{
  "id": 13170932,
  "title": "Germany transforms former coal mines into Europe's largest lake landscape",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/germany-transforms-former-coal-mines-into-europes-largest-lake",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T15:05:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hacker News",
    "slug": "hacker-news",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/04/14/almost-like-lake-como-germany-transforms-former-coal-mines-into-europes-largest-lake-lands"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Germany is in the process of converting former coal mines into Europe's largest lake landscape, a project that will reach completion in April. The Lusatian Lakeland, spanning 14,000 hectares, includes Lake Sedlitz, the final addition to the complex. This massive undertaking has created a water landscape almost as large as Italy's Lake Como. The Lusatian Lakeland is composed of 23 human-made lakes, with 10 planned to be connected by canals for leisure boating, covering a navigable area of 7,000 hectares. The Lausitz and Central-German Mining Administration Company (LMBV) is responsible for the rehabilitation and flooding of former open-cast mines. The project has cost around €7 billion so far, with an estimated €4.8 billion needed over the next 25 years. When completed, the Lusatian Lakeland will be almost as large as Italy's Lake Como, and will serve not only as a tourist destination but also as a water reservoir for the rivers Spree and Schwarze Elster during periods of low water.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hacker News Best",
        "title": "Germany transforms former coal mines into Europe's largest lake landscape",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/germany-transforms-former-coal-mines-into-europes-largest-lake-13481025",
        "published": "2026-10-09T15:05:24.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}