Moving landscape in transition
Great heritage! Unique landscape art
The legacy of Hermann Prince von Pückler-Muskau can still be experienced today in Muskauer Park. Garden art, nature painting, landscape composition - and the whole thing transcends national borders on both sides of the Neisse. Today, around two thirds of the park lies on the Polish side. The park is the largest landscape garden in Central Europe of English origin - and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2004.
Great heritage! Created from the Ice Age and industrial culture
The Muskau Arch has been listed as a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2015. Its current landscape was formed by a huge glacier and shaped by many years of mining. Today, you will mainly find natural valleys, hundreds of narrow mining lakes that shimmer in all colors and the Devil's Stone: the largest boulder in the Folded Arch, with clearly visible indentations, naturally from the claws of the devil.
Great heritage! Extensive nature conservation
The Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape Biosphere Reserve is the largest contiguous pond area in Central Europe, the only biosphere reserve in Saxony and the habitat of many rare plants and animals. And, of course, Lusatian fish: ponds for fish farming have been created here since the 13th century and connected by canals. Today, the UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve is characterized by a harmonious and sustainable coexistence of man and nature. Those seeking peace and quiet, cycling and hiking enthusiasts will get their money's worth on the predominantly flat land.
to the UNESCO biosphere reserve Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape
Great heritage! Unmistakable Spreewald
The Spreewald is not located in Upper Lusatia, but in Lusatia in Brandenburg. Despite this geographical difference, the Spreewald is included in this project. The reason for this is its proximity to the other UNESCO sites in the region - it is less than 50 kilometers away. The Spreewald has been protected as a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1991. The inland river delta of the Spree is home to many rare animals and plants. 300 kilometers of waterways are lined with meadows, forests, pastures and lovingly restored log cabins thatched with straw and reeds. The region has traditionally been strongly influenced by the Sorbs for a very long time. They settled in the Spreewald during the migration of peoples in the 6th century.
Great heritage! Living traditions
We have often been cultivating our traditions and customs for centuries. The artistic decoration of eggs with wax became a popular Sorbian custom at Easter between the 16th and 17th centuries. And we have been experiencing the "blue wonder" of blue printing in Pulsnitz for around 400 years.
Great heritage! The industrial culture
Nothing has had such an impressive and lasting impact on the Lusatian landscape and people as opencast lignite mining. At present, a multi-layered transformation process can be actively experienced. However, the traces of the past are not being erased, but remain part of the emerging future face of the region. These are impressive places where the recent industrial past can be seen and felt.
Great heritage! Anchored in Lusatia, networked in the world
The four settlements of the Moravian Church - Herrnhut, Christiansfeld, Bethlehem and Gracehill - form a transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site. They represent a unique network of religious ideal towns with global significance.
The Moravian Church is still active in all four places today. Historic buildings are used and traditions such as worship, music and a culture of remembrance are practiced. This living heritage connects people across national borders and preserves shared values for future generations.
About the transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site "Settlements of the Moravian Church"
Like hardly any other region in Germany, Lusatia stands for enormous contrasts in a very small area. Contrasts that are the result of constant change. Landscape and people are shaped by nature. Man, in turn, has strongly influenced nature and the landscape. The large-scale exploitation of its natural resources in the industrial age has left its mark. Nevertheless, there are still timeless natural landscapes to discover today. It is the "great heritage" of past centuries that characterizes life in Lusatia today and will also accompany the upcoming structural change.
The "great heritage" is reflected in the special landscape, but also in the architecture and life in this region. With World Heritage, Geopark, Biosphere Reserves and Intangible Heritage, four different UNESCO titles have been awarded to the Lusatian region - which is unparalleled worldwide. The World Heritage Site Muskauer Park/ Park Mużakowski, the transnational World Heritage Site "Settlements of the Moravian Church", the Global Geopark Muskauer Faltenbogen/ Łuk Mużakowa, the Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape Biosphere Reserve and the intangible heritage of blue printing are particularly worthy of protection in the opinion of UNESCO.
UNESCO-listed cultural and natural heritage sites, man-made cultural landscapes, areas shaped by open-cast mining and a strong sense of tradition - this is the extraordinary mix that makes Lusatia one of the most exciting regions in the heart of Europe.
to Muskauer Park/ Park Mużakowski
to the settlements of the Hernnhuter Brüdergemeine
to the Global Geopark Muskauer Faltenbogen/ Łuk Mużakowa
to the Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape Biosphere Reserve
ClipQuest.Lausitz 2026
A Change of Perspective. The best stories emerge from the space in between.
Five days, three teams, and countless new perspectives: At FilmCamp ClipQuest.Lausitz 2026, young filmmakers rediscovered Upper Lusatia once again. Between tradition and the future, people and landscape, past and present, three unique stories emerged—personal, surprising, and full of enthusiasm for a change of perspective.
Three films. Three perspectives. An Upper Lusatia you may not have seen like this before.
Datenschutz | Impressum
Team Shapes of the Future
What happens when two young people encounter traditional craftsmanship? Against the backdrop of organ building, watchmaking, and industrial culture, a journey unfolds that challenges preconceptions—and ultimately reveals far more than just craftsmanship.
Lusatia e-learning
Would you like to find out more about the UNESCO sites in Lusatia? Expand your knowledge of the fascinating UNESCO sites in Lusatia - in a compact, interactive and clear way. Our online tool offers you exciting insights into the history, special features and tourist highlights of the region. Click here for the UNESCO e-learning platform
Impressions from the great heritage of Lusatia
Großes Erbe Faltkarte
Wie kaum eine andere Region Deutschlands steht die Lausitz für gewaltige Gegensätze auf engstem Raum. Gegensätze als Ergebnis eines ständigen Wandels. So prägen noch immer Wunden die Landschaft der Lausitz, allerdings im Kontrast zur Lieblichkeit der englischen Gartenkunst historischer Parkanlagen. Und die Landschaft heilt nach und nach.
Aus Bräuchen und Gegensätzen wird hier Welterbe geschaffen. Von der UNESCO ausgezeichnete Kultur- und Naturerbestätten, Kulturlandschaften, vom Tagebau geprägte Gegenden oder Städte wie Görlitz und Bautzen sind Leuchttürme der Region. Sie erzählen Geschichten, die teils Jahrhunderte überspannen. All das nennen wir unser großes Erbe, welchem wir uns verpflichtet fühlen.
Ausgezeichnet! Großes Erbe im Lausitzer Land
Lassen Sie sich inspirieren von dieser Broschüre, tauchen Sie ein in die Geschichte der Lausitz, ihre Landschaften und Gegensätze,
ihre Architektur und Traditionen. Und gehen Sie selbst auf Entdeckungsreise, bevor es alle tun – das große Erbe wartet auf Sie!
Großes Erbe der Lausitz - Kompaktes Wissen über die Lausitzer UNESCO-Stätten für Gäste und Gastgeber
Wo aus Wald und Wiesen durch Menschenhand ein
Meisterwerk eines Landschaftsparks erwuchs, wo in
einer Auen- und Moorlandschaft ein komplexes Netz
aus Kanälen und Teiche zur Fischzucht enstanden, wo
aus eiszeitlichen Landschaften erst Bergbauregionen
und dann Naherholungsgebiete wurden: Das ist die
Lausitz. Eine seit Jahrtausenden bewegte Landschaft
im Wandel, die auch der Mensch durch Besiedlung,
Acker- und Bergbau nachhaltig geprägt hat. Fünf
UNESCO-Auszeichnungen zeugen von der Bedeutung
des Wandels und des großen Erbes der Lausitz.
Wielkie dziedzictwo Łużyc - Co każdy turysta i usługodawca o łużyckich obiektach na liście UNESCO wiedzieć powinien
Tam, gdzie z lasów i łąk dzięki pracy ludzkich rąk
wyrósł park krajobrazowy, gdzie wśród rozlewisk
i bagien powstał spójny system kanałów i stawów
hodowlanych, gdzie w polodowcowym krajobrazie
utworzono najpierw tereny górnicze, a następnie -
rekreacyjne: to są właśnie Łużyce. Zmieniający
się od tysięcy lat krajobraz, który w długotrwały
sposób kształtowany jest również przez człowieka:
przez osadnictwo, uprawę roli czy górnictwo. Pięć
wyróżnień ze strony UNESCO świadczy o roli dokonujących
się zmian i wielkim dziedzictwie Łużyc.