Application deadline: August 16, 2026
Together, we’ll discover how a former dividing line has been transformed into a vibrant space for encounters and you’ll be right in the middle of it!
What to expect!
We’ll cycle from Zittau to Forst (Lusatia) and explore places that have made history. Along the way, we’ll turn the border region into our playground for discovery:
- Overcoming boundaries: We cross numerous bridges and experience firsthand the shift from “separation” to “encounter.”
- Understanding the context: We examine the region’s development—from the post-1945 era through flight and expulsion to accession to the Schengen Area.
- Real insights: We visit fascinating sites such as the Hirschfelde power plant, the Turów open-pit mine, St. Marienthal Abbey, and the Faltenbogen in Bad Muskau.
- Community: You’ll meet 15 other young people (8 from Germany, 8 from Poland) and get to talk to people for whom the border is part of everyday life today.
Hard-Facts
- When? September 8–12, 2026
- Start: Zittau (approx. 12:00 p.m.) | End: Forst (Lausitz) (approx. 1:00 p.m.)
- Fitness: We’ll ride a relaxed 25–35 km per day, the focus is on the shared experience, not on peak performance.
- Language: German & Polish. Don’t speak Polish? No problem, a language mediator will accompany us the entire time.
- Participation fee: Only 60–80 euros – this includes accommodation, meals, and insurance (depending on the amount of funding available)
Are you in?
We are looking for young adults who:
- are between 18 and 26 years old,
- are residents of Germany or Poland,
- own a bicycle that is roadworthy and have the appropriate equipment,
- are interested in history, politics, and international exchanges.
Application deadline: August 16, 2026
Call for tenders as a PDF: DE [↗], EN [↗], PL [↗]
35 Bridges – 35 Years of the Neighborhood Agreement
35 bridges – 5 days – 2 countries: Your German-Polish road trip! Come along on a binational cycle tour exploring German-Polish history along the Oder and Neisse rivers.
Period
09.2026
Project team
Oliwia Drozdowicz (project management)
Cooperation partners
Deutsches Kulturforum östliches Europa e.V.
, Willy Brandt Zentrum für Deutschland- und Europastudien der Universität Wrocław (WBZ)
Under the patronage of Minister-President Michael Kretschmer
We are delighted that Michael Kretschmer, Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony, has agreed to act as patron of our project ‘35 Bridges – 35 Years of the Neighborhood Agreement’. Through this, he is recognising the commitment of young people from Germany and Poland who are going on a joint trip along the Neisse River to trace the region’s history – to mark the 35th anniversary of the German-Polish Neighbourhood Agreement. This patronage highlights the importance of German-Polish exchange for the border region and for Europe.
Minister-President Kretschmer’s message on the project ‘35 Bridges – 35 Years of the Neighbourhood Agreement’
Funded by
The project is funded by the SANDDORF-STIFTUNG, Deutsch-Polnisches Jugendwerk and the Stiftung für deutsch-polnische Zusammenarbeit.
