Spree (river)

Course

It rises in the Lusatian Mountains and flows north through Bautzen and Spremberg.

In the Spreewald the river passes through the towns of Lübbenau, Lübben and Leibsch. Just below Leibsch, the Dahme Flood Relief Canal diverts water from the Spree to run into the River Dahme at Märkisch Buchholz. The Spree continues north from Leibsch before flowing into the Neuendorfer See at the northern edge of the Spreewald. From the Neundorfer See it then flows in an easterly direction to the Schwielochsee, and then in a northerly and westerly direction to the town of Fürstenwalde. From Fürstenwalde the river continues to flow westwards, through the Dämeritzsee and Müggelsee, to Köpenick in the southeastern part of Berlin, where it is joined by its tributary, the River Dahme.

The final reach of the Spree is where it is best known. It flows through the city centre of Berlin to join the River Havel in Spandau, one of Berlin's western boroughs, which itself ultimately merges with the Elbe to enter the sea in Cuxhaven, after flowing through Hamburg. On its route through Berlin, the river passes Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), the Reichstag and the Schloss Charlottenburg. The renowned Museum Island (Museumsinsel), with its collection of five major museums, is an island in the Spree.

In 2004 the Badeschiff floating swimming pool opened on the Spree in Berlin.

Navigation

Small craft, such as punts, are widely used in wetlands of the Spreewald. Larger craft can reach as far upstream as Leibsch, although the upper reaches are relatively shallow and are generally used only by leisure craft. Some intermediate reaches are unnavigable and by-passed by canals.

For a stretch of about 20 km east of and flowing through Fürstenwalde, the river forms part of the Oder-Spree Canal. On this reach, and on the reach west of the confluence with the River Dahme at Köpenick, the river forms part of secondary commercial link between Berlin and the River Oder and hence Poland. The canal diverges from the Spree just east of Fürstenwalde and later joins the River Dahme at the (lake) Seddinsee.

In Berlin, the Spree forms part of a dense network of navigable waterways, many of which are artificial, and which provide a wide choice of routes. Several important commercial harbors can be found on this network, and tugs and barges move sand, grain, bricks, and beer. Tour boats tour the central section of the Spree and its adjoining waterways on a frequent basis.

Berlin Wall

Many people died in the Spree during the Cold War while trying to cross the Berlin Wall, including children who drowned when rescuers were not allowed to enter the river to save them.

Gallery

File:Pohled z mostu - panoramio (1).jpg|Spree in Bautzen File:Sprjewja w Połpicy 1.JPG|Spree north of Bautzen File:Spreewald ausflugskahn 02.jpg|Spree in the Spreewald File:Oberbaumbruecke beim Berliner Osthafen cropped.jpg|Spree in central Berlin, with Oberbaum Bridge File:Spree Shore Berlin (46908854455).jpg|Spree Shore in Berlin Friedrichshain File:Bodemuseum - Front.jpeg|Bode Museum at the tip of Museum Island in the Spree File:Berlin-Spandauer Schifffahrtskanal, Schiff bei Kanaleinfahrt.jpg|Spree with Berlin Hauptbahnhof & the entrance of a canal File:Berlin - Bundeskanzleramt - Nacht - 2013.jpg|The Federal Chancellery (Berlin) on the Spree File:Fernsehturm seen from the Spree August 2024.jpg|Spree in Mitte with view of Fernsehturm Berlin File:Spree river, Cottbus, Germany (2011).jpg|Spree in Cottbus

References

References

1. "Spree River". [[Encyclopaedia Britannica]].
2. Sheffield, Barry. (1995). "Inland Waterways of Germany". Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson.
3. James, Kyle. "A Pool with a View". [[Deutsche Welle]].
4. Gawthrop, John. (2008). "The Rough Guide to Berlin". Rough Guides.