Small family tour through Aurith and Urad

Captain ahoy – foreign land in sight!

A little discovery tour by the water - in two countries and by ferry! Where does something like that happen? On the middle Oder in Aurith and Urad, of course. Pack your binoculars, compass and rubber boots - and off you go!

Start: from the parking lot at the entrance to Aurith
Goal: Pumping station at the backwater canal in Urad
Course: Aurith - Urad - pumping station at the backwater canal
Length: 3 km; Duration: about 1 hour
Note: suitable for families with small children

From the car park at the entrance to Aurith, head north-east towards the Oder dyke. Keep your eyes open in Aurith so you don't miss the campsites - a snack before boarding will give you strength for whatever may come. Once you're up on the dyke, quickly pull out your binoculars: What's the situation like on land and on the water? Am I being watched from the tower on the other bank? How can I sneak up to the jetty as inconspicuously as possible?

When the Oder ferry docks, you have to board very quickly. Get on the boat and off you go! Maybe say a quick prayer to the god of this river, Viadrus, that he grants you a calm crossing. The captain will take you to the other bank without argument.

But what is going on there? Why is a different language suddenly being spoken? And why do people pay in the little village shop with different thalers? And in general, it looks completely different here... A beautiful old village on a high bank called Urad.

From the river to the village it is a bit uphill. Now we quickly climb up the 30-meter-high observation tower to get an overview of the situation. A wide and calm river, called the Oder, and on the banks every few meters there are small "ramps". The captain would explain that they are called groynes and that they ensure that the river does not carry too much of the bank away during floods.

Time to explore the Oder river bank. As you walk southeast along the river, you can climb on and between the groynes. If you are very quiet and hide a little, you can observe rare birds or other animals that live on the water.

At some point the path leads away from the Oder into the forest, but only deep enough that you can still see the light of the Oder floodplains. Here you can collect berries and mushrooms. Follow the path further towards a pumping station in the meadows by the Oder. When you cross a canal over a small bridge, you've almost made it. You're standing in the middle of the fertile Oder floodplains with their many fields and meadows. Here you can quietly stalk along the paths and watch deer grazing.