Altmarkkreis Salzwedel: Cycling Routes, Nature and History

The Altmark Circular Route is almost 500 kilometres long. It winds through forests and meadows, past numerous brick and fieldstone churches—and gives Altmarkkreis Salzwedel a distinct focus for cycling holidays. For long stretches, the route runs through the district close to the “Green Belt Germany,” bringing nature, history and culture together.

Cycling on varied routes

The Altmark Circular Route comprises ten stages. The surfaces vary along the way: asphalt gives way to concrete strips, surfaced field and forest tracks, sandy farm tracks and quiet roads. When planning your stages, it is therefore worth considering not just the number of sections but also the surface described. The churches along the route also give the tour an architectural thread: brick and fieldstone are recurring features along the way.

Its proximity to the Green Belt Germany connects this cycling route in Altmarkkreis Salzwedel with a distinctive theme in the region’s landscape and cultural history. If your main focus is cycling, you can concentrate on the ten stages and their varied surfaces; if you also want to take in the architecture along the way, the numerous churches provide additional landmarks.

Experience nature in the Drömling

In Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Drömling includes areas within the municipalities of Klötze and the Hanseatic City of Gardelegen. Drömling is a habitat and resting place for many endangered species, including white storks, cranes, white-tailed eagles, black storks, otters, beavers and European tree frogs. The area has well-developed cycling and hiking trails, observation towers, information centres and guided tours for nature watching.

Alongside the longer cycling route, this offers a way to combine nature watching with physical activity. Facilities and tour offerings may change, so check the current programme before planning a specific visit. If you need more precise information about the biosphere reserve’s boundaries, consult the current official maps.

Salzwedel: Old Town, city wall and garden

The centre of the Hanseatic City of Salzwedel is shaped by medieval architecture, half-timbered houses, cobbled lanes and brick churches. A walk along the 1,850-metre-long city wall passes parts of the medieval castle complex, as well as gates and towers. The route highlights the city’s architectural heritage, while its lanes and houses characterise the historic centre.

The “Fairy Tale Park and Fragrance Garden” in Salzwedel offers a different focus. Its themed areas include the Elven Realm, fairy-tale scenes and figures, and event spaces. In Salzwedel, then, a city walk and a garden visit offer two distinct experiences: medieval urban architecture on the one hand, themed gardens and fairy-tale motifs on the other.

Megalithic tombs and memorial

The Western Altmark Megalithic Route is also part of the European cultural route “Megalithic Routes.” Of the more than 200 megalithic tombs that once stood in the Altmark, 40 remain in Altmarkkreis Salzwedel and eight in Stendal district. These figures distinguish the surviving sites in the two districts and give an impression of how widespread these historic monuments once were across the Altmark.

Near the destination, not far from the Hanseatic City of Gardelegen, the Feldscheune Isenschnibbe Memorial commemorates 1,016 concentration camp prisoners from many European countries who were murdered there in a field barn on 13 April 1945. The site includes a cemetery of honour where the victims of the massacre are buried. The memorial has a documentation and visitor centre with a permanent exhibition that opened in 2020.

Arendsee: Brick architecture and activities on the lake

Arendsee Monastery Church is considered the oldest fully vaulted brick building in northeastern Germany. Activities offered at the lake include swimming, sailing, windsurfing, fishing and boat trips. If you plan to take part in water activities, it is worth checking the relevant conditions. The “Queen Arendsee” is a paddle steamer with the only registry office in Saxony-Anhalt located on the water.

Another hands-on way to explore history awaits at the Langobard Workshop in Zethlingen: visitors can experience everyday life among the Lombards and try baking, making pottery, and using a bow and arrow. The range of trip ideas thus spans cycling stages and nature watching, urban and architectural history, lakeside activities and hands-on cultural experiences.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Kalbe, Klötze, Kuhfelde, Arendsee, Dähre, Salzwedel, Gardelegen, Jübar, Rohrberg, Beetzendorf, Apenburg-Winterfeld, Wallstawe, Diesdorf.

To the main travel overview: Saxony-Anhalt.