Not to be confused with the German name for New Zealand, H and I found a nice camping spot, the first of the season, on the peninsula of Magdeborn, an artificial wetland formed in the early 2000s when the open cast mining operations outside of the city were flooded and fed by the past two decades by tributaries to create a nature reserve and recreation area.
A score of villages and some eight thousand of residents formerly resettled in the from the 1930s through the 1950s for brown coal extraction (
see also), the floating installation called Vineta bobbed back and forth in the bay of the Stรถrmthaler See on the horizon, the the steeple looking particularly phantasmagorical with the waxing sun of early spring and the lengthening days (the time change in Europe is the last Sunday in March)—also owing to a dust storm blowing in from the Sahara that gave the sky a singular quality—and aptly as the anchored structure, venue for art exhibits and a bistro accessible by ferry, is a
monument to Magdeborn and those
deserted settlements since underwater, Stauseen.
The mining operations at Epsenhain ran from 1937 to 1996 and yielded half a billion tonnes of coal—phased out over the decades since, the last active field, which lends its name to the reservoir, will cease operations next year. There are quite a lot of trails around the lakes to hike and bike and enjoyed being outside and marveling at the reclaimed landscape.
Leipzig is visible in the distance and also the Bergbau Industrial Park that we pass on the Autobahn now a relict carved out of a massive Windpark.
synchronoptica
one year ago: assorted links to revisit plus Trump arrested and arraigned
two years ago: Iceland protests against NATO ascension (1949) plus more links to enjoy
three years ago: your daily demon: Vassago, the sixtyforgan, the Louvre announces a new public portal for its collections, an attempted assassination plus yacht rock
four years ago: an expensive telegram plus the Sgt Pepper’s album cover
five years ago: an unassuming shrub
