The District Spree-Neiße is located in the southeast of the federal state Brandenburg between the German metropolitan cities Berlin and Dresden as well as the prospering polish city of Breslau. The district Spree-Neiße extends with an area of 1,657 km² from the Oberspreewald in the northwest to the river Neiße in the east. The administrative centre is located in the district capital Forst (Lausitz).
The district Spree-Neiße was founded in December 1993 with the territorial reform of the federal state Brandenburg from the former districts Forst (Lausitz), Guben, Spremberg and Cottbus-Land. It surrounds the independent city of Cottbus. The district consists of 5 independent cities, 3 boroughs as well as 3 municipalities with 21 affiliated cities and boroughs.
92 kinder garden and 34 day-care facilities are available for the care of the smallest inhabitants of the district. In terms of school education, the district scores with 24 primary schools, 6 secondary schools, 4 gymnasium and 2 colleges of further education.
An industry-friendly climate, modern infrastructure and short distances to Eastern Europe characterise the economic landscape in the district Spree-Neiße. Companies and investors which are located in two large industrial parks and 21 business areas benefit from synergy effects with innovative companies, proximity to scientific institutions and excellent traffic links.
About one third of the total area of the district is used for agriculture. 367 agricultural enterprises are currently registered in the district. Among other things, the classics from the Spreewald such as the internationally famous Spreewald cucumber, strawberries, asparagus and energy plants (rape, sunflower, lucerne, maize) are harvested. Numerous companies open their production facilities and thus create a high level of transparency for consumers. As a result, a large number of farms present themselves both at the country-wide “Landpartie” and for individual open farm days.
The district is characterised by a varied landscape with typical lakes and forests of the Mark Brandenburg, the flood plains of the rivers Spree and Neisse or the UNESCO geopark Muskauer Faltenbogen. Our region also includes Brandenburg's most popular tourist destination, the Spreewald. In the health resort Burg you can enjoy the famous Spreewald boat trips and paddle tours as well as a relaxing stay in the warm brine thermal water of the Spreewald Therme.
The cycle network between Spree and Neiße is one of the most comfortable in Brandenburg. Over 400 km of cycle paths and many bridges have been built here. In total, a network of almost 1,000 km of cycle paths has been created. The Oder-Neiße Cycle Route - a total of 590 km from the Czech Izera Mountains to the island of Usedom - and the Spree Cycle Route - a total of 410 km from the Spree springs in the Saxon Highlands to Berlin - cross the Spree-Neiße region. Both paths mostly run along the river dikes and are asphalted.phaltiert.
Different adventure areas along the paths make every tour a special event. The Brandenburg Textile Museum in Forst, the City and Industrial Museum in Guben and the Ironworks and Fishing Museum in Peitz tell the story of the region. Thousands of blooming roses, extraordinary garden architecture and romantic fountains invite you to dream on 17 hectares of land in the ”Ostdeutscher Rosengarten” in Forst (Lausitz).
The district Spree-Neiße has been organizing the "Internationale Folklorelawine" for 19 years. Since its beginning in 2001, a total of 203 folklore ensembles from 55 countries and 6 continents have been guests in the districts Spree-Neiße and Oberspreewald-Lausitz. The colourful ensembles from all over the world present their culture and traditions for three days with a mixture of music, dance and singing at different venues.
In the district Spree-Neiße the sorbian/wendish language and culture are important components of life. They characterise the cultural backdrop in a special way, are a unique cultural feature and an important anchor of regional identity. A variety of events express the awareness of local history and traditions and provide insights into the cultural country life.