heide: Wet Meadows, Village Churches and History

Wet meadows, village churches and traces of agriculture give Märkische Heide several different sides. In Groß Leuthen, bog ironstone and gravestones tell of two eras of church history; in Dürrenhofe, meadows and ditches shape the Landgraben lowland. There is also a route well suited to cycling and leisurely walks. Nature, exercise and village history thus come together as different themes for your trip.

Meadows and water in the Landgraben lowland

The Dürrenhofe Landgraben lowland covers around 420 hectares of meadows. Numerous narrow ditches and branch ditches run through the area; the Landgraben, the main watercourse, flows through the middle. The remaining wet meadows provide resting and roosting places for waterbirds. Those interested in the landscape and birdlife will find a natural area shaped both by its open meadows and by its branching watercourse.

An information point about the entire Landgraben lowland is located on Kirchsteig in Dürrenhofe. It provides information about the landscape beyond its immediate location. The municipality of Märkische Heide lies east of the Unterspreewald, on the edge of the UNESCO Spreewald Biosphere Reserve, and extends across several protected landscape areas.

Village churches and rural history

In Groß Leuthen, the church was consecrated in 1857, replacing a predecessor building dating from the 16th century. It was built in the Rundbogenstil (round-arch style) from bog ironstone. The church also contains gravestones belonging to the Schenk von Landsberg family, who built the Renaissance predecessor church. The history of the older church and the architecture of the 19th-century building therefore stand side by side here.

Another village church in the Rundbogenstil stands in Kuschkow. It was built around 1830–1840 as a rectangular rendered building. A comparison with Groß Leuthen shows different architectural expressions of the same style: here, a rendered building with a rectangular floor plan; there, a church made of bog ironstone. In Pretschen, meanwhile, the combination of manor house, park and farmyard is a vivid example of the agricultural history of Lower Lusatia. The churches and manor complex thus offer different perspectives on local history.

Cycling, walking and a personal touch

The route from the village beach in Groß Leuthen to Bückchen is suitable for cycling trips in the Spreewald and leisurely walks. You can choose between a more active bike ride and a more relaxed walk. The route offers a specific reason to experience Märkische Heide not only through individual buildings but also through its landscape.

At Kuschkower Kirchstraße 16, Christa Kowalke regularly welcomes guests to the informal atmosphere of a home with a rustic barn. Together with the architectural and landscape themes, this creates a varied picture of the municipality, without requiring every visitor's interests to revolve around the same activity.

In the wider travel destination of Dahme-Spreewald

Beyond Märkische Heide, the wider travel destination of Dahme-Spreewald offers a broader setting for planning your trip. More than 1,000 km of well-developed, fully signposted cycle routes connect landscapes and attractions in the Spreewald and the Dahme Lake District; check route conditions before setting out. The “Dahme-Heideseen” Nature Park is also part of this broader regional setting: it extends across the districts of Dahme-Spreewald and Oder-Spree and includes more than 100 lakes. Together with the Spreewald, the Dahme Lake District is part of the travel region in the district of Dahme-Spreewald, which offers visitors scenic, historical and cultural attractions.

When looking for accommodation in Märkische Heide, you can start by deciding what you want to focus on: should the landscape of the Landgraben lowland, the route for cycling and walking, or the village and architectural history shape your plans?

Discover more destinations: Hohenbrück, Schwerin, Alt Zauche-Wußwerk, Teupitz, Lieberose, Straupitz, Schönefeld, Neuendorf Am See.

Go to the wider travel overview: Dahme-Spreewald.