Discover Heinersbrück

Right on the Malxe, a tributary of the Spree, Heinersbrück reveals an unusual blend of riverside setting, Sorbian-Wendish culture and a landscape shaped by lignite opencast mining and energy production. Alongside its two-aisled brick church and traditions maintained throughout the year, views of lignite mining are also a defining feature of the village. When planning your trip, you can therefore decide how much to focus on culture, the village itself and the mining landscape.

The Malxe, the Vorspreewald and the mining landscape

Heinersbrück lies right on the Malxe; at the same time, the surrounding landscape is strongly shaped by lignite opencast mining and energy production. From the viewpoint, you can look out over the lignite mine. Excavators extract lignite there from depths of up to 80 metres. This makes energy production a tangible part of the landscape.

The lowlands near Peitz and Heinersbrück are considered an eastern extension of the Spreewald landscape and are known as the Vorspreewald. The Peitz lowlands include around 1,000 hectares of ponds, extensive meadows and numerous ditches. These regional landscape features offer another perspective on the area around the village beyond opencast mining: bodies of water, open meadows and ditches also shape the landscape.

Village church and Sorbian-Wendish traditions

The Evangelical Church of Heinersbrück is a two-aisled brick church. It was built in 1900/1901 to a design by Cottbus architect Robert Beutler. Its two-aisled layout is considered unique in the region. The interior is also remarkable: apart from the organ, it has been almost entirely preserved in its original state. The church’s design, construction period and furnishings give it a distinctive architectural character.

Sorbian/Wendish traditions are maintained in Heinersbrück throughout the year. Cultural highlights include Fastnacht celebrations, the raising of the Maypole and Hahnrupfen, a traditional rooster-catching festival. These customs are part of village life and complement the church with living traditions. Exploring Heinersbrück lets you include different aspects of the village’s character in your travel plans.

A public place for families

One practical option for families is the publicly accessible playground in Heinersbrück. A parking area is located just behind the playground on Wiesenweg. Together with the church, the traditions and the viewpoint, it offers a choice of different things to explore during your stay.

Spree-Neiße as a wider travel destination

The wider Spree-Neiße destination offers further distinctly regional themes. The East German Rose Garden in Forst (Lausitz) is a 17-hectare park where visitors can admire tens of thousands of roses in almost 1,000 varieties. The Spreeradweg cycle route crosses the Spree-Neiße region for about 60 kilometres and runs mostly along paved river dikes.

The Niederlausitz Mining Tour passes active lignite opencast mines and landscapes reclaimed after mining. The Fürst-Pückler-Weg showcases examples of landscape design from Pückler’s time and the present day. The Sorbian Impressions tour offers insights into the lives and traditions of the Sorbian/Wendish minority living in the region. Regional cuisine also has its own distinctive offerings: Spreewald specialities include pickled gherkins in sour, spiced or mustard varieties, linseed oil with quark, yeast pancakes and Spreewald fish.

These include garden culture, a cycle route, mining and cultural landscapes, as well as regional cuisine. This range of options can help you tailor your search to your travel group’s interests.

Discover more destinations: Hornow-Wadelsdorf, Jänschwalde, Burg, Drebkau, Guben, Peitz, Schenkendöbern, Neuhausen/Spree

For the wider travel overview: Spree-Neiße.