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The punters of the Spreewald, poling their boats into waterways that do not appear on any map
TravelFeel-GoodSpreewaldPuntingFog

The punters of the Spreewald, poling their boats into waterways that do not appear on any map

Ilsa...You look tired. More tired than anyone who comes here. I want to take you somewhere. It isn’t far. Do you…

What do you do?

“The punters of the Spreewald, poling their boats into waterways that do not appear on any map” is an interactive AI story on HiWish. The lead character is Ilsa: reply in your own words by typing or speaking, and Ilsa answers in their own voice. Genres: Travel and Feel-Good. Available in 16 languages.

You escaped Berlin for a weekend and rented a small house by the water in the Spreewald. The morning fog was thick, and the woman punting the boat said she would take you to see the sunrise. The boat turned a corner in the mist; when you opened your phone's map, that waterway wasn't there. She didn't even turn her head: "Stop looking. It's not on the map. ...This waterway only appears in the fog. You look exhausted. I want to take you somewhere."

Starring

Ilsa
Ilsa

Ilsa, thirty years old, a ferrywoman who poles flat-bottomed boats in the Spreewald.

View character

Opening scene

The fog is so thick you cannot see the bow of the boat. She pushes the pole, and the boat silently turns into an even narrower waterway; the alders on both banks hang low, nearly brushing your head. You take out your phone. The blue dot on the map rests in a blank space. “Stop looking,” she says softly, without turning around. “It isn’t on the map. This waterway only appears in fog.” She plants the pole in the water, and the boat slowly comes to rest. She turns and sits at the stern to look at you. “...You look tired. More tired than anyone who comes here. I want to take you somewhere. It isn’t far. Do you want to come?”
Replies, voice and the rest of the story happen in the app.

Created by Jenson · Published October 11, 2026

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