Magdeburg – Adventure with a view of the Elbe

Magdeburg is 1,200 years of European history. Magdeburg is green. Magdeburg is the Elbe. Saxony-Anhalt’s cultural and state capital stands for unique time-outs with a view of the river. Campers will find a place here directly on the banks of the Elbe with a view of Germany’s first Gothic cathedral. Modern rooms await hotel guests behind medieval walls.

Old and new merge in Magdeburg to create a unique cityscape. In the midst of historic fortifications rises the most modern architecture. The magnificent Magdeburg Cathedral, the Green Citadel – all in pink – by Friedensreich Hundertwasser and 1,000-year-old monastery walls filled with contemporary art are lined up here. Anyone who visits Magdeburg embarks on a journey through time. Where Otto the Great once built his favourite palace, visitors can now expect a modern cultural metropolis.

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A look into the Middle Ages

The towers of Magdeburg Cathedral tower above everything. The first German Emperor Otto the Great founded a new archbishopric in Magdeburg and had a magnificent cathedral built. Around the cathedral, archaeologists have discovered spectacular evidence of this time. These unique finds can be seen in the new Ottonianum Cathedral Museum. If you want to know how a real love story took place in the Middle Ages – namely that of Emperor Otto and his wife Editha – this is the right place for you.

Magdeburg’s most important sights meander along the Elbe. On the riverbank rises an impressive silhouette of fortress walls, modern architecture and church spires. One of the most beautiful views of it is at dusk from the lift bridge. The former railway bridge is one of the largest and oldest in Germany.

Unique: In the darkness, the red and blue glowing lettering of the artist Maurizio Nannucci shines on the defining building of the Magdeburg skyline. In the direction of the source of the Elbe, the motto is: From so far to here.” And in the direction of the mouth of the Elbe: “From here much further.”

Green, greener, Magdeburg

The Elbe Cycle Path leads through Magdeburg for 21 kilometres, Image: Magdeburg Marketing, Dominik Ketz

Today, only pedestrians and cyclists cross the historic building. The lift bridge offers the perfect connection between the city centre and the Rotehorn city park. The largest park in the city stretches out on a 200-hectare Elbe island. Here, the Adolf-Mittag-See invites you to take a boat trip and the large playgrounds with skater track to romp around. Beer garden and beach bar provide a delicious break.

Numerous impressive parks meander along the Elbe in Magdeburg. The state capital of Saxony-Anhalt is one of the greenest cities in Germany. The green landscapes are excellently connected via the Elbe Cycle Path. The well-developed cycle route runs through the entire city for 21 kilometres.

In addition to the historic Herrenkrugpark, the Klosterbergegarten is one of the green highlights. Here, visitors should definitely plan a detour to the greenhouses and the Gesellschaftshaus. In the stately concert halls, performances are regularly performed here in honour of the Magdeburg composer Georg Philipp Telemann – one of the most important Baroque musicians of his time.

Off to adventure

Lantern and light tour Magdeburg — Lantern and light tour for children, Image: Magdeburg Marketing, Andreas Lander

The most adventurous is in the Elbauenpark Magdeburg. The Millennium Tower towers above the almost 100-hectare amusement park. At 60 meters, the wooden tower is the tallest structure of its kind. In the tower, the secrets of 6,000 years of human history are revealed, and the exhibition invites you to touch and try things out. From the highest level there is a spectacular view. It gets even more exciting when Magdeburg visitors race down from here on the giant ElbauenZip zip line.

If you dare, you’ll end up at the climbing park. Here it can continue action-packed. And that’s not all: In the immediate vicinity, the 18-metre-high slide tower awaits brave visitors. Meanwhile, slide and adventure golf games await guests at Magdeburg Zoo. Between more than 1,000 animals, exciting insights are guaranteed. Unique in Germany: Children up to 15 years of age have free admission here.

It quickly becomes clear that there is a large selection of adventures in Magdeburg. Whether it’s a Segway excursion on park paths or a stand-up paddle tour on the arms of the Elbe: In the sports city, famous for its handball players from SC Magdeburg and the footballers of 1.

Discover new shores

A tip for all those who don’t want to paddle down the Elbe themselves: Simply change to a passenger ship of the White Fleet! If the water level is right, the ships depart daily from the Petriförder jetty. From a short city tour to a four-hour exploration trip, the captains have the right route for everyone in their program.

A very special destination is the boat trip to the waterway crossing. The Mittelland Canal flows through Europe’s largest steel structure here. In the midst of ancient floodplain forests, mighty locks and lifts were built so that the most important North German waterways can cross. The Mittelland Canal flows through the world’s longest trough bridge over the Elbe.

From the water, you can marvel at Magdeburg’s development from a mechanical engineering city to a modern metropolis. Where factory buildings and transshipment points for rail and water once lined the shore, modern districts are now being built. In the Elbbahnhof boarding station, restaurants and cafés invite you to linger. In the urban district of Buckau, artisans and designers have opened their studios. Innovative companies and research institutions are settling in the Science Port between historic cranes.

Technical masterpieces

Magdeburg has always stood for technical innovations. The best example is Otto von Guericke, one of the city’s most famous sons and a scientist. With his world-famous hemisphere experiment, he proved the existence of vacuum and the power of air pressure.

If you want to learn much more exciting background information about Magdeburg, you should not miss a city tour in the big red double-decker bus. From April to October, up to four times a day, a one-hour round trip with the best view leads through the historic cathedral district, along the green banks of the Elbe to the Elbauenpark with the extraordinary millennium tower. Via audio guide, you can learn all kinds of surprising anecdotes from 1,200 years of Magdeburg. There is even an extra Magdeburg radio play for all young passengers.

Fun for the whole family is also guaranteed on the various costume tours or a tour with the night watchman. Visitors get to know the most exciting corners of the city in a completely new way, suddenly Emperor Otto the Great or physicist Otto von Guericke himself are at their side.

Sparkling world of lights

Magdeburg World of Lights — The World of Lights, Image: Magdeburg Marketing, Andreas Lander

Magdeburg is a unique destination in many respects. Here is a very special tip: Throughout the winter, the city is transformed into an extraordinary sea of lights. More than 1.2 million lights and hundreds of kilometers of fairy lights immerse the city in a winter wonderland. Larger-than-life light sculptures line the streets and squares. The Magdeburg Virgin glitters on her city gate, the Magdeburg Horseman sits enthroned on his golden shining horse and fountains are entwined with light steles.

Visitors will find the highlight on the cathedral square: Here, eight horses, formed from fairy lights, gallop across the square and show Otto von Guericke’s hemisphere experiment. All around, picture frames shine and walk-in Christmas tree baubles provide incomparable souvenir photos. Good to know: Always about the opening of the Magdeburg Christmas Market (Monday before the 1st Advent) until 2 February, the World of Lights is freely accessible.