Spreewald: Your Last Summer Getaway Or Your First Fall Vacation

Spreewald is not just a pickle brand, but it's easy to make such a mistake considering Spreewald is perhaps more famous for its delicious preserved goods than its many labyrinthine canals which sprawl over a distance of 475 kilometers.

Located approximately 100 km southeast of Berlin, (about an hour on the train), Spreewald, which translates to Spree, the river that snakes through Berlin, and "Wald," which means forest, is an excellent description of what awaits the eager traveler.

Legend has it that Spreewald was accidentally created by the Devil himself. While he was plowing the Spree, his oxen got tired and wanted to stop. The Devil got angry, threw his hat down on the ground and screamed at them. The oxen became frightened and ran away, creating a series of intricate waterways with their plows dragging behind them.

The Spreewald Biosphere Reserve is UNESCO recognized and officially became a protected area at the end of the GDR's reign at the Council of Ministers' last meeting in September 1990.

According to Spreewald's tourism board, the goal of the reserve is to "conserve the diverse cultural landscape of the Spreewald, shaped by man for centuries, together with local people and to fashion it to meet the needs of the future."

Indeed, local people play a large role in such an undertaking; they are just as important to Spreewald as the pickles and canals. Their presence is quietly obvious from the minute one steps out of the train station, due in part to the abundance of bilingual signs in and around the towns.

The locals are called Sorbs, or Wends, depending on the region, and speak the Sorbian language. They are descended from Slavic tribes who settled in the area over 1,400 years ago. Over the years, their settlement areas were reduced and many assimilated into German culture, leaving only a tiny pocket of the culture remaining in Spreewald.

A visit to the town Lehde (Lĕdy) and its open air museum (the oldest in Brandenburg) or participating in one of Spreewald's traditional festivals is a great way to catch a glimpse of how this rare and slowly diminishing culture defines and celebrates itself.

The major form of transport on the canals is by Kahn, a traditional punting boat. The boats used to transport cucumbers, hay, and cattle, but now with the influx of tourism, they paddle visitors from small town to small town, and from farm to farm.

In the town Lübbenau (Lubnjow/Błota), numerous elderly Kahn drivers with white hair and bushy beards line up in their captain hats, pot bellies protruding, and hand out brochures about various rides and events.

Meanwhile, small wooden stands lining the harbor sell pickles by the bucket load, linseed oil (a specialty in Spreewald), varieties of horseradish, of the likes I had never seen before, and of course ridiculous pickle souvenirs like stuffed toys and key chains. The town seems cheesy and touristy, and indeed it is, but it's so beautiful and quaint it's hard to really complain.

There are innumerable activities in Spreewald. Canoes and kayaks can be rented from stores lining the canals. Gliding through the shallow water along the Hauptspree, with the weeping willows bending overhead and the Kahn drivers punting by, is a must for any day trip or weekend away.

Beautiful old cabins line the waterfront and makeshift honey stands set up by locals is an unexpected way to do a little shopping and to support the local economy.

Of course there are many hiking paths in the area, and a cycle along a portion of the picturesque and 250 km long Gurkenradweg (Cucumber Bike Path) is also a great way to spend the day. There are also museums devoted to pickles and farming, as well as castles and Slavic Forts in the area.

Visiting Spreewald is a great way to cap off the summer. One can sit at a beer garden along the canal and munch on potatoes and quark doused in linseed oil, or feast on local fish.

It's also a perfect way to start the fall.

The Lehde Festival is taking place on the last weekend of September, which includes fireworks and a Kahn parade. On the first weekend of October, Lübbenau will host a fall market. In fact, the harvest has already started in Spreewald, with a number of storefronts and houses displaying locally grown pumpkins and squash, both for sale and for magnificent display.

A visit to Spreewald is a visit to another time, one that is peaceful and quiet, when nature was beautiful and serene, and the people were friendly and jovial. On Saturday night, I walked through the deserted little town and watched the tourist stalls pack up. The air smelled like pickles, and it felt like all was well with the world.