Elbe: Magdeburg – Hamburg

From Cathedral to the "Reeperbahn"

You cycle along the Elbe river towards the North. Loof forward to three different Nature Reserves, many historical cities and countless charming little villages, such as Burg and Tangermünde. Marvel about the Cathedral in Havelberg and half-timbered houses in Hitzacker. Grand finale is Hamburg with the famous „Reeperbahn“ and boat trip. This cycle tour can also be booked in the opposite direction.

1. day Magdeburg Arrival

An early arrival is worth it: Experience the Cathedral of Magdeburg, the eldest gothic building in germany and grave of Otto I, the first german Emperor. You can also visit the Green Citadel on the opposite site, Hundertwasser's design of an "oasis for humanity and for nature in a sea of rational houses".

2. day Magdeburg - Tangermünde ca. 80 km

In Hohenwarte, at the European waterway junction – a gigantic building project to connect the waterways of Hannover, Magdeburg and Berlin – you will cross the Elbe-Havel-canal. In Burg you can admire plenty of towers and Churches by strolling through the city. Milestone of this cycling day is the famous monastery of Jerichow. The Elbe river cycle path takes you further to Tangermünde. By walking through the town you discover the traces of 1000 years of history. The most impressive building is the 24 meter high town hall with its opulent decorated front created in the 15th century.

3. day Tangermünde - Havelberg ca. 50 km

Today you cycle through dreamy villages to Büttnershof. Here you can shorten the stage by taking the ferry to Sandau or you follow the longer main route to Werben. Havelberg is a village with half-timbered houses. Do not miss to visit the Romanesque cathedral.

4. day Havelberg - Wittenberge ca. 38 km

A large part of todays leg you can cycle on the dike, which offers beautiful views. Take a break in Ruehstaedt. It is known for its big stork population. Wittenberge with its Glocktower and the stone gate, the oldest buidling in the old town, can already be seen from the distance.

5. day Wittenberge - Hitzacker ca. 78 km

You cycle through „Wischedörfer“ which emenate a similar flair like villages at the North sea. Now and then you will even meet storks. In Schnackenburg you can visit the „Grenzlandmuseum“. Your goal today is Hitzacker, on of the most attractive towns along the „German half-timbered raoad“.

6. day Hitzacker - Lauenburg ca. 55 km

You will pass through an unique landscape called "Wendland" which is characterized by a special form of settlement – the round villages. Lauenburg is an old skipper's town with a lot of beautiful restored half-timbered houses from the 16th and 17th century. The unique „Elbschifffahrtsmuseum“ is worth a visit.

7. day Lauenburg - Hamburg ca. 55 km

The last stage leads to the hanseatic city of Hamburg. Most of the time you will cycle along the Elbe riverbanks. Before reaching the metropole you will cycle through a unique inland dunes landscape. You can see Hamburg already from far away. Don' t miss the opportunity to take part in a roundtrip by boat.

8. day Hamburg Departure

After breakfast individual departure. We recommend to extend your stay in this fascinating Metropole.

Worth knowing for your Elbe bike tour

Below you will find specific information about the Elbe Cycle Path cycle tour from Magdeburg to Hamburg. If you have any further questions about this trip, simply give us a call: Tel.: 06421 - 886890.

Arrival by train

Magdeburg can be reached by train from all major cities in Germany. Current timetable information and price information can be found at www.bahn.de

Bahnauskunft

Parking facilities at the start hotel

Parking fees vary depending on the hotel booked: The price is around €12.00 per day.

Condition of the bike paths

Mainly independent cycle paths, asphalted or paved mineral surfaces (approx. 80%), partly towpaths (especially in Saxony-Anhalt), partly quiet side streets, rarely cycle paths alongside roads or main roads.

Available rental bikes

Comfortable touring bikes with 7-speed hub gears and back pedal or 21-speed derailleur gears without back pedal as well as suspension forks and saddle suspension. You will also receive a waterproof luggage bag and a lock. The electric bikes have no back pedal. A few electric bikes with back pedals are available on request.

7 day hotline service

If the bicycle chain has broken, flooding makes it impossible to continue your journey or other nasty surprises await you: we are available for you 7 days a week and will organize help as quickly as possible.

Extra costs which are not included in the tour price

Any city tax that may be incurred is not part of the tour price and is therefore payable locally at the hotel.

Passport and visa requirements, health regulations

For EU citizens, there are no special passport or visa requirements and no health formalities to be considered for this trip.

Corona travel information:
Before booking your trip, please inform yourself about the measures in place to contain the Corona pandemic.

Information on current decisions of the German Federal Government can be found here:
https://www.bundesregierung.de/corona-these-rules-and-restrictions-apply

Current information on entry requirements to Germany can be found here:
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/coronavirus

You can also find more information on our website at:
Corona virus and holiday planning

Travel insurance

The tour price already includes the statutory insolvency insurance. In addition, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance upon receipt of your travel confirmation in order to protect yourself against financial disadvantages in the event of travel cancellation, interruption of travel, illness or accident.

Magdeburg Cathedral

The Magdeburg Cathedral is the first Gothic cathedral building on German soil and one of the largest church buildings in Germany.

Magdeburger Dom

Fish market

Every Sunday, the traditional Hamburg fish market attracts numerous visitors from Germany and abroad. True to the motto: There's nothing you can't get at the fish market!

Fischmarkt

Kunsthalle

The Hamburger Kunsthalle am Glockengiesserwall is the largest art museum in Germany. The building in the style of the Italian Renaissance from 1869 was supplemented by additional post-modern buildings.

Kunsthalle

Landungsbrücken Hamburg

Hamburg's gateway to the world, the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken with its level tower, the neighboring old Elbe tunnel and the terminal building, which has been a listed building since 2003, are a tourist magnet today and offer a central transport hub for buses, underground and S-Bahn, as well as ferry, tour and HADAG ships.

Landungsbrücken Hamburg

Elbschifffahrtsmuseum Lauenburg

Exhibition on the development of Elbe navigation from dugouts to tankers. Special feature: Working steam engines can be admired in the machine cellar.

Elbschifffahrtsmuseum Lauenburg

Old toll house Hitzacker

In the middle of Hitzacker's town island is the customs house from 1589, one of the oldest secular buildings in Wendland. This is where the customs officer once administered the lucrative Elbe toll. Today there is a museum on the history of the city in the customs house.

Altes Zollhaus Hitzacker

Settlement Eigene Scholle Wittenberge

In 1912, the Gropius construction office was commissioned to take over the project management and construction management of a planned settlement in the north of Wittenberg. The basic construction of the settlement houses was to create a home and soil for everyone. The Wittenberg settlement "Eigene Scholle" was to include 44 lots. These were intended for the employees of the Singer sewing machine factory, which was developing here, and the railway repair workshops (later the Reichsbahn repair shop).

Siedlung Eigene Scholle Wittenberge

The Steintor Wittenberge

The city gate is the oldest building and most important landmark of Wittenberg's old town. It was probably built as a medieval gate in the middle of the 13th century, at that time still as a wooden construction in the upper part.

Das Steintor Wittenberge

Havel-Winkel

Due to its importance as a breeding, resting and wintering area for waders and waterfowl, the Elbe-Havel-Winkel has extensive protection status. In 1978, for example, the approximately 5,800-hectare foreland on both sides of the Havel between Hohennauen and Havelberg in today's states of Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg was designated as a wetland of international importance (RAMSAR area) "Lower Havel" on the basis of the UNESCO Convention.

Havel-Winkel

Town Hall Tangermünde

The east wing of the town hall with its magnificent 24 m high display wall was built around 1430. About 50 years later, the transverse structure with the court arbor was added. This building illustrates the former prosperity of the city's citizens.

Rathaus Tangermünde

The green citadel

One of the last architectural works by the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser clearly joins the ensemble of baroque facades and modern design on Breite Weg.

Die grüne Zitadelle

Jungfernstieg

The Jungfernstieg is a world-famous promenade on the edge of the Inner Alster. Elegant house facades, exquisite shops and the Alster piers flank Germany's first asphalted street.

Jungfernstieg