Discover Lychen from several perspectives: as a rafting town, on public raft trips, and on circular cycling routes ranging from 10 to 35 kilometers. Waterway travelers also have a special way to transfer their boats. If you are looking for accommodation, you can first decide whether rafting, cycling, or traveling by water will be the focus of your trip.
Rafting and Culture in Lychen
Lychen has been entitled to call itself a rafting town since 2008; the craft of rafting has been UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2023. The two recognitions emphasize different things: the title of rafting town refers to Lychen, while UNESCO recognition applies to the craft. The Rafting Festival takes place every year at the Oberpfuhl promenade. On both days, there is an entertainment program and hands-on activities for children and adults. If you are planning your trip around the festival, check the specific event dates.
The Treibholz company offers public raft trips on the tourist raft “Pläätz.” You can join without registering. Before your trip, check whether the rides are currently being offered.
Raft Trips and Boat Transfers
Lychen’s “Rollfeld” is a wooden walkway with a roller system. Waterway travelers can use it to transfer their boats between Nesselpfuhl and Oberpfuhl. The two options serve different purposes: on a raft trip, you ride on the tourist raft, while the Rollfeld is for transferring your own boat.
Cycling, Long-Distance Trails, and Getting Around
Cyclists in Lychen can take circular routes ranging from 10 to 35 kilometers. The 217-kilometer Märkischer Landweg passes directly by Lychen. In the Uckermark, the route crosses the region in ten stages and passes through three National Natural Landscapes. This provides both local circular routes and a long regional trail, catering to different types of journeys.
Along the Pinnenpfad Lychen, the posts provide information about each location and its history. They also offer an overview map and a QR code linking to an audio guide in German and English. You can read the information along the trail or use the audio guide.
Lychen Markt is the central bus stop. From there, you can reach, among other places, the tourist information center, the rafting museum, and water and hiking trails. If you plan to travel by bus, check the current timetables.
The Uckermark: A Wider Regional Context
Beyond Lychen, the Uckermark offers its own regional setting for nature trips and waterway journeys. Uckermärkische Seen Nature Park lies amid the water-rich, gently rolling Uckermark and encompasses numerous clear-water lakes, kettle holes, and bogs. The nature park has more than 150 kilometers of waterways for paddling and over 600 kilometers of signposted hiking trails. These regional options complement the specific offerings in Lychen without replacing them. The nature park also includes terminal moraines and inland dunes.
Discover more destinations: Angermünde, Friedrichsthal, Uckerfelde, Gerswalde, Uckerland, Templin, Schöneberg, Nordwestuckermark
See the main travel overview: Uckermark.
