Magdeburg is best explored through its contrasts: the Elbe Cycle Route runs right through the city, passing parks, bridges and the cathedral. At the same time, the stories waiting to be discovered here span everything from a medieval stone sarcophagus to tropical plants under glass. This lets you combine your visit to the Elbe with a wide range of interests.
Cycling along the Elbe and through green urban landscapes
The Elbe Cycle Route runs right through Magdeburg. Its paths are well developed, mostly flat and family-friendly. Parks, bridges and the cathedral line the route and shape the views of the city. If you enjoy cycling, it offers a way to combine exercise with exploring the city. Local conditions may change; check the latest route information before setting out.
The Stadtpark Rotehorn offers a different perspective: it lies on an island in the Elbe and combines old avenues with expansive meadows. The cathedral is also visible from the park’s vistas. For a trip on the water, the Weiße Flotte offers cruises from the Elbe riverbank to the waterway junction and the surrounding area. As services and destinations may change, check the current timetable in advance.
The cathedral, Romanesque architecture and Gothic art
Magdeburg Cathedral is the first cathedral on German soil designed in the Gothic style. Inside, Emperor Otto is laid to rest in a stone sarcophagus. The Magdeburg Horseman, together with its two accompanying figures, also offers a glimpse into art history: the sculptural group is among the notable works of 13th-century European Gothic art.
Magdeburg is also the center and the starting and ending point of the northern and southern routes of the Romanesque Road. The Green Citadel provides a markedly more recent architectural accent: it was the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s final project and was completed in 2005. Together, these places invite visitors to explore different eras and artistic styles.
Museums spanning experiments and contemporary art
At the Lukasklause, the Otto von Guericke Museum’s permanent exhibition explores Otto von Guericke’s life and work. Replicas of historical devices, pictures, documents and experiments illustrate his life. The Kunstmuseum Magdeburg Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen offers a different focus: across five floors, it presents significant works by international contemporary artists.
The Museum of Natural History Magdeburg holds more than 350,000 objects from geology, mineralogy, paleontology, botany and zoology. Its permanent exhibition showcases the ecological habitats of Saxony-Anhalt—from the Börde and the Elbe with its floodplain landscapes to the Harz. Those more interested in the history of knowledge can explore the Millennium Tower, a walk-through spiral-shaped museum that traces 6,000 years of knowledge. The Gruson Greenhouses, meanwhile, are a tropical botanical garden: since 1896, visitors have been able to experience the tropics under glass.
More discoveries for a range of interests
At the Randau Stone Age Village, reconstructed houses illustrate three eras. Visitors can practise using spears, bows and arrows at the shooting range. Bread baked in the clay oven is also available to buy. At Magdeburg Zoo, the AFRICAMBO savanna landscape includes an elephant enclosure with different viewpoints for observing elephants, vervet monkeys and aardwolves. Animal enclosures and presentations may change; check the latest information before your visit.
Whether you prefer to focus on cycle paths and river landscapes, architecture, art or natural history, Magdeburg offers a range of ways to explore. Its mix of the Elbe, historic buildings, museums and green islands can be discovered according to your own interests.
Discover more destinations
Magdeburg, Beyendorf, Salzlandkreis, Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, Stendal, Harz, Dessau-RoĂźlau, Anhalt-Bitterfeld.
Return to the regional travel overview: Saxony-Anhalt.
