# Lübben (Spreewald) An hour by train from Berlin: punt boats through the town's locks, canoeing along the canals, the castle island and the boat route to Lehde. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/brandenburg/lubben · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Lübben is the small capital of the Spreewald, the riverside forest crossed by canals south-east of Berlin. It was the capital of Lower Lusatia and preserves a castle on an island, a stretch of town wall and a large brick church; all around, the Spree opens into arms and locks. It is the other gateway to the Spreewald, quieter than Lübbenau, about 15 km away: here the boats travel through the town itself and, by punt, you can reach Lehde. ## What to see in a day The punt through the locks. An hour and a half in a flat-bottomed boat on the main Spree, past the wall and the castle, through three locks and along the Hain, a riverside forest of about 25 hectares in the middle of the town. It costs €18 and runs every day from April to October; on the boat you can try Spreewald gherkins. The boat to Lehde. A whole day by punt, six to seven hours, to the village of wooden houses at Lehde and the high forest of Wotschofska. Book with the boatmen. The canoe along the canals. You paddle yourself, from €22 for two hours in a single kayak, with marked routes of 4 to 7 km through the small locks. The castle island and the castle museum. On the Schlossinsel there is a park, a harbour and a water playground; the Renaissance castle, with its medieval tower and the hall of coats of arms, houses the town museum. The Paul Gerhardt Church. On the square, the church where the hymn poet Paul Gerhardt preached; from April to October you can climb the tower with the tower keeper. ## How do you get there from Berlin? By train, regional trains on the Cottbus line leave Berlin Hauptbahnhof and reach Lübben (Spreewald) in about an hour. From the station to the harbour and the castle island it is about a 20-minute walk. By car, about 85 km along the A13, around an hour and ten minutes. There are car parks next to the harbour and on Lindenstraße. ## How much time do I need? One day: punt or canoe in the morning, lunch, museum or castle island in the afternoon. With a night you can take the full-day punt to Lehde or paddle in the Lower Spreewald, and combine Lübben with Lübbenau. ## Where to eat and sleep The Spreewaldhotel Stephanshof, ten minutes from the centre beside a canal, has an indoor pool, its own landing stage and the Eisvogel restaurant, open Monday to Saturday from 13:00. In Treppendorf, on the outskirts, the Hotel Lindengarten serves Spreewald cooking, with linseed oil and quark, in its lime-tree garden. ## When to go From April to October: punts run every day, canoes can be hired Thursday to Sunday and the church tower is open. In Advent there is a market and winter punts. The museum is open Wednesday to Saturday all year. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Spreewald (a 9.7 km), Berlin (a 72.6 km), Potsdam (a 76.2 km), Werder (Havel) (a 81.4 km) ## Qué hacer - **Punt trip through the Lübben locks** (1 h 30 · All ages; there is a boat with a wheelchair platform · Desde 18 € per person; children under 12, €8): What it is The Lübben round trip by punt, the one even locals take to see their town from the water. You leave from the Schlossinsel harbour and go down the main Spree beside the stretch of town wall that is still standing; along the Schlangengraben canal you pass in front of the castle, and you cross three locks: the Spittelarche in the Hain, the Lehnigksberg one and the Strandcafé one. The best part is the Hain, some 25 hectares of riverside woodland in the very centre of town. On board you try Spreewald pickles. How it works It leaves every day from April to October from 10:30, from harbour 1 at Ernst-von-Houwald-Damm 15 or from harbour 2 on Lindenstraße; from November to March, on request. €18 for adults and €8 for under-12s. The boats have tables and benches, and one has a lifting platform for wheelchairs. Commentary is in German. - **Full-day boat trip from Lübben to Lehde** (6 h 30 · Adults and families with patient children · Desde 35 € per person; children under 12, €15): What it is The big boat trip from Lübben. You go up the Spree towards Lehde, the village of wooden houses that used to be reachable only by water, and continue through the high Wotschofska forest, the wildest part of the Spreewald. At Lehde there is a stop for the open-air museum or the pickle museum and for lunch. The other long route goes to the Lower Spreewald, to Schlepzig and its agricultural museum. How it works From April to October, departing on request, from the Schlossinsel harbour. €35 for adults and €15 for under-12s; lunch in Lehde is extra. Book several days ahead by phone or with the form on their website. - **Canoeing the canals from Lübben** (2 h · Families with children who can swim, and adults; no previous experience needed · Desde 22 € the single kayak, 2 h; canoe for 4, €35): What it is Paddling the canals yourself is the quiet way to see the Spreewald. Bootsverleih Gebauer, at Lindenstraße 18 in the centre of Lübben, hires out kayaks, Canadian canoes and rowing boats, and suggests three easy routes: the small-locks route, about 4.1 km and an hour to an hour and a half; the trial route, 4.6 or 6.6 km and an hour and a half to two hours; and the large-locks route, about 6.8 km and two to two and a half hours. Prices and opening times Single kayak, €22 for up to two hours and €3 for each extra hour (€30 for the day). Canoe for two adults and two children or rowing boat for four, €35 for up to two hours and €7 for each extra hour (€51 for the day). Open from April to September Thursday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, last departure at 16:00; in October, until 17:00, last departure at 15:00. On the water, punts have right of way. - **Lübben Castle Island** (1 h · Families with young children): What it is The Schlossinsel is an island between arms of the Spree, next to the castle, turned into a park: meadows, paths, the boat harbour and a water playground where children splash about and play with sluice gates. It is Lübben's place to play and run around after the boat trip. How it works On foot from the centre or the station, about 20 minutes. Entry is free. Bring a change of clothes for the children in summer. - **Lübben Castle Museum** (1 h · All ages · Desde 5 € per person; under-18s free; Shields Hall, €2): What it is Lübben Castle combines a medieval defensive tower, the Shields Hall and a Renaissance palace, witnesses to when Lübben was the residence and capital of Lower Lusatia. Inside is the town museum, which presents itself as a house to touch and learn in, with families welcome and activities for children. Opening times and tickets Wednesday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 17:00. Entry €5 (€3 concession), free up to age 18; the Shields Hall, €2. From November to March there is a free guided tour of the site on the first Saturday of every month at 11:00, meeting at the museum ticket office. - **Paul Gerhardt Church and its tower** (1 h · Teenagers and adults; the tower has stairs): What it is The church on the market square is named after Paul Gerhardt, the great poet of German Protestant hymns, who was a pastor in Lübben at the end of his life. It is a large brick church, with stained-glass windows dedicated to poets, and its tower overlooks the town and the Spreewald. The tower climb From April to October, on Mondays and Fridays at 16:30, the town's tower keeper takes visitors up the tower, on a tour of about an hour; meet at the church door, on the square. At the top you see the mosaic of canals and forest. ## Dónde comer - **Eisvogel and Kahnstube restaurant** (Restaurant, Lübben (Spreewald), €€). Qué pedir: a table on the terrace by the canal, watching the boats - **Lindengarten restaurant** (Restaurant, Lübben (Spreewald), €€). Qué pedir: potatoes with quark and linseed oil, the Spreewald dish, with pickles ## Car-free: Lübben without a car Lübben works without a car: a regional train from Berlin Hauptbahnhof, around an hour, and then on foot, by boat or by canoe. The same train takes you to Lübbenau in ten minutes. Presupuesto orientativo: 60–140 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Spreewaldhotel Stephanshof** (Hotel, desde 130 € / night): By the canal A quiet four-star family hotel opened in 1995, on the banks of the Berste canal and about ten minutes' walk from the centre of Lübben. The punts stop at its own landing stage. The rooms Twenty-eight rooms and two large apartments, all non-smoking. The doubles have a 1.80 m bed, a bathroom with shower or bath, a safe and wifi; some have a balcony overlooking the canal. A cot can be added, but not extra beds. Standard double from €130 a night in low season. Arrival from 15:00 to 18:00. What it offers A 10 by 5 metre indoor pool with jets, saunas and a relaxation room with a view of the canal, also open to day visitors; the Eisvogel restaurant and the Kahnstube, a summer terrace by the water, parking and canoe and bike hire. - **Hotel Lindengarten** (Small hotel, desde 120 € / night): Under the lime trees The Lindengarten is a family hotel in Treppendorf, on the edge of Lübben, about 3 km from the harbour, in the shade of lime trees more than a hundred years old. It has a Spreewald restaurant with a garden. The rooms Singles, doubles, triples, quadruples and a family studio with separate rooms, with shower and WC, television and hairdryer. 2026 prices with breakfast: single €85, double €120, triple €170, quadruple €190 and studio €230. Children under 3 sleep free in their parents' bed. Animals are not accepted. How to book Only by email, as its website requests. For dinner, book a table. Without a car, from the centre it is a long walk or a bike ride. ### Servicios - **Lübben (Spreewald) station**: Stop on the regional Berlin–Cottbus line, around an hour from Berlin Hauptbahnhof; about a 20-minute walk from the harbour. ## By car: Lübben by car About 85 km from Berlin on the A13, around an hour and ten minutes. A car lets you sleep on the outskirts and combine Lübben and Lübbenau in one day. Presupuesto orientativo: 70–150 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Spreewaldhotel Stephanshof** (Hotel, desde 130 € / night): By the canal A quiet four-star family hotel opened in 1995, on the banks of the Berste canal and about ten minutes' walk from the centre of Lübben. The punts stop at its own landing stage. The rooms Twenty-eight rooms and two large apartments, all non-smoking. The doubles have a 1.80 m bed, a bathroom with shower or bath, a safe and wifi; some have a balcony overlooking the canal. A cot can be added, but not extra beds. Standard double from €130 a night in low season. Arrival from 15:00 to 18:00. What it offers A 10 by 5 metre indoor pool with jets, saunas and a relaxation room with a view of the canal, also open to day visitors; the Eisvogel restaurant and the Kahnstube, a summer terrace by the water, parking and canoe and bike hire. - **Hotel Lindengarten** (Small hotel, desde 120 € / night): Under the lime trees The Lindengarten is a family hotel in Treppendorf, on the edge of Lübben, about 3 km from the harbour, in the shade of lime trees more than a hundred years old. It has a Spreewald restaurant with a garden. The rooms Singles, doubles, triples, quadruples and a family studio with separate rooms, with shower and WC, television and hairdryer. 2026 prices with breakfast: single €85, double €120, triple €170, quadruple €190 and studio €230. Children under 3 sleep free in their parents' bed. Animals are not accepted. How to book Only by email, as its website requests. For dinner, book a table. Without a car, from the centre it is a long walk or a bike ride. ## By plane: Fly to Berlin and take the train to Lübben You fly to Berlin: BER airport has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and lies south of the city, on the Spreewald side. From the airport or from Berlin Hauptbahnhof, take a regional train on the Cottbus line to Lübben; by hire car, about 70 km on the A13. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Spreewaldhotel Stephanshof** (Hotel, desde 130 € / night): By the canal A quiet four-star family hotel opened in 1995, on the banks of the Berste canal and about ten minutes' walk from the centre of Lübben. The punts stop at its own landing stage. The rooms Twenty-eight rooms and two large apartments, all non-smoking. The doubles have a 1.80 m bed, a bathroom with shower or bath, a safe and wifi; some have a balcony overlooking the canal. A cot can be added, but not extra beds. Standard double from €130 a night in low season. Arrival from 15:00 to 18:00. What it offers A 10 by 5 metre indoor pool with jets, saunas and a relaxation room with a view of the canal, also open to day visitors; the Eisvogel restaurant and the Kahnstube, a summer terrace by the water, parking and canoe and bike hire. - **Hotel Lindengarten** (Small hotel, desde 120 € / night): Under the lime trees The Lindengarten is a family hotel in Treppendorf, on the edge of Lübben, about 3 km from the harbour, in the shade of lime trees more than a hundred years old. It has a Spreewald restaurant with a garden. The rooms Singles, doubles, triples, quadruples and a family studio with separate rooms, with shower and WC, television and hairdryer. 2026 prices with breakfast: single €85, double €120, triple €170, quadruple €190 and studio €230. Children under 3 sleep free in their parents' bed. Animals are not accepted. How to book Only by email, as its website requests. For dinner, book a table. Without a car, from the centre it is a long walk or a bike ride. ### Servicios - **Lübben (Spreewald) station**: Stop on the regional Berlin–Cottbus line, around an hour from Berlin Hauptbahnhof; about a 20-minute walk from the harbour. ## As a family: Lübben with children Lübben is small and flat, with water on every corner: slow boats, canoes and a water playground on the castle island. ### What works best The lock boat trip, an hour and a half, with pickles on board The Canadian canoe for four, from €35 The castle island, with water games The castle museum, free for under-18s ### Where to stay Spreewaldhotel Stephanshof, with an indoor pool Hotel Lindengarten, with a family studio ### Where to eat Lindengarten, large garden ### Worth knowing The full-day boat trip lasts six or seven hours: only with older children The museum is closed on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday ### Qué hacer as a family - Punt trip through the Lübben locks - Full-day boat trip from Lübben to Lehde - Canoeing the canals from Lübben - Lübben Castle Island - Lübben Castle Museum ## With young children: Lübben with young children With children up to six, Lübben is easy: short distances, flat paths and boats where you sit calmly. ### What works best The castle island and its water playground The lock boat trip: an hour and a half, under-12s €8 A while on the square and a stroll beside the Spree ### Where to stay Hotel Lindengarten: under-3s free in their parents' bed Spreewaldhotel Stephanshof, with a cot on request ### Where to eat Lindengarten, in the garden ### Worth knowing Bring a change of clothes for the water games In the canoe, life jackets and children who stay seated ### Qué hacer with young children - Punt trip through the Lübben locks - Lübben Castle Island - Lübben Castle Museum ## Consejos ### Choose punt or canoe The punt tells you everything; the canoe gives you silence. ### On Sunday, eat in Lehde Go by punt and eat there: in Lübben the restaurants on this page do not serve at midday on Sunday. ### Try the gherkins They are handed out on the lock punt. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How do I get from Berlin to Lübben? By regional train from Berlin Hauptbahnhof, about an hour, and then on foot to the harbour. ### What is the difference from Lübbenau? Lübbenau is the more visited gateway, next to Lehde; Lübben is quieter, with punts through the town and access to the Lower Spreewald. ### How much does the punt cost? €18 for the hour-and-a-half round; children under 12, €8. ### Do you need to book? The town round leaves every day from 10:30; the full-day trip to Lehde must be booked. ### Can you go with small children? Yes: the punt is calm, the island has a water playground and the museum is free for under-18s.