Bernburg (Saale): Castle, Saale and zoo

Bernburg (Saale) combines castle history and views of the Saale Valley with cycling routes, theatre and a zoo. When choosing a hotel, you can consider which themes you want your trip to focus on: architecture and history, getting active along the Saale, or animals and fairy-tale worlds. The different themes offer various starting points for planning, without dictating a particular itinerary.

Bernburg Castle and the city’s history

The keep is the most striking feature of the castle: it is 42 metres high, with walls 3.60 metres thick. As the castle’s most imposing structure, it is also a landmark of Bernburg. The panoramic view from the castle terrace extends across the Saale Valley, the remaining floodplain forests and the foothills of the Harz Mountains. On very clear days, the Brocken is also visible. The castle grounds, courtyard and gardens are open year-round and free of charge; check visiting options before your trip.

The history of architecture and the church can also be traced at several locations. The remains of the St. Pankratius castle chapel have been preserved at Bernburg Castle; it is thought to date from the 12th or 13th century. St. Aegidien Castle Church was first mentioned in 1375 as the parish church of Bernburg’s upper town. It later served the princes of Anhalt-Bernburg as a castle church and burial place. Different periods of history come together at the Museum Schloss Bernburg. Its themes include dinosaur tracks, archaeological finds, the history of the residence, industrial heritage and Till Eulenspiegel. The exhibition spans 243 million years of history. The museum also displays vessels from the Bernburg culture. In 1892, based on his finds, Alfred Götze coined the term “Bernburg type” for a Neolithic culture that settled along the Saale.

For the performing arts, the Carl Maria von Weber Theatre offers a programme featuring opera, operetta, musicals, concerts, theatre education, tragedy and comedy. As the programme may change, it is worth checking the current schedule before your visit.

The Saale, viewpoints and routes

Built in 1913, the Keßlerturm is 26 metres high. From there, the view extends across the Saale Valley; on very clear days, it can reach as far as the Brocken in the Harz Mountains. Together with the view from the castle terrace, it offers perspectives on the landscape from different heights and in different contexts: one across the valley and floodplain forests, the other with the Harz on the horizon.

Cyclists may want to look at the route of the Saale Cycle Route. The full route is around 460 kilometres long and runs from the source of the Saale near Zell in Bavaria to its confluence with the Elbe near Barby in Saxony-Anhalt. Near Bernburg, it runs from Alsleben via Gröna and a pedestrian bridge into the city, then continues towards Wedlitz. This makes it possible to distinguish the local sequence of stops from the longer route along the Saale. Many cycling routes start and end at the Lower Saale Valley Nature Park office at Bernburg station; they explore the landscape and culture between Plötzkau, Bernburg and Nienburg.

There is also a specific starting point for walks: many hiking trails start and end at the nature park office by the station. The Bernburg Saale Valley Route passes important city landmarks. Cycling and hiking routes therefore differ not only in how you travel, but also in their connection to the surrounding landscape or to Bernburg’s monuments.

The zoo and other attractions

Bernburg Zoo covers 8.5 hectares and is divided into the areas of Africa, Eurasia, Australia and America. It is home to more than 900 individual animals, representing around 125 wild species and domestic breeds. A particular focus is breeding programmes to conserve threatened species and species rarely seen in zoos. The size of the site, its division by continent and its breeding focus each offer a different way to experience a visit.

The “Paradies” fairy-tale garden features eleven fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm across more than 2,000 square metres. Pneumatically controlled figures move and speak. The grounds also include a beer garden and food and drink facilities. Those interested in theatre will find a different range of performances in the city’s programme: the forms mentioned span opera and operetta, musicals, concerts, tragedy and comedy. Check the current schedule for specific performance dates.

In the wider Salzlandkreis travel region

The wider Salzlandkreis travel region also offers other themes for regional trip planning. The Pömmelte Ring Sanctuary is a reconstruction of a ritual site more than 4,000 years old. The 115-metre-wide site consists of concentric wooden palisade rings, pits and banks, and can be viewed from a nine-metre-high observation platform. Another example of a cycling route in Salzlandkreis is the approximately 36-kilometre Three Rivers Cycle Route, a day trip between Ilberstedt and Hohenerxleben that follows the Bode, Saale and Wipper rivers. This regional route and the approximately 460-kilometre Saale Cycle Route represent different distances and scales.

Discover more destinations: Calbe, Nienburg, Schönebeck, Plötzkau, Seeland, Staßfurt, Welsleben, Hecklingen.

Return to the main travel overview: Salzlandkreis.