Spree

 

(shprā) , river, c.250 mi (400 km) long, rising in the Lausitz Mts., E Central Germany, near the Czech Republic border. It flows N past Cottbus, then NW through the Spree Forest, and from there it meanders east, north, and west before passing through Berlin to join the Havel River at Spandau. Navigable for c.110 mi (180 km), it is connected with the Oder River by the Oder-Spree Canal and with the Havel River by the Teltow Canal, which bypasses Berlin. The Spree Forest (Ger. Spreewald) in E central Germany, is a marshy region between Cottbus and Lübben, crisscrossed by small waterways that are the chief traffic lanes connecting the region's villages. Its population consists almost entirely of Slavic-speaking Wends, whose isolation has enabled them to keep their colorful traditions and local customs through the centuries. Eel fishing is among the chief economic activities there.

Spree
The Spree in Berlin's eastern harbour.
Origin	Upper Lusatia
Mouth	Havel
Basin countries	Germany
Length	±400 km
Avg. discharge	36 m³/s
Basin area	10,105 km²

The Spree (Sorbian Sprowja/Sprewja) is a river in Saxony, Brandenburg and Berlin, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Havel river and is approximately 400 kilometres in length.

Its source is located in the Lusatian Hills (Lausitzer Bergland) on the Czech border. Further north the river enters the Spreewald, a large wetlands area, that is identical with the settlement areas of the Sorbs. In its final portion the river runs through the city centre of Berlin to join the River Havel in the western quarters of Berlin.

Residents and tourists commonly attend events at Badeschiff, a pool placed within the Spree.

Towns on the river's course include: Bautzen, Spremberg, Cottbus, Lübbenau, Lübben, Fürstenwalde and Berlin.

The river gave its name to several German districts:

• Spree-Neiße
• Oder-Spree

Views of the Spree in central Berlin

Showing the Palace of the Republic and the Berliner Dom	Near Museum Island
	River Spree in Berlin-Treptow, downstream view	From the roof of the Reichstag	Map of Germany, highlighting Spree

External links

• Panorama Spree - Panoramic view of the river in Berlin

Coordinates: 52°31′10″N, 13°21′48″E

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