Plessa: Discover the Orchard and Industrial Heritage

Plessa brings together very different themes: in Döllingen, traditional orchards and the Pomological Show and Teaching Garden take centre stage; the power station and the Elster Mill tell the story of industrial and milling technology. The town also features historic buildings, recurring festivals and paths that lead through the town or its orchards. When planning your trip, it is therefore worth exploring these individual highlights rather than focusing on just one type of excursion.

Orchards, the seasons and festivals in Döllingen

The Pomological Show and Teaching Garden in Döllingen covers three hectares. More than 400 old and new fruit trees and shrubs grow there: the main fruit types—apples, pears, cherries and plums—as well as nuts and wild fruits. In spring, the garden offers a special succession of blossoms; as the fruit gradually ripens, visitors can sample it.

The garden provides schools and day-care centres with an outdoor learning environment. Its recurring programme also includes seasonal theory and practical seminars on traditional orchards. The Blossom Festival and the Lower Lusatian Apple Day are held in Döllingen every year. Check the specific event dates before your trip.

Industrial history at the power station and the mill

The two clinker-red chimneys of Plessa Power Station rise 100 metres above the town. Plessa Experience Power Station is located on the “Coal, Wind and Water Tour” and “Prince Pückler Cycle Route”. This connects the striking industrial site with two named cycling routes.

The guided “Path of Coal” tour leads from the external bunker through the boiler house and past the turbine table to the control room and transformer area. If you would like to plan your trip especially around this tour, check its current availability with the operator in advance.

The historic mill museum at the Elster Mill in Plessa displays cutting tools and grain mills across three floors. Visits to the museum require advance booking. The mill technology is also fascinating to watch: when the grinding machinery is running for demonstrations, the enormous external mill wheel starts turning.

The 35-metre-high Bertzit Tower stands in the “Waldeslust” miners’ settlement in Kahla, where it is a landmark visible from far away. It belonged to a Bertzit plant completed in 1918. The power station, mill and tower thus represent different aspects of industrial history in Plessa and Kahla.

Church and paths through Plessa

A Baroque church was built in Döllingen in 1739 and is now a listed monument. There are two distinct options for walking: a circular nature trail runs through the traditional orchards in Döllingen. The multi-town walking route “From Old Orchards to 1,000 Oaks” also passes through Plessa; check the route’s current condition before setting out.

This gives you a range of options when planning your trip: the nature trail leads through the orchards, the longer multi-town route passes through Plessa, and the named cycling routes are located at the Experience Power Station. Historic buildings and technical sites add further attractions to these routes.

Discover more destinations: Bad Liebenwerda, Elsterwerda, Falkenberg/Elster, Wahrenbrück, Gorden-Staupitz, Gröden, Sallgast, Hohenleipisch

For the overarching travel overview: Elbe-Elster.