Lausitzer Findlingspark Nochten Launches 2026 Season with Light Art Event

The Lausitzer Findlingspark Nochten near Weißwasser in Saxony opened its 2026 season on March 14 with a light art event titled "Frühlingsleuchten" (Spring Glow), featuring installations by artist Jörn Hanitzsch. The event runs through March 29, 2026, transforming the park into an illuminated landscape across 16 evenings. Light sculptures and color installations are combined with the blooming of early spring flowers, offering visitors a view of the park from what organizers describe as a magical perspective. Tickets are available online, priced at 10 euros for adults and 4 euros for children.

The park spans 20 hectares and incorporates approximately 7,000 boulders collected from the surrounding regional mining industry, which serve as central design elements throughout the grounds. Located southwest of Weißwasser in the Oberlausitz region, the site was developed between 2000 and 2003 on land recultivated after open-cast lignite mining operations. The "Frühlingsleuchten" event marks the start of the park's annual season, using the contrast between the often grey March landscape and the artificial light to highlight the first signs of spring. Visitors can explore the park both during daytime hours and in the evenings when the illuminations are active.

The Findlingspark Nochten was established in the early 2000s as part of the broader recultivation of land affected by lignite extraction in the Lusatia region. The park takes its name from the German word "Findlinge," meaning erratic boulders — large stones displaced by glacial activity and later recovered during mining operations. The site was developed between 2000 and 2003 and has since become a regional attraction in Upper Lusatia, drawing visitors to its combination of natural landscape and geological heritage.

The event runs from March 14 at 10:00 to March 29 at 22:00, according to the park's official event listing. The combination of light art and early spring blooms is designed to offer both daytime and evening programming, making the event accessible to families and photography enthusiasts. The park's use of the boulder landscape as a backdrop for Hanitzsch's sculptures gives the installations a distinctive character tied to the site's industrial and geological history.