UNESCO biosphere reserve
Pure nature in the Upper Lusatian heath and pond landscape
The Upper Lusatian heath and pond landscape offers you numerous castles and beautiful gardens. Go on a journey through time and visit:
- Milkel Castle with park
- Gröditz Castle with Gröditz Scala
- Baroque castle and park in Neschwitz
- Milkwitz Park
- Park and Weißig Castle
Sensory rapture Upper Lusatia
Oberlausitz sensory intoxication - that means getting to know and experiencing a region with all your senses.
Smell the scent of blossoming flowers and fresh grass, hear the twittering of birds and the splashing of water, see the beauty and perfection of unique castles, parks and gardens. Cool places in the shade invite you to enjoy a leisurely picnic in the parks and gardens of Upper Lusatia, especially in the summer months. Escape the stress of the big cities on a walk or a bike ride. Feel the spirit of history during a castle tour and taste the warm summer air. Breathe in deeply and feel the vibrancy - a true sensory intoxication.
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Gröditz Castle and Park
The entire manor complex includes not only the castle, but also an almost 1200-year-old Sorbian rampart (redoubt), former farm buildings and a park. Since 2006, the Pro Gröditz e.V. association has been working with the lord of the manor to restore and preserve the castle and park. The aim of the association is to combine nature and cultural conservation.
The park is freely accessible.
Milkel Castle
Milkel Castle, which is still surrounded by water on four sides, was founded on oak piles and the south tower was probably begun in 1302. The finds of the oak foundation in 2005, dated 1302, which are also exhibited in the castle courtyard, are the first evidence of the existence of old German moated castles on oak pile foundations in Upper Lusatia.
The English-style landscape park, which is criss-crossed by many paths, shows clear signs of Prince Pückler's park design. From the African tulip tree and ash maple to the native English oaks and copper beeches, centuries-old natural wonders can be found here.
Today, the castle is used as a registry office as well as a conference and meeting venue.
The park is freely accessible.
Neschwitz Castle and Park
The baroque castle and the well-kept Neschwitz park are among the most beautiful ensembles in Upper Lusatia!
On the site of a medieval moated castle, Duke Friedrich Ludwig von Württemberg-Teck, the General Campaign Master in the service of Augustus the Strong, had the castle built in its present form as a summer residence for himself and his wife, the Imperial Princess Ursula Katharina von Teschen, née Lubomirska, Polish mistress of Augustus the Strong. Lubomirska, the Polish mistress of Augustus the Strong. Four pavilions were built in a symmetrical arrangement.
- The theater pavilion: unfortunately no longer visible;
- the Herrenpavillon: seat of the Saxon Ornithological Institute with the exhibition "Neschwitzer Vogelschutzpavillon";
- the archive pavilion: seat of the nature conservation station of the district and the
- Bathing and kitchen pavilion: today home to tourist information, registry office, office of the landscape conservation association, club rooms of the "Kultur- und Heimatfreunde" e. V. and the Orangerie Caffée.
The French-style baroque garden was created at the same time. The English landscape garden was laid out at the end of the 18th century.
The park is freely accessible.
Park and Weißig Castle
Built in 1908, Weißiger Schloss served as the family seat of the noble von Zehmen family until 1943. After an eventful history, the castle is now privately owned.
The reconstructed park, which is open to the public, offers a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside and a place to linger.
Milkwitz Park
Milkwitzer Park is located approx. 10 km northwest of Bautzen in the Upper Lusatian heath and pond landscape. This landscape is characterized by the charming alternation between water and partly hilly meadows and wooded areas. This charm is also reflected in the small park.
The Milkwitz park has been mentioned since the 17th century. From the 1810s onwards, when park design became increasingly fashionable for stately presentation purposes, the park in Milkwitz also underwent a correspondingly modern conversion and its historical heyday. As a result of the political turmoil in the first half of the 20th century, only part of the original park remains. However, this has been preserved for the public with a great deal of care and historical expertise by the local owner family. In 2018, the family founded and endowed the Milkwitz Park Cultural Foundation in order to permanently preserve what has now been restored.
