Spree Woods

The Spree Forest is a large inland delta of the river Spree, and a historical cultural landscape located in the region of Lusatia, in the state of Brandenburg, Germany, about 100 km southeast of Berlin and close to the city of Cottbus. The Spree Forest is located within the settlement area of the Sorbs, and the region is officially bilingual, German and Lower Sorbian.

As extensive floodplain and bog landscape, the Spree Forest was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1991, called Biosphärenreservat Spreewald. It is known for its traditional irrigation system, consisting of more than 200 small canals within the 484-square-kilometre area, for its unique flora and fauna, and for its traditional flat-bottomed boats, the Spreewaldkähne. The landscape was shaped during the last Ice Age.