From the "Florence on the Elbe" Dresden to the Hanseatic metropolis of Hamburg.
Cycling vacation along the Elbe river
Picturesque nature, idyllic Elbe meadows, diverse flora and fauna. Experience the majestic Elbe river on pleasant cycle paths, quiet roads, peaceful country lanes and now and then a little cobblestone. During this cycling holiday, you will explore magnificent, historically and culturally significant cities such as Dresden, the Florence on the Elbe, Meissen, Dessau and of course the Hanseatic city of Hamburg.
Popular Elbe Cycle Route
Along the Elbe's cool strand, you'll ride along one of Germany's most popular bike paths, a well-maintained and signposted route with many cyclist-friendly amenities and varied scenery. From the Czech Krkonoše Mountains, where the Elbe rises, to its mouth at the North Sea, it's 1,270 kilometers of cycling.
Diverse highlights
Along the imposing river lie cities such as Prague, the city of a hundred towers with the Hradschin castle district and the Charles Bridge, which is well worth seeing and is home to 30 statues of saints from the Baroque period. Next is Dresden, the Florence on the Elbe, with the Church of Our Lady and the Residence Palace in Renaissance style. In Magdeburg, the cathedral of St. Mauritius and St. Katharina and the art museum are worth seeing. In Hamburg you will be fascinated by Speicherstadt, the largest ensemble of warehouses in the world. They all put cultural highlights on the Elbe with their galleries and world-famous museums. But you will also make surprising discoveries in the smaller towns: Curious gems like the Tower Clock Museum in Seehausen, Blue Light Museum in Beusen, Liar Museum in Radebeul or the First German Tile Museum in Boitzenburg are waiting for your visit. The banks of the Elbe are rich in cultural treasures.
Cultural scene
In the famous cities along the Elbe Cycle Route there is a real wealth of cultural offerings: In Prague, visit a concert in the Smetana Concert Hall of the beautiful Art Nouveau building Obecní Dům or the National Theater, in Dresden the famous Semper Opera, the Theater Magdeburg or in Hamburg the Elbphilharmonie, which is worth seeing for its architecture alone.
Eating the Elbe
On the slopes of the Elbe excellent wines are grown, which should be tasted, but in Saxony it is also about "a Schälchen Heeßen", coffee is meant. With it, of course, one eats cake or the famous Eierschecke. Further north is kale country. For example, people eat Pinkel, a smoked, coarse-grained Grützwurst, with it. Approaching the North Sea, we can try smelt, a fish that comes from the sea but is caught in the fresh water of the Elbe. And finally there are matjes and North Sea crabs!
Natural paradise with elves
Along the natural river you first cycle past glacial valleys, mountain breakthroughs and rocky landscapes. The Saxon and Bohemian Switzerland National Park offers bizarre rocky landscapes and gorges. The route heads north through protected areas in the Elbe valley floodplains and adjacent forests. Finally, in the Elbe UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, you can get information about the Elbe in visitor centers and on guided tours. The Elbe now widens, its banks are lined with wide floodplains and marshes with rich flora and fauna such as otters, sea eagles and beavers, until it finally meets the Wadden Sea and the North Sea. By the way, elves "scurry" through the whitish mist on the river to this day. Perhaps you will discover one?
