neuseenMAN Triathlon

Sport on an industrial myth

Ferropolis is one of Europe's most unusual industrial monuments. On the peninsula in the Gremminer See, a former lignite open-cast mine in the Wittenberg district, five large-scale mining machines stand like urban giants: excavators, spreaders, and conveyor bridges that worked in open-cast mining for decades and are now preserved as industrial heritage monuments. Since the 2000s, Ferropolis has been a concert and festival site – and for several years now, also a sports venue hosting two of the most innovative triathlons in Central Germany.

The neuseenMAN is the larger of the two events. Around 2,000 triathletes from Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavia compete over three distances on a long May weekend: Sprint, Olympic Distance, and Half Distance. The swim takes place in the Gremminer See, the bike course leads through the hilly surroundings with routes towards Lutherstadt Wittenberg and Bad Schmiedeberg, and the run is along the lake shore and across the peninsula itself – directly through the excavator area.

Three distances, one festival atmosphere

The neuseenMAN is not just a major sporting event, but a triathlon festival. Tents, a pasta restaurant, an exhibition area, and a concert area are set up on the peninsula. Admission is free for spectators – which is rare in the triathlon world and underscores the festival ambition. The atmosphere benefits greatly from the setting: there are few places in Europe where sport and industrial culture merge so spectacularly.

Ferropolis, Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt

Ferropolis is located in the Wittenberg district in Saxony-Anhalt, about 15 km northeast of Lutherstadt Wittenberg. The "City of Iron" is part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage as an industrial monument and is one of the most unusual experience sites in Saxony-Anhalt. Visitors to the triathlon often combine it with a day trip to Wittenberg.