Discover Falkenberg/Elster

Falkenberg/Elster combines railway history with cultural attractions in Schmerkendorf and the Kiebitz lake near the town. The destinations offer different points of interest: railway heritage is followed by village, church and school history, paths through the forest, and a waterside destination. When planning a trip, you can focus on the topics that interest you most—whether cultural history, a walk in the countryside, or the landscape around the Kiebitz is your priority.

Railway Heritage and Museum Project

In September 1989, steam locomotive 52 5679 was installed as a technical monument at the Falkenberg railway depot. The location and year place the locomotive in the history of the railway depot. The Förderverein Brandenburgisches Eisenbahnmuseum Falkenberg (Elster) supports the establishment of a museum dedicated to the railway history of the region and the Falkenberg/Elster railway junction. The locomotive has been installed as a monument; the museum is a project whose establishment is supported by the association.

Schmerkendorf: Village History and Nature

The listed rectory in Schmerkendorf is a half-timbered house with an exhibition room on village, church and school history. The church in Schmerkendorf dates from the 12th century and adds a connection to a long history of the church. By the former village forge stands an elm that is about 700 years old and is probably the oldest in the state of Brandenburg. Schmerkendorf Forest Park has a nature and adventure trail connected to the region’s hiking trail network. In Schmerkendorf, the exhibition, church history and nature trails offer different points of interest.

The Kiebitz Lake and Nearby Routes

The Kiebitz lake near Falkenberg/Elster has a water surface of 70 hectares and a 1.35-kilometre-long sandy beach. There is an escape maze next to the mini-golf course at the Kiebitz, and food and drink are also available on the beach. It is best to check availability before your visit. The circular Kiebitz hiking trail is 4 km long. Municipal information from 2013 listed cycle tours starting at the Kiebitz to Herzberg (32 km), Wahrenbrück/Rothstein (40 km), Doberlug/Kirchhain (58 km) and Belgern/Mühlberg (60 km). According to that information at the time, the tours could also be started at any point in Falkenberg. This gives you a shorter distance for walking alongside several cycle tours of varying lengths.

Town Archive and Beach Festival

The Falkenberg/Elster town archive allows visitors to consult archival documents; they cannot be borrowed. Access is free for academic, local history and school purposes. The Falkenberg/Elster beach festival was described as a three-day event held annually on the first weekend in August; in 2016, it took place for the 40th time. The archive and the festival tradition offer two different perspectives on the town’s history.

In the wider Elbe-Elster destination

The wider Elbe-Elster destination has other distinctive cultural and industrial heritage attractions. The Louise briquette factory in Domsdorf is Europe’s oldest surviving briquette factory. Plessa Power Plant is one of Europe’s oldest lignite-fired power stations and has been preserved in its original structural form. The Mühlberg 1547 Museum is dedicated to the meeting of armies in 1547, which shaped the course of the Reformation, and bears the European Heritage Label. These examples show the variety of industrial and Reformation history in the wider Elbe-Elster destination.

Discover more destinations: Mühlberg, Plessa, Röderland, Lebusa, Gorden-Staupitz, Massen-Niederlausitz, Sallgast, Fichtwald

Back to the main travel overview: Elbe-Elster.