Families encounter Saxony-Anhalt on very different paths. Some follow old traces - in castles, museums or old towns. Others seek exercise in nature, between treetops, water and paths. And many discover new things in the process: whether in the belly of a Trojan horse or high up on a viewing tower. Saxony-Anhalt is a state full of stories that families can discover together. Whether nature, technology, animals or culture: all generations will find adventures to remember here.
Children's Museums & Interactive Experiences
Winckelmann Museum Stendal
Archaeology you can touch: A Roman villa, a labyrinth, a giant wooden horse: children immerse themselves in ancient stories. They don robes, sneak through myths and meet gods at eye level. Between role-play and explorer's perspective, a museum unfolds that encourages participation. Adults discover the perspective of the explorer Johann Joachim Winckelmann and learn how antiquity has shaped our image of art and history.
Nebra Ark
The Sky Disc becomes an experience here. Multimedia stations explain why it is considered the oldest concrete representation of the sky. Children can make their own constellations, listen to stories in the planetarium and learn how Bronze Age people observed the sky. Guided tours of the discovery site bring the history of discovery to life.
Millennium Tower Magdeburg
Six floors full of experiments and models turn the tower into a huge hands-on exhibition. Water swirls, gears mesh, rays of light hit lenses. The tower invites you to explore - with your hands, eyes and curiosity. Children and adults can experience how knowledge grows here. And at the top, the view expands - over Magdeburg's Elbe floodplains - and illustrates how landscape and culture have belonged together for thousands of years.
Diesdorf Open-Air Museum
One of the oldest open-air folklore museums in Germany - and a place where children and families can experience history with all their senses. Between half-timbered houses, historic gardens and workshops, you can gain an insight into rural life in the past. Programs and hands-on activities, such as bread baking or craft days, bring the past to life and make it tangible.
Children's City Tours & Cultural Experiences
Sitting up high, feeling the wind in your face, stopping to take photos at the cathedral and the Hundertwasser House—this is what makes exploring the city exciting for children. They learn stories about Emperor Otto and medieval merchants, while adults discover the architecture and modern city life.
In Halle, children discover the city in a playful way: as Modschekiebchen, on a children's tour with lanterns, or as little detectives with a keen sense for city history. Age-appropriate tours lead to carillons, legendary figures, and hidden places. Sometimes they go with the night watchman through the old town, sometimes they solve puzzles until they find a secret place, and sometimes a singing ventriloquist's dummy guides them through Halle's old town. This turns the city into an adventure—full of stories, movement, and surprising encounters.
The cathedral becomes a theater play for children: they learn magic spells, play organ music, and wear historical costumes. This immerses them in the world of the Middle Ages, while parents experience the cathedral from an unusual, playful perspective.
Here, children become builders themselves. With hammers and chisels, they work on materials that will be used to build cathedrals. Holiday programs enhance the experience, and adults marvel at the creativity and tangible proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On a leisurely ride on the Altstadtbahn, children listen to exciting stories from the lives of Martin Luther and his companion Lucas Cranach. Adults enjoy the impressions of the historic old town with its backdrop of houses from the Reformation period.
Ranger Tours, Nature Experiences & Geocaching
Understanding nature, seeking adventure: In the Harz Mountains, rangers show how to read animal tracks, while craft stations and nature quizzes await families at the Hohnehof. Storks circle in the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve and you can observe them up close in the stork village of Rietzel. The Düben Heath invites you on a beaver tour, where mascot Billy Bockert tells you about life on the river. If you want to go on a treasure hunt, you can search for geocaches scattered throughout Saxony-Anhalt. Set caching is similar to geocaching, but is inspired by film sets and combines GPS-supported treasure hunts with puzzles, videos and augmented reality.
Amusement Parks & Action Experiences
A day at Elbauenpark feels like a mini vacation full of activity and discovery. A summer toboggan run, climbing forest, slide tower, and water features offer adventure for all ages. Children climb, marvel, and romp around, while adults enjoy the wide open spaces, views, and the sight of Magdeburg's green side. PLAYMOBIL exhibitions and play islands offer imaginative breaks. Once you've been here, you'll want to come back again and again – because the park is more than just a destination: it's a place that brings families together.
A western town that looks like a movie set – with saloons, paddocks, and campfire sites. Children throw lassos, learn how to pan for gold, or ride ponies through dusty streets. Every day there are shows with cowboys, trick riders, and historical scenes – sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, but always impressive. Adults immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Wild West and enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle between the showground and the teepee.
An entire region on a scale of 1:25 – lovingly recreated and nestled in a park with a view of the Harz panorama. Children discover castles, cities, and technical monuments in miniature, move trains, search for details, and experience history in miniature format. A tour that combines wonder and discovery.
The “City of Iron” impresses with gigantic excavators. Families climb on machines, swim in the lake, or enjoy concerts and festivals. Industrial culture and leisure merge here to create a special experience.
The Harzbob whizzes down into the valley, carousels spin, and the cable car takes you up to the Hexentanzplatz. There you will find an enchanted forest, animal enclosures, and views of the Harz foothills. An excursion full of variety.
35 fairy tale huts tell stories with figures, sound, and movement—from Cinderella to Sleeping Beauty. Among flowering herbs, small stations tell stories about plants and scents, while a large playground, trampolines, and a maze invite children to romp around—combining imagination and movement.
Animal Parks & Zoos
Whether lions at Halle Mountain Zoo, polar wolves at Petersberg Zoo, ostriches in Nedlitz or native species at Christianental Wildlife Park - families can encounter animals in natural surroundings everywhere. The slopes of the mountain zoo turn paths into adventure trails, the Petersberg scores points with guided tours for children and in Dessau, educational programs complement a visit to the zoo. In Nedlitz, children can marvel at giant eggs and feed ostriches, while in Wernigerode, picnic areas and nature trails provide variety.
Magdeburg Zoo also combines species conservation with adventure - with over 200 species, commented feedings and walk-through enclosures where animals and humans meet at eye level. At Bierer Berg near Schönebeck, children can experience a small, family zoo with a view. Goats, raccoons and ponies can be observed up close, and a landscaped park with a viewing tower and stage all around invites you to linger.
Barrier-free paths, playgrounds and seasonal programs make the parks popular destinations for every generation.
