Bonsai-Oder-Honig cycling tour - Discovery Tour

On this trip called the “Bonsai or honey” tour you will encounter a hint of the land of the rising sun in Brieskow-Finkenheerd, the starting point of your bicycle tour. Admire a lovingly designed Japanese bonsai garden that captures a harmony of trees, water, stones, lanterns, bonsai and moss. Head towards Lindow at the Friedrich Wilhelm Canal. You will pass several locks before arriving at Köhlerplatz. You can take a rest here while reading about the history of the charcoal works on the information panels. The craft of charcoal burning was pursued here due to the tradition of transporting wood on the Oder River. The charcoal burners’ society lets visitors experience this tradition every October at the Köhlerfest charcoal festival. Now cycle a little further along the Oder-Spree Canal, passing the Rautenkranz ranger station, before arriving in Wiesenau where you can enjoy original Bavarian cuisine in the Bayernstub´n inn. Just behind the church where there is a memorial to the Oder floods in 1997 you will be standing in the midst of the Ziltendorf lowlands. With panoramic views over the flat meadows, you will encounter various wildlife and numerous rare birds. This will take you to Aurith, which used to be one village in the past, together with the Polish village of Urad on the opposite other side of the river. The joint German-Polish summer festival is celebrated here each year. A ferry connects the two villages on this day. At other times when there is no festival, you can also take a rest at the "Radlerhof” or "Bauernstübchen" restaurant in Aurith. Finally, follow the Oder-Neiße Cycle Path on or next to the Oder Dike back to Brieskow-Finkenheerd. Enjoy the landscape of the Oder region and the views over to Poland. If you want, you can extend the tour at the Eicswachhaus observation tower, continuing along the Oder River to the point where Lake Brieskower See flows into the Oder River. There you can have a look at the regatta course from the 1936 Olympic Games and the old finish tower.