Dubkov Mill in the 2026 season
Located on the Spree and belonging to Leipe, the restaurant has been an ideal resting place for water hikers, barge tourists and cyclists for well over 100 years. Every season, the Konzack family faces new challenges.
Evening idyll on the Spree: the Dubkow Mill
During the day, the restaurant in the middle of the Spreewald is frequented by numerous cyclists, canoeists, barge tourists and hikers.
Joint staff break at the fish box: front from left Christiane Schwarz (Butzen), Esther Preller (Kenya), Manikya Srikar Nethala (India), behind Kevin Möder (Lübben), at the back Christina Krautz (Cottbus), Christian Falke (Cottbus) and Ilona Konzack.
Ilona Konzack is the manager of the centuries-old Dubkow-Mühle restaurant. The history of the inn and former watermill, which was founded in 1737, is inextricably linked to the Konzack family, which has been around for generations. “And that is exactly what I aspire to: I see it as my duty to continue the Konzack legacy with pride and dignity, through all the turmoil of the times, as there has always been and always will be,” says the innkeeper.
There is a lot of confusion and problems at the moment, as she explains in the interview. It is noticeable that, despite some despair, she always sees solutions. “If only they would let us do it, we have ideas and certainly the strength, but sometimes it seems as if the authorities slow us down wherever possible!”
Ilona Konzack doesn’t have to think long: “The core business is catering for guests in the restaurant and in our apartments, it’s a seasonal business in which we have to earn the money for twelve in seven months. Perhaps not everyone understands that, but we have to face up to it – both in the past and today.” In this context, the restaurateur mentions the staffing of the fragile business: illnesses undermine the tightly knit work schedule, and vacations are out of the question anyway.
Ilona Konzack is a doer, she is committed to her staff – and her employees feel that. They see and experience how difficult it is for their boss to find staff. They are then also more willing to accept overtime. Ilona Konzack would currently like to add a second chef to the sole chef, Christian Falke from Cottbus. “I just can’t find anyone – and I’m not allowed to hire the one I have found,” says Ilona Konzack. “A cook from Azerbaijan, with ten years of professional experience and knowledge of German (B2), was refused a work permit because of his allegedly insufficient knowledge. He is only supposed to cook, he doesn’t even come into contact with the guests – I don’t understand that! That’s why there will have to be one or even two rest days a week this season – nobody wants to or can work for seven months in a row!”
Hustle and bustle in the kitchen: from left: Christian Falke, Manykia Srikar Nethala, Christiane Schwarz
The staff has been international for years and the innkeeper has only had good experiences. “They are hard-working, get on well with each other and are therefore an asset to the business,” she says without hesitation. There are no sensitivities, everyone helps everyone – wherever there is more work to be done. Manikya Nethala from India is studying hydraulic engineering at BTU Cottbus and has been working part-time in the kitchen at Dubkow-Mühle for three years. “My boss is a wonderful person, she fully understands my situation and supports me wherever she can. And I help where I’m needed!”
Esther Preller from Kenya is a chambermaid and has been coming to work from Cottbus every day for five years. Reliable, quiet and always friendly, she carries out her tasks “so that my boss is always happy with me,” she says in conversation. When asked how they both like it in Germany, the answer is (fortunately) disarming: “The weather isn’t nice, it’s far too cold – such a beautiful country doesn’t deserve that!”
From left: chambermaid Esther Preller (Kenya) and kitchen assistant Manikya Srikar Nethala (India)
Ilona Konzack sees a ray of hope in terms of personnel in the middle of the peak season: “From July, six students from Georgia will be coming to help out, which will take a lot of pressure off us!”
In addition to the day-to-day business, the innkeeper will continue to take care of the pending permits for a few facilitations and amenities. This includes a mobile barrel sauna on the Spree for vacation guests. What actually sounds unproblematic, however, is far from being so from the authorities’ point of view: this requires planning permission and a development plan, “which fortunately has been in the works for years and could now be on the home straight,” she cautiously formulates the current status.
However, she takes the recent two-day power cut with humor: “Thanks to my father’s foresight, our ancient emergency generator proved its worth once again: We may have used 100 liters of diesel, but we had electricity – the most our guests heard was the humming of the machine in the background. If only all our problems could be solved so easily … We want to and we can, but there are so many things we are not allowed to do. This is where politics comes in!”
There are always problems, as the boss knows from decades of experience. She takes a more sporting view, even if it does wear on her nerves. On the other hand, as a service provider, she focuses on her guests, who want to enjoy their Spreewald vacation in this idyllic place without any worries and who shouldn’t notice any of the problems in the background.
With this in mind, preparations are underway for Ascension Day and Pentecost. On these days – as it has been for centuries – the Dubkow Mill will be a popular destination, especially for locals. There will be plenty of music and delicacies.
Terrace operation
Current opening hours/rest days: https://dubkow-muehle.de/
Peter Becker, 05.05.26
