Canoe tour from Ratzdorf or Fürstenberg to Aurith

Downstream on the Oder!

The canoe tour begins in Ratzdorf, an old boatmen's village on a valley sand island in the Oder floodplain at the mouth of the Lusatian Neisse into the Oder. From here, the route goes 20 km downstream, past the remains of the blown-up Oder bridge near Kłopot on the Polish side, to Fürstenberg, a district of Eisenhüttenstadt.

Start: Ratzdorf
Goal: Aurith
Course: Ratzdorf - Fürstenberg (Eisenhüttenstadt) - Aurith
Length: about 24 km; Duration: about 4 - 5 hours
Note: Alternatively, the tour can also start in Fürstenberg and is then shortened to half the distance or time. 

Fürstenberg has largely been able to preserve its historic old town centre with many architectural monuments, making it unique among the towns on the Oder. The steelworks in Eisenhüttenstadt is connected to the Oder via the Oder-Spree Canal and does not spoil the natural experience. The industrial plants that are common on large rivers do not exist here between Guben and Frankfurt (Oder).

However, that doesn't mean that there is nothing to discover on the river bank. Numerous water birds nest and hunt here. The banks of the Oder are sandy here and there are many resting places between the groynes, which are also ideal for swimming. However, you shouldn't swim in the middle of the river, as the current is relatively strong at around 7 km/h. After 24 km of slowing down, you reach Aurith with its jetty. Here you can really stretch your legs and take a few steps along the top of the dike or get some refreshment near the Oder bank.

At the end of the tour, you can take another "sailboat ride" and take the new ferry to Urad, where you can climb the 30-meter-high observation tower with a panoramic view of the primeval forest, meadows and the Oder. Tip for romantics: look back on the paddling tour from a bird's eye view as the sun sets.