Elbe: Dresden – Magdeburg

From Dresden to Magdeburg

The Elbe bike path promises great experiences for all cycling friends. Karl May fans get their money's worth in Radebeul. Porcelain lovers can visit the world-famous porcelain factory in Meißen. Wine lovers look forward to the Saxon wine route and eager castle visitors should definitely take a trip to Moritzburg. Look forward to the charming town of Torgau and the Lutherstadt Wittenberg. But even beside the Reformation Wittenberg has a moving history behind it. If you are interested in the sights of Wittenberg's younger history, the Piesteritzer Werkssiedlung is worth a visit. From 1916 onwards, the "Arbeitersiedlung" is the first and largest car-free housing estate in Germany. Enjoy the beautifully landscaped gardens and the peculiar architecture of these buildings.

Starting from Wittenberg, the Elblandschaft seems calm and relaxed. The Elbe leads leisurely to the north, flat and evenly, the river Elbe stretches to the right and left of the river to Magdeburg. Look forward to the idyllic Wörlitz Park with its many canals, islands and gardens. The city of Dessau is also interesting. With the settlement of the Bauhaus in 1925, the city gained world significance. The designs of the Bauhaus unified art and technology and made a breakthrough for modern industrial culture. Your beautiful cycle trip ends in the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt Magdeburg, which holds one of the most important inland ports of East Germany.

1. day Arrive in Dresden

Come to the city known as the Florence of the Elbe, Dresden, which is beautifully located along the Elbe valley. Visiting one of Europe's richest treasuries, the "Green Vault"  inside the Zwinger, the Semper Opera or the Court Church-  a tour for discovering the city on our own is a must. Enjoy the unique structur in a film screening about the Frauenkirche at the visitor center. Take your time and get to know the different sides of this beautiful city.

Arrival by train is optional/parking site at the hotel.

2. day Dresden - Meißen about 30 km

You will cycle via Radebeul, once home town of Karl May. In Meißen you may visit the world-famous porcelain-manufacture and the worth seeing castle Albrechtsburg.

3. day Meißen - Riesa (Cat. A)/Strehla (Cat. B) abouit 28/36 km

Along traditional wine villages, which invite for a break, you cycle on the Elbe bike trail path to Riesa/ Strehla, whose castle, church and zoological garden are waiting for your visit.

4. day Strehla/Riesa - Torgau about 48/40 km

In Belgern you can visit the sole Roland in the whole of Saxony and in Torgau you should visit the Hartenfels castle and the castle church. This church was inaugurated by Martin Luther and is regarded to be the first protestant church in Germany.

5. day Torgau - Wittenberg about 69 km

Today you will cycle to Wittenberg, which stands in direct connection with the name of Martin Luther. We recommend staying longer, so you can spend more time in the world-famous Wörlitzer park, which offers lovely islands, canals, temples and sculptures.

6. day Wittenberg - Dessau-Roßlau about 37 km

Today's journey leads through the delightful floodplain of the Elbe, along the world famous 'Wörlitzer Park', a more than 100 hectare large area filled with islands, channels and temples.In Dessau you will find a lot of interesting architecture  in the 'Bauhaus-style' under direction of Walter Gropius accomplished in the 1920's.

7. day Dessau-Roßlau - Magdeburg about 55-88 km

In Aken you are going to cross over to the right side of the Elbe by ferry. Now you are in the biosphere reserve 'Mittlere Elbe', where - with some luck - you'll might be able to see an Elbe beaver. Further on you get to Walternienburg, where you will cross the Elbe again to get to Barby. Further on yxou will cross the reserve Kreuzhorst. To shorten the cycling distance you can take the train from Gommern to Magdeburg (direct train, aprox. 25 min., ticket not included in the tour price). Enjoy your stay in Magdeburg where you can visit the Magdeburger Dom.

8. day Magdeburg departure

After breakfast your tour ends in Magdeburg.

Worth knowing

Please find more information about the Dresden - Magdeburg tour below. If you have any further questions feel free to contact us by phone: 0049 - (0)6421 - 886890.

Arrival by train

Dresden is easily accessible from all major cities in Germany by train. Current schedule information and price information can be found at: www.bahn.de.

Train schedule information

Parking vacilities at the hotel

The costs for parking vary depending on the booked Category:

Category A about 8-12 Euro per day and Category B about 6-8 Euro per day (as of 2023)

Condition of cycle paths

Mostly independent paved bike paths or paved mineral surfaces (~ 80%), partially towpaths (especially Saxony-Anhalt), some quiet side streets, seldom bike path along roads or next to main streets.

Available rental bikes

Comfortable touring bikes with 7-speed hub gears and coaster or 21-speed derailleur gears without coaster as well as suspension fork and saddle suspension. In addition, you will receive a waterproof pannier bag and a lock.
The electric bikes do not have a coaster.
The rental bikes are available from the first bike day at 8.00 a.m. and can be returned on the last bike day towards evening.

Electric bikes

Please keep in mind that the electric bikes don't have a coster brake. Upon request, a few electric bikes with coaster brake are available.

Return transfer

Transfer back to the starting point of the journey in a comfortable minibus including bicycle and luggage capacityevery Monday at 9:00 am, every other day you can order a individual transfer back on flat rate fare per bus (capacity up to 7 people).
2024: Individual return transfer at a flat rate for one car for up to 3 persons incl. bikes possible, more persons on request.

Tourist tax

A possible resulting tourist tax is not part of the travel price and therefore it is payable locally at the hotel.

7 day hotline service

Just in case the bike chain breaks, flooding makes it impossible to continue your tour or any other nasty surprise: You can reach us seven days a week and we will do anything to help you as fast as possible.

Passport and visa requirements

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

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.

Semperoper

Dresden's opera tradion dates back to the Renaissance. It was initially closely linked to the Electoral Court, which used various venues. In 1838 the architect Gottfried Semper was commissioned to erect a representative opera house on the theater, but this already burned down in 1869. Between 1871 and 1878, the second building under the leadership of Semper's son Manfred was built in the style of the Italian Renaissance. Alter its destruction in the Secon World War, the opera was rebuilt in original faithful form between 1977 and 1985 and received its artistic decoration and ornamentation.

Semperoper in Dresden

Grünes Gewölbe

One of Europe's richest treasuries, the "Green Vault" is world-famous. With the reopening of the Historic Green Vault in September 2006, the second part of the famous collection of the Wettinian Princes has returned to the Residenzschloss in Dresden. With it the museum accommodates two permanent exhibition areas of different character.

Grünes Gewölbe in Dresden

Monastery Riesa

The monastery church next to the town hall is the oldest church in Riesa. The two-towered building erected as St. Marien in 1261 probably burnt down completely in 1430 with the other monastery buildings. It was rebuilt, of which bells with the year 1433 testify.

Monastry in Riesa

Cathedral Meißen

With its striking towers, the Meissen cathedral is the most distinctive silhouette of the city. The construction of the purely Gothic building began in 1250 and was finished around 1400.

Dom in Meißen

Market Strehla

The most outstanding building on the market square is the town hall. The market square as the center of the city is a large square square, surrounded by two-story town houses.

Der Markt in Strehla

Torgauer Museums Path

In the beginning of the 16th century, Torgau became the main residence of the Electorate of Saxony.

Torgauer Museumspfad

Church Wittenberg

From 1489, Elector Friedrich the Wise established a castle under the direction of the architect Konrad Pflüger in Wittenberg. After the church was affiliated to the university in 1507, Martin Luther, according to tradition, proposed his 95 theses to the door of the main portal on October 31, 1517.

Church in Wittenberg

Guided tour in Dessau

The Touristic-Information Dessau is the meeting place for all public tours, unless otherwise stated. Information, advance booking and reservations: Tel. 0340-2041442.

Guided tour in Dessau

The castle Barby

The most representative profane structure in Barby is the two-storey baroque castle built between 1687 and 1715 under Duke Heinrich von Sachsen-Weißenfels, with a mansard roof, in the Schlossstraße.

Das Schloss in Barby

Grüne Zitadelle

One of the last architectural works of the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser is one of the most impressive examples of the ensemble of baroque facades and modern design on the Breitenweg.

Grüne Zitadelle in Magdeburg

Magdeburger Dom

The Magdeburger Dom is the first gothic-designed cathedral building on German soil and one of the largest church buildings in Germany at all.

Der Magdeburger Dom