Arrival in Magdeburg

Your holiday starts in Magdeburg, the capital of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Settlements have been here since the Stone Ages. Later it was home to a royal palace and the first Gothic church to stand on German ground was built here. The town has a variety of museums and cultural facilities to offer. Pick-up rental bikes if they have been booked.
Overnight stay in Magdeburg

If you start your tour in Bad Schandau, the route should be read in reverse order.

Magdeburg - Barby, approx. 40 km

Soon after the start you arrive in Schönebeck. This was an important town for salt in the Middle Ages. You cycle on through small villages past beautiful countryside. With a bit of luck you might even spot the odd beaver paddling about in the River Elbe. The destination of this section is the small town of Barby. It's in the middle of riverside forests, where the Saale joins the Elbe.
Overnight stay in Barby

Barby - Dessau, approx. 40 km

Mother Nature and her countryside is the highlight of today´s section too. It´s worth taking a small detour upstream along the Saale before you branch off via Aken to Dessau. This town was known in the 1920s for the "Bauhaus" school of architecture. The master craftsmen´s houses give you an impression of the style.
Overnight stay in Dessau

Dessau - Lutherstadt Wittenberg, approx. 35 km

You cycle in a leisurely manner along the River Elbe and past its many lakes. This “Middle Elbe” area is a biosphere reserve. Coswig and its far-reaching castle grounds are on your route before you reach Wittenberg. Wittenberg was one of the most important centres for Martin Luther. He nailed his 95 theses to the door of All Saints’ Church, marking the begin of the Reformation.
Overnight stay in Wittenberg

Lutherstadt Wittenberg - Torgau, approx. 75 km

Today you cycle along level paths along the banks of the river to arrive in Prettin, Free State Saxony. Castle Lichtenburg is not only home to a museum for local and territorial history, but is also a monument to the local concentration camp. Today’s destination is the town of Torgau, known as one of the most beautiful Renaissance towns in Germany and where the American and Soviet Forces met during the Second World War.
Overnight stay in Torgau

Torgau - Strehla/Riesa, approx. 45 km

You continue upstream towards Bohemia. Place names, such as Döbeltitz or Mehderitzsch indicate the popularity of the letter “z” in Saxony. In Mühlberg, you cross the tip of the state of Brandenburg. In Belgern, the town hall and the stone statue of Roland the Knight are waiting to be visited.
Overnight stay in Strehla/Riesa

Strehla/Riesa - Meissen, approx. 35 km

You have hardly left the Elbe meadows behind you when you start to approach gentle hills, known for their vineyards. As these local wines cannot be bought anywhere else, make sure you sample or purchase some of the Riesling and Goldriesling wines. At your destination in Meissen, we can recommend a visit to the porcelain manufacturer and Albrechtsburg castle. There is enough time in the schedule for a relaxed trip.
Overnight stay in Meissen

Meissen - Dresden, approx. 30 km

Today’s section is short as there is a lot to see. You take the most direct route via Radebeul and its Karl-May museum and will have many opportunities to sample the local wines. It is worth taking a small detour to Castle Moritzburg and, if you feel like it, a trip by steam train to Radeburg. At the end of the section, the charmingly renovated metropolis of Dresden is waiting to be discovered.
Overnight stay in Dresden

Dresden - Bad Schandau, approx. 45 km

The hills get higher, turning into mountains and you reach the spectacular drop of the Elbe through the Sandstone Mountains. Erosion of the red Bunter sandstone has caused the formation of fantastic shapes. Many of these shapes have been further crafted by human hand, as you can see at Königstein Fort and its famous bastion. Your destination is the spa town of Bad Schandau, close to the former Austrian-Bohemian border, which today forms the border to the Czech Republic.
Overnight stay in Bad Schandau

Individual departure or extended stay

Your extended cycling holiday along the River Elbe ends today. We are happy to extend your stay if you wish.