Between the Elbe and the heath lies a region that lets you breathe. The Altmark is one of the oldest cultural landscapes in Germany - and also one of the quietest. Anyone who travels here quickly realizes: the view stretches further, the pace slows down, the paths tell more stories. Half-timbered towns with old town gates, Romanesque churches, avenues that lead onwards. Two biosphere reserves characterize the natural landscape, cycle paths connect town and country. In the north of Saxony-Anhalt, in the middle of the Berlin-Hanover-Hamburg triangle, a region and a landscape unfolds that leaves room for deceleration, enjoyment and history, for movement, encounters and thoughts.
The Altmark in figures
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Hanseatic Cities
between half-timbered houses, views of the Elbe, and Hanseatic self-confidence
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Biomes
between water and meadows: the Drömling and Middle Elbe biosphere reserves
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kms
Cycle path on the Altmark circular route through history and landscape
6 Highlights in the Altmark
Hanseatic town of Tangermünde
Middle Ages, view of the Elbe, way of life
Tangermünde is where past and present meet. The medieval town wall frames an old town center that has remained alive. Brick Gothic, half-timbered houses and the view over the Elbe create an image that remains. Cafés invite you to linger, the harbor to look around. If you walk through the alleyways, you will discover traces of emperors, merchants and craftsmen.
UNESCO Drömling Biosphere Reserve
Moor, water, vastness
The Drömling in the north of the Altmark is a quiet piece of land. A moorland landscape, drained and renaturalized. Criss-crossed by a network of ditches, canals and meadows. If you are out and about by bike or on foot, you will see herons soaring, hear frogs in the grass and sometimes hardly meet a soul.
Churches & Monasteries
Places for silence and wonder
There are over 500 churches in the Altmark - Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque. Many open their doors to visitors. Particularly impressive: the village church in Schernebeck, the fieldstone church in Krusemark or the Romanesque church in Zethlingen. The ten signposted church routes combine architecture, history and landscape. Monasteries such as the Benedictine convent in Arendsee also invite you to pause for a moment.
UNESCO Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve
A changing landscape
The Elbe characterizes the south-east of the Altmark - with alluvial forests, oxbow lakes and flood embankments. The Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve shows how dynamics and protection go hand in hand. Observation towers open up the view, small paths lead through quiet woodland and past sandbanks.
Parks & Gardens
Grown, cared for, accessible
The Altmark region is home to estate parks with old trees, garden ensembles with stories to tell, small paradises behind the remains of walls. Particularly impressive: the Krumke Landscape Park with its old trees, winding paths and lines of sight to the orangery. Many of them are open to the public or part of the "Open Gardens" campaign. Anyone who enjoys walking through mature gardens or is interested in historical garden culture will find plenty to discover here - and space to stay.
Hanseatic city of Salzwedel
Town of the Baumkuchen
If you explore the Hanseatic town of Salzwedel, you will discover a small town center with old half-timbered houses, typical brick buildings and small canals that meander through the alleyways. Influenced by the Hanseatic period from the 13th century onwards, the town has a special charm - nice cafés invite you to try the famous Baumkuchen, a specialty made from several layers of dough. If you're looking for a special day out with the family, the fairytale park and scented garden just outside the city is the perfect place for you.
The Hanseatic towns of the Altmark - pride, stone and stories
They still bear it in their names today: Eight towns in the Altmark once belonged to the powerful Hanseatic League. And even though merchants and cogs are long gone, the pride of these towns has remained. It can be seen in the façades and streets, in the markets and town halls, in the brickwork and views.
In Tangermünde, medieval town walls meet views of the Elbe. In Stendal, the cathedral dominates, flanked by brick Gothic and modern life. Salzwedel combines Hanseatic flair with sweet craftsmanship - and not just with Baumkuchen. And Havelberg, the cathedral and island town, lives between the Havel beach, baroque organ music and a breath of fresh air. The small Hanseatic towns of Werben, Gardelegen, Seehausen and Osterburg also tell - quietly but impressively - of the time when the Altmark was a trading region.
Experience nature - active travel in the Altmark
In the Altmark, movement does not come from speed, but from walking and cycling itself. If you are out and about, you will encounter a landscape that is open - for breaks, views and detours.
Cyclists follow the Altmark circuit - around 500 kilometers through Hanseatic towns, fields and small villages. The route is flat, well signposted and can be cycled in stages. Sections of the Elbe Cycle Path also run through the region: along the dykes, through peaceful meadows, past places such as Arneburg or Werben. The Havel Cycle Path connects the Altmark with Brandenburg and provides a good link to the Elbe. If you like it particularly quiet, follow the Milde-Biese-Aland tour - an insider tip for cyclists looking for river scenery, half-timbered houses and wide open spaces.
On foot, nature and history are revealed on quieter paths. For example, on the Altmark hiking nests - selected hiking trails that keep their promises: natural paths, clear markings, varied landscape. Between 3 and 20 kilometers long, well signposted and ideal for anyone who wants to explore the Altmark on foot. There are also smaller themed routes: the bulrush trail in Kunrau, the wild boar tour near Klötze or the fox trail near Storkau. Tangible and moving: the Green Belt - the former inner-German border strip, today a natural corridor with special biodiversity and history, which can also be hiked in the Altmark.
Riding between heath and village church
If you ride in the Altmark, you will find plenty of space. Sandy paths lead through sparse pine forests, across wide meadows, past field edges, floodplains and village churches. The region is considered to be particularly horse-friendly - not only because of the landscape, but also because of the people who welcome riders and horses here.
Around 40 riding stables offer everything you need for a riding vacation: from riding lessons for beginners to guided day or multi-day tours, from carriage rides with cold-blooded horses to covered wagon tours along the Elbe. Children can learn to ride, vault, look after animals or simply be outdoors during their vacation.
If you are traveling with your own horse, you will find guest accommodation with shelter, exercise area and access to the extensive network of bridle paths.
Between stage and brick - culture in the Altmark
The culture of the Altmark is not presented on big stages. It is approachable, unagitated and often surprising. In Stendal, for example, the Theater der Altmark puts classical and contemporary plays on stage. From May to September, the Altmark Festival fills manor houses, churches and castle ruins with music, readings and sound installations.
In Gardelegen and Stendal, small galleries open up spaces for contemporary art, often with a regional connection. The Diesdorf open-air museum shows rural cultural history between half-timbered houses, mills and orchards. The Prignitz Museum in Havelberg Cathedral and the Winckelmann Museum in Stendal also build bridges from the region to world history.
The artists' town of Kalbe (Milde) is a special place. Here, art is not an accompanying program, but part of everyday life. A network of studios, workshops, open spaces and ideas has been created on the site of a former four-sided farm. At the summer and winter campus, exhibitions, readings and performances, people from all over Europe come together - and so does the neighborhood. Kalbe shows how art can keep rural areas alive. Installations, projects and a new view of community can be found in the urban space itself.
Excursion tips in the Altmark in fall & winter
When it rains in the Altmark
The Altmark is also a great place to explore on rainy days - especially with children. Instead of long paths, the focus is on places that have a lot to tell indoors.
- In Salzwedel, you can watch the Baumkuchen grow - layer by layer, very close to the open fire. During the week, there are daily guided tours, for example in the "First Salzwedel Baumkuchen Factory". Or in the transparent Baumkuchen bakery of the Baumkuchenmanufaktur Kruse. The café next door is a great place to warm up and sample.
- The House of Rivers in Havelberg is an information center of the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve. The exhibition combines river landscape, biodiversity and flood protection - interactive, vivid and family-friendly.
- Also worth a visit: numerous small and large museums scattered throughout the Altmark. They tell of regional history, nature, crafts or everyday life - and invite you to get to know the region from different perspectives.
- And if you want to stay outside, take a short walk: through the park in Krumke, to the monastery courtyard in Arendsee or simply to the nearest café.
Discover more Altmark!
You can find more excursion tips, hosts, events and routes here: