Santa Barbara auf dem Senftenberger See

About the location

The Senftenberger See was formed by flooding the abandoned Niemtsch open-pit mine, where from 1941 to 1966 approximately 120 million tons of lignite coal were extracted. There have been passenger ships on the lake since 1973. The first, the »Nixe«, was later joined by »Neptun«, »Delfin«, »Bärbel«, »Aktivist«, and others. In 1991, readers of the »Lausitzer Rundschau« newspaper took part in re-naming »Nixe’s« youngest sister: the winning proposal was »Santa Barbara«. One shouldn’t mention the age of a mature lady, but it is safe to say that Barbara has seen quite a lot in her day. After several restorations, the historic passenger ship glides over the waves with 140 horsepower. Below deck are two salons; the 40 seats on the upper deck offer spectacular views. Passengers can enjoy regional specialties and snacks onboard. Since 2014, the M. Löwa shipping line, a family-owned business whose headquarters are on the south side of the lake, has carried on the tradition of the Rolf Bothen Line, which operated the Santa Barbara for twenty years.