Lausitz and the River Elbe, Spree and Neisse

This circular, self-guided tour loops out from Dresden through the Dresden Heath and Lusatia's lake district, a landscape of 23 lakes and bilingual German-Sorbian villages. The route reaches Bad Muskau, home to the UNESCO-listed Muskauer Park, before following the Oder-Neisse trail to Görlitz, noted for its well-preserved old town spanning Gothic to Jugendstil architecture.

From Görlitz the route crosses rural Upper Lusatia to the historic town of Bautzen, then through Saxon Switzerland National Park, with a stop at the Bastei rock bridge, before finishing back in Dresden past the baroque castles of the Elbe valley.

Highlights:

• Dresden Heath and Radeberg's brewing heritage
• The Lusatian Lake District, Europe's largest artificial water landscape, and Sorbian villages
• Bad Muskau's UNESCO World Heritage Muskauer Park
• Görlitz's well-preserved old town, spanning Gothic to Jugendstil styles
• Historic Bautzen and the Saxon Switzerland National Park, including the Bastei rock bridge

Surface and terrain:
Easy to moderate, with climbing in the Dresden Highlands and rolling terrain on other stages; little climbing along the Elbe and Neisse. Mostly on quiet, minor roads.

Suitable for:
Riders wanting a culturally rich, easy-to-moderate self-guided tour, comfortable with daily distances of 25–65 km and some hillier stages.