Prince Pückler Route: A cycling tour fit for a prince

Prince Pückler – a name associated in Germany with beautiful parks, exotic travels and Neapolitan ice cream. This premium cycle route awarded four stars by the German Cyclists' Federation explores the countryside associated with his royal personage.

The route not only leads to the Prince Pückler parks in Branitz and Bad Muskau and the Rose Garden in Forst, but also to the former Lusatian coal mining region, which is in the midst of a fundamental structural change. In this sprawling industrial landscape, entire hills are being moved and lake-sized holes dug out of the ground. Among the most interesting sights here are the F60, a 500-metre-long conveyor, and unusual places such as Pritzen, a village which has had a new lake created around it. Afterwards, you can get back to nature in the Spree Forest, which is also a great place to explore by boat on the countless canals and waterways. Terrain: an interesting and varied route that is largely traffic-free, contrasting idyllic scenery with dramatically changing landscapes. Some regional variations in terms of the quality of surfaces and signposting. Scenery: the paths run past lakes, parks, villages, palaces and through towns and forests in the Lusatia region, highlighting the contrast between the historical countryside and the open-cast mines, and how the latter are being transformed into an area of man-made lakes.

• Length: 500 kilometres, circular route
• Route info: mainly flat terrain, easily managed with children, majority of route suitable for trailers