Almost every child in Germany knows the story of the boy Krabat, set in Upper Lusatia, who becomes a sorcerer's apprentice and defeats his evil master, because Otfried Preussler's book for young people is popular at school. But did you know that Preussler's book goes back to a Sorbian legend from the 19th century? The legend is very important for the Sorbs who live here, because the first written versions were recorded in their language and only later translated into German.

The Sorbian painter Měrćin Nowak-Njechorński (German: Martin Nowak-Neumann) from neighboring Nechern also published the first modern version of the Krabat material in Sorbian in 1954. His Krabat illustrations combine mythology and folklore with a romantic, historicizing representation of the rural way of life. He got inspiration on the spot on extensive hikes through the area.
I can't promise you that after a visit to Upper Lusatia you will be able to transform yourself into animals or make fallow land fertile - but the natural landscape can definitely inspire you!

My modern and sustainable holiday home is 95 square meters and can accommodate a maximum of 9 people. It was built into a historic stone barn from 1869. I got the original structure of the walls made of granite stone and old wooden beams. The modern and high-quality materials that were used for the expansion of the holiday home stand in attractive contrast to this. The electricity comes from Greenpeace Energy, by the way, and the electrical devices all have an A ++ standard.

The house has a large eat-in kitchen with fireplace and sofa bed on the ground floor. If necessary, for example in autumn or winter, you can use the fireplace in the kitchen-living room, which quickly heats the entire kitchen-living room and makes it really cozy. But every room in the house also has underfloor heating with a room controller. So you will never freeze here in the house.

On the upper floor you will find three bedrooms with oak parquet and built-in wardrobes as well as a modern bathroom. In the bedrooms you will find solid wood double beds measuring 160 × 200 cm in two rooms and a single bed measuring 90 × 200 cm in another room.

The bathroom has a walk-in shower and a washing machine. From the rooms on the upper floor you can see the orchards, the river, the pond and the courtyard with apple trees. The insect screens in front of the windows in all bedrooms and in the bathroom protect against uninvited animal guests if you want to leave the window open.

In front of the kitchen-living room is a large, demarcated terrace that invites you to have breakfast, barbecue and sunbathing.
On my large property, my guests can relax in the great outdoors, let their children play and watch many rare plants and animals with them. My holiday home is allergy-friendly because animals are not allowed inside the house. It is also a non-smoking house.

If you want to consume something other than my fresh apples and my organic apple juice during your stay here, the apple barn offers a modern eat-in kitchen. The kitchen unit consists of an induction stove with integrated extractor hood, oven, a fridge / freezer combination, dishwasher, toaster, kettle and a granite kitchen worktop. There is also plenty of seating, two dining tables made of ash and oak and a total of 12 oak chairs.
So you can prepare fresh organic products from the region yourself at home, of which you can buy different ones within a radius of no more than 5 kilometers. So you can cook a real regional meal with meat from a butcher and vegetables from farmers or gardeners. In addition to the apple trees, there is also a herb garden in front of my property, so maybe I can add something to your salad. There is also a barbecue area on the large sun terrace. If you are a barbecue fan, appropriate equipment is available if necessary.

If you would like to eat out, I can recommend the Sorbian restaurant Wjelbik in the immediate vicinity and in the middle of the old town of Bautzen, where you also understand Polish, or the restaurant and inn Mönchshof zu Bautzen with a medieval atmosphere and hearty German cuisine, or the inn Plotzen, where only fresh products from the region are used.

Have you tried enough of my apple juices and fruit brandies? Then you can then explore the area around the apple barn.
For example, you can start a hike in the rocky nature reserve "Gröditzer Skala" with a visit to the Gröditzer Castle. The 39 hectare site extends along the Löbauer Water from Weißenberg in Gröditz to the villages of Weicha and Wuischke. A tourist attraction that is now a hiking trail is, in addition to the many native plant species, the ten-arched, 170 meter long Gröditzer Viaduct on the Löbau – Weißenberg – Radibor railway line. The Way of St. James in the Görlitz – Weißenberg – Bautzen section also leads through the Gröditzer Skala. Gröditz Castle is actually a mansion and was built in its present form in 1738. It sits enthroned on the edge of the steep northern slope of the Skala in the eastern part of the village. The entire mansion complex includes not only the castle, but also the almost 1200 year old Lausitzer Damm, former farm buildings and a park. There is also an old ski jump in the castle garden.

The area is also a Mecca for lovers of the environment and nature, as the apple barn is located in the immediate vicinity of the "Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape" biosphere reserve, which has been protected by UNESCO since 1994. This area has the most ponds in Germany: of a total area of over 30,000 hectares, more than 140 square kilometers are covered with forests, around 28 square kilometers are ponds, rivers, rivers and other bodies of water, the rest is a cultural landscape. There are over 350 smaller ponds and lakes in the reserve, almost all of which have been artificially created and connected by a system of ditches with weirs and pipelines. The reserve's information and visitor center is aptly referred to as the "House of a Thousand Ponds". Among other things, it offers a multimedia exhibition that is dedicated to the centuries-old tradition in the protected area and carp farming. The nature adventure trail along the Guttau ponds & amp; Olbasee. There are around 30 stations for visiting, observing, listening, learning and relaxing along the 8-kilometer route. However, shorter routes can be chosen; more information is available in the house. And twice a year - on the last Saturday in April and on the Saturday of the second weekend in September - there are natural markets in the courtyard of the Haus der Tausend Teiche, where you can buy organic products from the region and take part in cultural programs.

The giant oak of Niedergurig is also worth a visit. The famous natural monument is a symbol of the Malschwitz community, to which Niedergurig also belongs, and is depicted in their coat of arms. It is located a little south of the village on the Great Brick Pond. Their age is estimated to be 700 to 800 years. The oak is about 22 meters high and has an average diameter of about 8 meters.

Dresden with its baroque Zwinger, the historic old town, the Frauenkirche am Neumarkt, the Semperoper, numerous museums, the Hofkirche and the Residenzschloss is about one car stop from the apple barn. The Striezelmarkt, founded in 1434, is one of the oldest and most famous Christmas markets in Germany. There are also four nature reserves with 298 hectares and eleven landscape protection areas with more than 12,000 hectares in the urban area, which makes Dresden one of the major cities in Europe with the highest proportion of vegetation area. An example of this is the well-known natural and cultural landscape of the Dresden Elbe Valley with the Elbe meadows, which extend almost 20 kilometers through the urban area.

Or is it more wellness? Then the Körse-Therme Kirschau is the right choice. There are multifunctional pools, but also paddling pools, whirlpools, steam chambers and relaxation areas. In addition, a brine zone and a sauna area. Of course, various treatments such as massages are also possible.

There is enough space on the property for younger guests to play. I installed a hammock and homemade wooden swings on some trees.

At Lake Olba, 10 km away between the towns of Wartha and Kleinsaubernitz, there is a lakeside diving club and several water sports clubs as well as restaurants and shops. There is a path that can be walked around the lake. In the middle of the lake there is a ten hectare island, the “Radisch”, an old castle wall. The poorly preserved remains of the rampart in the eastern part of the island are barely visible. Unfortunately, the island cannot be accessed due to the risk of landslides related to mining.

A real highlight of the area is the Kleinwelka dinosaur park. With an area of 16 hectares, it is the largest dinosaur park in Germany. There are over 200 life-size sculptures of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, especially reptiles, amphibians and mammals from prehistoric, stone and modern times. The forest-like park has a thematic structure that corresponds to the geological eras, with the prominent representatives of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

The Thräna leisure and camping park is a spacious recreational oasis with a game reserve with fallow deer, deer and mouflon, a swimming pond, natural playground, large sandpit, fun golf course and many barbecue areas. You can get a cool drink in the open-air restaurant or, if the weather is bad, in the Wiesenhütte.

Do you want to aim high? Then I recommend the high ropes course at the Bautzen reservoir in one of the largest artificial climbing facilities with a tree connection. At heights of up to 12 meters, anyone who is curious and courageous can give free rein to their urge to move and demonstrate their height ability and skill. The zip line course is particularly popular with four consecutive zip lines of different lengths and a total length of over 230 meters. The center of the complex is a stair tower from which you can enjoy a wonderful view of the climbing facility and the surrounding area.

Or are you interested in craftsmanship and international encounters? In the "Secret World of Turisede" theme park in Einsiedel near the Polish border, there are 7 hectares of fairy-tale natural wooden buildings such as the Magic Castle, the "Krönum - Theater for Eating" or the "Museum Tree House and the Traces of the People of Turisede". There are animals to pet and feed as well as various events. The highlight is the second largest folk festival in Germany, the annual festival of cultures “Folklorum”, which takes place on the first weekend in September. Other events include the “Funkelorum – fire games for Walpurgis Night”, the “Spielum – play festival with festival games” or the “BaumhausBAUtage – tree house building competition”.

You can also visit the museum of the Sorbian painter Měrćin Nowak-Njechorński (German: Martin Nowak-Neumann). The artist illustrated, among other things, the book about the Sorbian legend of the young miller Krabat, who defeated a magician in a black mill. He lived near Cannewitz in neighboring Nechern, and his garden house can be visited there today. Prior registration is required with Ms. Rosalia Pinkau, who looks after the museum.
If you want to delve even deeper into the legend, we recommend a visit to the Krabat Mill Schwarzkollm, where the young legendary hero trained as a magician with the Black Müller. In addition to thematic exhibitions, an adventure trail and playground, there is also a Krabat cycle path. You can follow the young miller by bike between Bautzen, Kamenz and Hoyerswerda, as he is said to have spent most of his life in the local villages.