Wittichenau: Cross Riding, Cycle Routes and Nature

Wittichenau combines a long-standing Easter procession with cycle routes, nature watching and seasonal leisure activities. If you are looking for a hotel in Wittichenau, the purpose of your stay can guide your choice: Cross Riding, cycling tours and the forest and lido each offer a different focus. The following highlights can help you plan your trip around the date, activity and season.

Easter Cross Riding

The Wittichenau Easter Riders’ procession, known locally as Cross Riding, travels from Wittichenau to Ralbitz. Prayer and singing in German and Sorbian are part of the event. The tradition dates back to 1541. However, as a recurring religious tradition, it does not have a fixed date or uniform participation requirements: both vary from year to year. If you want to plan your trip around Cross Riding, check the date and participation requirements for the specific year.

Cycle routes and practical support

Wittichenau has an extensive network of cycle routes with four named themed routes: the Frog Cycle Route, the Black Elster Cycle Route, Sorbian Impressions and the KRABAT Cycle Route. A bicycle workshop and a repair station in the market square offer practical support for cyclists. If you are planning a tour, you can factor these services into your plans; infrastructure details may change, so it is advisable to check the latest information in advance. The four route names give you a concrete starting point for choosing a route, without suggesting that they form a single combined trail.

Dubringer Moor and wetland landscape

The Dubringer Moor nature reserve borders the ponds near Wittichenau and covers about 1,700 hectares. An observation tower on the KRABAT Cycle Route offers views over the wetland landscape. As well as cycling, taking in the moor and pond scenery is one of the highlights of a stay. Conservation measures may affect paths and access, so take this into account when planning your visit.

Swimming and pump track

The forest and lido offers swimming and family activities. Its facilities include a playground, a diving tower, a slide, beach volleyball courts, a football area and a table tennis table. It is open seasonally, so check whether it is open during your travel dates and whether the facilities you plan to use are available. There is also a 120-metre pump track at the town pond. The lido brings together several leisure activities, while the pump track offers a separate focus.

Cycle routes in the wider Bautzen District destination

The wider Bautzen District destination also offers a range of tour formats. The Bautzen North Tour is a 43.1-kilometre circular route from Bautzen via Quatitz, Großdubrau, Milkel, Klix and Malschwitz, returning to Bautzen. It passes through the heath and pond landscape and along the nature trail in Crosta. The Hill and Valley Route is a regional circular tour through the West Lusatian Hills in Bautzen District. The Krabat Cycle Route is a regional circular tour following in the footsteps of Krabat, the Sorbian legendary hero, in Bautzen District.

In addition to these circular tours, sections of two long-distance routes run through Bautzen District: the Central Route is a long-distance cycle route from Zittau to Aachen and crosses part of the Upper Lusatian Hills. The Spree Cycle Route runs from its source in Upper Lusatia to Berlin; its section from Taubenheim to Zerre lies in Bautzen District. This means that at district level, you can find one precisely measured circular tour, other regional circular tours and long-distance routes with sections in the district. Wittichenau also has a regional cultural connection: the strongholds of Upper Lusatia’s carnival are in Schirgiswalde and Wittichenau.

Discover more destinations: Hoyerswerda, Elstra, Schmölln-Putzkau, Wilthen, Steinigtwolmsdorf, Frankenthal, Arnsdorf, Großdubrau.

For the wider travel overview: Bautzen District.