Schlieben’s historic Kellerstraße comprises more than 30 wine cellars, most of which date from the 16th century. This makes it a specific local feature that can be explored in connection with winegrowing and local history.
The approximately 1.5-kilometre-long wine trail offers a different perspective. It provides information about winegrowing in general and winegrowing in Schlieben. Kellerstraße focuses on the historic wine cellars; the trail explores winegrowing over a longer route. The two offer different focuses without requiring you to follow a particular itinerary.
Winegrowing, season and festivities
In the wider destination of Elbe-Elster, wine has been grown again on the southern slope of the Langer Berg in Schlieben since 1992. More than 2,000 vines of the “Müller-Thurgau” and “Bacchus” varieties now grow there. Schlieben’s connection with wine therefore encompasses not only its cellars and wine trail, but also present-day cultivation and the two grape varieties mentioned.
The local winegrowing association lists May to October as the season for vineyard tours and tastings in the vineyard and in the historic wine cellar on Kellerstraße; both are available by prior arrangement. If you plan a tour or tasting, confirm the date in advance. The Moienmarkt is an annual folk and local heritage festival in Schlieben. If you are planning a trip specifically for the festival, check the event dates in advance.
Elbe-Elster: other areas of interest
The wider destination of Elbe-Elster offers other attractions in addition to its wine-related themes. The F60 visitor mine is in Elbe-Elster district, south of Lichterfeld. Right next to it is Lake Bergheider See, which visitors to the mine can explore by bicycle, Segway or on a walk along its long beach. This combination of mining history and activities by the lake offers a different choice of theme from the local focus in Schlieben.
Industrial heritage is also well represented in the Elbe-Elster region. The Louise briquette factory in Domsdorf is Europe’s oldest surviving briquette factory; visitors can see historic machinery and steam engines in operation there. Plessa Power Plant is one of Europe’s oldest lignite power stations and has retained its original structure. Visitors can see authentic power station technology from the 1920s. The guided “Coal Trail” tour takes visitors through the outdoor bunkers, boiler house, turbine platform, control room and transformer area. Check the current booking conditions for this tour before making plans.
Since January 2015, four major museums in Elbe-Elster district have formed a joint museum network. Museum Mühlberg 1547 focuses on the 1547 meeting of the armies, which shaped the course of the Reformation, and bears the European Heritage Label. Bus routes 433/437 from Riesa, 536 from Falkenberg or Bad Liebenwerda–Koßdorf, and 565 from Bad Liebenwerda are listed for the journey there. Mühlberg bus station is approximately 300 metres or a four-minute walk away. As timetables may change, it is worth checking them before you travel.
Visitors interested in nature and cycling will find other options in the wider destination. On outings with a ranger from the nature conservation service, visitors can learn to identify bird calls, find rare plants and observe animals; check the dates in advance. The 65-kilometre Apple Route includes a guided tour of the pomological garden in Döllingen, which also requires checking the latest schedule. The Elster Cycle Tour is a circular route that passes old mills and runs through the Niederlausitzer Heidelandschaft Nature Park.
This gives you the chance to first decide whether your stay should focus mainly on Schlieben itself or on a broader regional interest.
Discover more destinations: Finsterwalde, Röderland, Doberlug-Kirchhain, Wahrenbrück, Elsterwerda, Mühlberg, Schönewalde, Plessa.
Go to the wider travel overview: Elbe-Elster.
