The Central Elbe Vacation Region opens up around Magdeburg - a landscape full of transitions.
Between city and river, riverside forest and country lanes, technical history and monastery courtyards lies a region that invites you to linger, think and go further. The Elbe cycle path runs right through it. Old walls line its course - churches, weirs, monasteries. In between are wet meadows, riverside paths and small towns with history.
First mentioned in records in 805, Magdeburg is now the urban center of the region and the largest city in Saxony-Anhalt.
The Romanesque monastery was built from 1144 – one of the first large brick buildings in northern Germany. Today, it is a place of culture, encounters, and history.
One of the oldest floodplain landscapes in Central Europe—with oxbow lakes, floodplain forests, rare species, and ranger trails between Barby and Dessau.
Magdeburg is a focal point, a place to move around and, thanks to its central location, an ideal starting point for excursions to the Middle Elbe vacation region. The cathedral - the oldest Gothic cathedral in Germany - dominates the cityscape and tells of the Ottonian era. 20 kilometers away is the waterway junction where the Elbe and the canal meet - at lofty heights and with technical precision. In between: parks, museums and modern architecture. Magdeburg combines history with the present - right on the river.
South of Magdeburg, directly on the Elbe cycle path, lies the Pretzien weir - a masterpiece of historical hydraulic engineering. Built at the end of the 19th century, it was considered the largest weir in Europe and has reliably protected the region from flooding for over 140 years. To this day, the elaborately constructed weir functions according to its historical principle - a quiet engineering achievement that still has an effect today. The Pretzien weir served as a model for similar structures throughout Europe. In 2015, it was recognized by the Federal Chamber of Engineers as a historical landmark of engineering in Germany. It stands not only for technical sophistication, but also for the interplay between man, river and responsibility.
Baroque meets countryside - in Hundisburg near Haldensleben. The castle, gardens, orangery and library invite visitors to stroll, marvel and learn. The interiors tell of courtly life, the park of the will to design on a large scale. The House of the Forest completes the ensemble - as a modern place of learning about the forest, climate and biodiversity. The castle café offers regional cuisine, cakes and conversation with a view of the greenery. Exhibitions, concerts and garden days bring the present and community to this historic site.
Jerichow Abbey rises on the edge of the Elbe Valley - sober, clear, Romanesque. The 12th century collegiate church is one of the earliest brick buildings in northern Germany and is part of the Romanesque Route. When you enter the inner courtyard, you sense that much has remained here - set in stone, preserved in tranquillity. Today, the monastery is open - for guided tours, talks and music. Particularly popular: the Jazz in the Monastery series, which fills the old walls with new sounds.
The reconstructed ring sanctuary of Pömmelte is located near Schönebeck - a place that is both an archaeological monument and an open space for the imagination. Rituals took place here over 4,000 years ago, recorded in circular shapes, earthen ditches and wooden posts. Information boards, guided tours and a barrier-free circular route make history accessible - in the middle of a landscape that has changed again and again since then.
Aschersleben is the oldest documented town in Saxony-Anhalt - and has a modern face. The old town with its town wall, market square and well-tended green spaces tells of its long history. The Neo Rauch Graphic Foundation brings the present into play. The zoo in the Alte Burg recreation area is a popular destination for families. The Graue Hof, the oldest secular building, and St. Stephen's Church also characterize the cityscape.
The Central Elbe Vacation Region is easy to explore - on paths that lead close to the water, through floodplains or over dykes. The Elbe cycle path runs through Magdeburg, Barby and Schönebeck. Side routes are also worthwhile, such as the Aller-Elbe cycle path or the Telegraph cycle path. Mostly flat, often with far-reaching views - and there are always places to stop in between.
It is quieter on the water. Canoe tours start in Parey, Güsen or on the Umflutkanal - ideal for day trips. River arms, locks and side canals give paddling structure. If you like, let yourself drift - with a picnic, binoculars and time.
The riverside paths in the biosphere reserve are particularly suitable for hiking. Wooden footbridges, information boards, observation towers - but also quieter paths through the Steckby-Lödderitz forest or along old dykes. If you move, you see more - even without a destination.
Culture in the Central Elbe Vacation Region follows various routes through time. The Romanesque Route runs through the region and connects stone witnesses to medieval architecture - from St. Paul's Church in Seehausen, probably the oldest village church in the Börde, to St. Pancratius in Hamersleben and Romanesque village churches in small towns. Even older are the traces in the ring sanctuary of Pömmelte: here, wooden posts, earth ditches and circular shapes tell of 4,000-year-old rituals.
The cultural treasures of the region can be easily explored from Magdeburg: Burg, the city of six towers, where medieval fortifications still characterize the cityscape today. Bernburg an der Saale with its Renaissance castle, which towers majestically over the river. The Hundisburg Brickworks Technical Monument also offers unique insights into industrial history - with a ceramics workshop, concerts and the opportunity to experience traditional brick production live.
A rainy day opens up new perspectives—and new discoveries.
You can find all information on excursion destinations, events and hosts here