Braunsbedra brings together Geiseltalsee, cycle routes and cultural attractions in a landscape reshaped after the open-cast mines closed. Choose from several ways to spend your time here: a day trip by bike, a boat trip on the lake, or exhibitions and sights in town.

Lake Scenery and Trails

After the open-cast mines closed, reclamation and renaturalisation created four lakes in the Braunsbedra landscape. Around Geiseltalsee, habitats range from marshy areas to particularly dry zones; there are also wooded and sandy areas. The lake landscape thus encompasses a variety of natural environments.

A full-day cycling tour takes you around the entire Geiseltalsee. Well-maintained cycle routes run alongside the former mining lakes around Braunsbedra. The areas around the lake also offer different route options: on the peninsula, a cycle route passes through a nature reserve where visitors can observe rare animals. On the opposite side of the lake from Braunsbedra, the Mühlenwanderweg and nature trails run along the shore. The options therefore differ both in activity and in their location around the lake.

On the Water and Along the Shore

The MS Geiseltalsee passenger boat departs from the Braunsbedra marina on two routes. Check the current timetable before setting out so you can fit the boat trip into your day. The Geiseltalexpress is a trackless narrow-gauge train that travels along the shore from Pfännerhall and circles Geiseltalsee. The two options differ in transport and starting point: a boat from the marina or a trackless train from Pfännerhall. Whether or not you take the boat or the Geiseltalexpress, you can set off in either direction from the Braunsbedra visitor centre.

Exhibitions and Local Sights

Pfännerhall hosts the exhibition “Fundort Pfännerhall / Diorama Waldelefant” and an exhibition about the transoceanic ABORA expedition. The range of exhibitions may change. The Pfännerhall machine hall is one of Braunsbedra’s sights.

At Hauptstraße 19, a memorial stone and façade art commemorate Michael Kaßler. Braunsbedra’s sights also include a castle, a castle park and a castle pond. In addition to the trails and activities around Geiseltalsee, visitors can choose from exhibitions, memorial sites and other local attractions.

Culture in the Wider Saalekreis Destination

The wider Saalekreis destination offers other distinct cultural attractions. Querfurt Castle is one of Europe’s best-preserved castle complexes and the largest in Central Germany. In Bad Lauchstädt, the Douche Pavilion, opened in 1778 and restored in 2016, is now a museum about the history of the mineral spa and is open to visitors. The Goethe Theatre in Bad Lauchstädt is a historic theatre that has been largely preserved in its original 1802 condition.

Getting Around and Finding Accommodation

At the Seebrücke, the Braunsbedra Tourist Information Centre provides information about Braunsbedra, Geiseltalsee, events and excursions. If you are looking for a hotel in Braunsbedra, it is best to decide first what you want to focus on: would you like your trip to centre on cycle routes and natural areas, a boat trip on the lake, or exhibitions and local sights?

Discover more destinations: Benndorf, Merseburg, Bad Lauchstädt, Schochwitz, Schkopau, Langenbogen, Kabelsketal, Etzdorf

Back to the wider travel overview: Saalekreis.