World Heritage Site Spreewaldkahn and while we’re here…

Before we start a project, we always carry out preliminary research. We contact the responsible parties, present our concerns, try to raise awareness of the problem and at some point we agree on the organizational details.

But this time our irritation couldn’t have been greater, or let’s say better. Neither the municipal representatives for the disabled nor the contacts at the Grand Harbour and the shipping companies in Lübbenau wanted to understand the problem. They all claimed that there was no problem at all. Assistance dogs are allowed on board and everywhere without a muzzle.

Once Hannah had collected herself on the phone and expressed her enthusiasm, we arranged to meet on site anyway. On the one hand, we wanted to check whether there really is such a warm, natural attitude and find out what could be the reason for this. And to be honest, we also wanted to get a sense of how easy it could be everywhere in a few years’ time.

As we couldn’t estimate the distances and also wanted to visit the Lehde open-air museum, we took the active trolley with us to be on the safe side. However, the physical strain is minimal. Very short distances and plenty of places to sit.

There are indeed barrier-free access options on a barge if you register. For larger wheelchairs, please ask at the main harbor. However, any nice Spreewald captain will probably load such a light active wheelchair if you don’t turn up unannounced at the worst rush hour. You can see how it worked in the pictures: Table out, wheelchair in. “The dogs… Oh yes, put them underneath, then they can go on the bench”.

If there was anything negative about this day, it was the countless midges in windless places. Even the most relaxed assistance dog can be put to the test. So don’t forget your mosquito repellent. We even put a spray on the blankets…

Otherwise, it was as the research suggested. We were a bit pressed for time and missed the main port, so we boarded at a branch. A solution for the wheelchair was found immediately and the assistance dogs were not an issue, none at all. And then we immersed ourselves in the silence and slowness. The Spreewald barge may have lost its importance as the main means of transportation with the construction of the roads, but there are still places that can only be reached by barge. And during the ice-free period, mail is delivered by barge in the Lehde delivery district.

The destination of our boat trip was the Lehde open-air museum. We had an appointment with museum director Stefan Heinz, who heads up a museum association. He was irritated that anyone would think of not allowing assistance dogs into a museum. We talk about all the concerns that we have had to dispel elsewhere. Mr. Heinz reports on his experiences, from a completely different perspective. At the Senftenberg Museum, all dogs are allowed on a lead. He had decided to trust the visitors that nobody would want to harm the museum. After many years, his experiences have been very positive, with one or two minor exceptions. Thank you, Mr. Heinz!

The fact that you can really go into every house in the Lehde open-air museum with an assistance dog (and we are talking about very old houses with lots of exhibits in the room) is certainly no surprise to anyone, and we were really welcome visitors. Guide dog owners should have an assistant at their side. Some of the houses have very low entrances and steps. The guide dog cannot possibly indicate both at the same time.

It was a day full of naturalness. That relaxed us. For the first time, we realized how it feels not to have to expect to be refused entry at any time. There was no magic concept that all the people and those responsible had in common. Rather, it was the clarity with which they lived: “If you need an assistance dog, it comes with you.” As a parting gift, we were each given a Spreewald cucumber for the Christmas tree. We will take care not to break it, because it will bring back memories of a day that was hopefully a small glimpse into a different future,

Thanks to all the people, to Mr. Heinz, to Ms. Fürll and to Aktion Mensch. We can recommend a Spreewald boat trip with an assistance dog without reservation.