The landscape in the south of Leipzig is still changing. Since 2005, groundwater and water from the Weiße Elster river have been filling open-cast mining holes. Year after year, lake after lake is created; there are to be 18 in total. One person who knows every bend and every hill here is Günter Arndt. The man from Leipzig used to ride his racing bike here when lignite mining was still in operation and the "Rund um die Braunkohle", a qualifying race for the Peace Ride, was held. Shortly after reunification, that came to an end. And when it became clear that the maltreated landscape was to become a local recreation area with pretty lakes thanks to some cosmetic surgery, the lignite race was relaunched - with a new name: Neuseen-Classics.
Arndt is the route planner for the Neuseen-Classics and recommended that we follow his route, which leads through rapeseed fields and sleepy villages.
You can download the article with these tours and the GPS data below:
- Tour 1: Young lakes (133 km, 930 m elevation gain, max. altitude 225 m, max. gradient ten per cent, characteristics flat to undulating)
- Tour 2: To the open-cast mine (122 km, 760 m elevation gain, max. altitude 289 m, max. gradient eight per cent, characteristics flat to undulating)
GPS DATA: TOUR offers the tour data for free download. You can download the tracks in GPX format directly onto a GPS device or view them on your computer in Google Earth or Google Maps.
