Lake Cospuden – The Leipzig Lake With Something for Everyone

Despite its proximity to the city centre, Lake Cospuden belongs to the Leipzig New Lake District. Its banks border the cities of Markkleeberg to the east and Zwenkau to the south. It is very easy to get to by bicycle from Leipzig. Travelling there by car is also a good option as there are plenty of places to safely park your car at the lake or close by so you can relax and enjoy your day out by the water. The following car parks are right by Lake Cospuden: Cospuden North Beach, Zöbigker Harbour (South), Zöbigker Harbour (Pier 1), Cospuden East Beach and the car park at BELANTIS (Neue Harth).

If you don't have a car or would rather leave it behind, you can get to the lake via public transport. The bus 105 will take you to BELANTIS where you can get off at the "Freizeitpark Belantis" stop, the bus 106 goes to the "Zöbigker Schmiede" stop at Zöbigker Harbour and the bus 65 stops at North Beach. You can also take a city train (S-Bahn) towards Markkleeberg and get off at the Großstädteln stop. Please note that you will still need to walk a good 2 kilometres to reach the lake from here.

Accessible access to the water can be found at the sloping jetty at the Beach View pavilion at the eastern end of the lake. Here, wheelchair users can easily roll into the water and swim from the end of the jetty.  The North Beach offers accessible changing rooms and sanitary facilities that can be accessed using a euro key. There are parking spaces close to the sloping jetty. You can find out more about the jetty in this video from the Leipzig Disability Association

Anyone who loves jumping into refreshingly clear water to cool down has come to the right place at Lake Cospuden. It has two beautiful sandy beaches that are perfect for taking some time to relax. The North Beach is Saxony's longest sandy beach by far at 1 km long and 70 m wide. The East Beach, which runs along the eastern shore of the lake, offers a sandy bathing area 100 m long and 30 m wide.

Whether you want to swim, lie in the sun, build sandcastles or just enjoy yourself, you can do all this in Leipzig without booking an expensive flight. Here, sandy beaches and water are right at your doorstep.

Tip: At the North Beach, there is an area reserved for nudist bathers. At the western end of the northern shore, you will find a dog beach near the Beach Lounge. This is a spacious, clean and quiet beach with plenty of room for your four-legged friend to run around. There is a second, smaller dog beach just south of Zöbigker Harbour. You may only take your dog to the other beaches on a lead.

Now you know about the path around the lake, it's time to get into the water and enjoy some water sports! As you would expect at a lake of this size, Cossi offers a large selection of activities for all water-lovers. The best place to go is Zöbigker Harbour, also known as Pier 1. Here, you will find various water sports shops offering everything you need for your next adventure, from general information to the hire and sale of equipment.

You can hire boats, book a diving  or sailing course or take a boat trip on the lake. Lake Cospuden is particularly popular for sailing adventures. Simply hire the equipment you need at Herold's Sailing Shop and glide into the water. And if you have always wondered if you could elegantly surf the waves like the Beach Boys, the Leipzig Surfcenter at Pier 1 offers you the opportunity to try it out. If you would love to go sailing, surfing or boating without the hassle of travelling all the way to the seaside or a coastline, just come to Cossi. It's all right here!

By the way, the Hacienda Cospuden at North Beach offers SUPs for hire . Stand-up paddleboarding is the perfect way to explore the lake at your own pace and take it easy. At North Beach, you can also book courts for beach volleyball and beach soccer pitches.

During the day, visitors are welcome to come and enjoy some cool drinks and refreshments as well as fish, coffee, cake and good music at the Biergarten am Pier 1. If you're in urgent need of a coffee break, try Café Kandler or Pressoway Coffeeshop. Café Kandler at Pier 1 also has a large terrace and is well-known for its selection of mouth-watering homemade cakes as well as its delicious coffee. You can also just order a freshly made ice cream, lean back and enjoy the stunning view across the lake and the fresh lakeside air. To get to the  Pressoway Coffeeshop, go through the entrance to the big jetty at Pier 1. The coffee shop offers iconic coffee specialities as well as croissants, doughnuts, paninis and hot dogs.

If you don't happen to be on the northern or eastern side of Cossi, then keep an eye out for the ice cream vans that trundle along the lakeside. They are ideal if you are looking for light refreshments and can often be found parked in bays where there are no other restaurants or cafes.
In case you didn't know, it is not permitted to grill at any of the Leipzig lakes. Anyone who is caught can expect to pay a hefty fine. If you love grilled food, it is wiser to go to one of the snack bars or restaurants mentioned above.

Did you know? You can combine a trip to Lake Cospuden with other activities. The BELANTIS adventure park is close by. You can see the top of some of the roller coasters from almost anywhere at Cossi. The adventure park is located at the southwestern end of the lake. We recommend you go there first and then visit the lake afterwards to wind down at the beach and recover from the excitement of the rides.
If the beach is not enough, you can take relaxation to a new level at the Sauna in the Lake. Sauna IN the lake? Yes, you read it right! Here you can sweat out all your stress and then cool down by dipping in the lake. There is a terrace where you can relax between sauna sessions with a stunning panoramic view of the lake. The sauna is at Pier 1 in the harbour and is very easy to find.
The Bistumshöhe is also not to be missed! This viewing platform offers a superb view across the entire lake. You can also see some of Leipzig's famous buildings on the horizon. It is truly stunning, especially at sunset.