Magdeburg

Otto the Great's thousand-year-old capital, with a Gothic cathedral, Hundertwasser's Green Citadel and a canal water bridge spanning the Elbe.

Magdeburg, capital of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, lies on the middle Elbe. It was the favourite city of Otto the Great, founding emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, who established a monastery here in 937 and was buried in Magdeburg Cathedral after his death – hence its nickname, "Ottostadt" (Otto's City). WWII air raids destroyed most of the old town, and today the city is a mix of historic buildings, the broad boulevards of the GDR era and modern architecture. The main sights are concentrated in the old town on the west bank of the Elbe: Germany's oldest Gothic cathedral, the Romanesque Monastery of Our Lady, the Green Citadel (Hundertwasser's final work), the Magdeburg Rider statue and Town Hall on the Old Market, and several museums – all manageable in a day on foot. On the east bank are Rotehorn City Park, the Albinmüller Tower and the Millennium Tower science centre in Elbauenpark. About 12 km north of the city, the Magdeburg Water Bridge is the longest navigable canal aqueduct in Europe, where ships "cross the bridge" above the Elbe – the city's most unusual sight. Magdeburg is also the starting point of the Romanesque Road, which you can follow to Romanesque landmarks such as Jerichow Monastery. The best season is May–Sep, ideal for cycling along the Elbe and strolling in the parks; in December Christmas markets fill Cathedral Square and the Old Market. Getting there: regional or intercity trains take about 1.5–2 hours from Berlin and about 1.5 hours from Hanover. Trams serve the city, and you'll need a bus or bike to reach the Water Bridge. Plan on 1–2 days.

Top sights

• Magdeburg Cathedral – Germany's earliest Gothic cathedral, where Emperor Otto the Great rests. Its twin towers rise over 100 metres and it is the symbol of Magde…
• Green Citadel of Magdeburg – The last design by Friedensreich Hundertwasser before his death, with pink façades, golden onion-dome towers, and rooftop gardens. It is a…
• Magdeburg Water Bridge – Europe's longest navigable water bridge, stretching 918 metres, where cargo ships pass over the Elbe on a canal, a truly unusual sight.
• Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen – Magdeburg's oldest building, an 11th-century Romanesque monastery that now houses a sculpture museum and concert hall.
• Alter Markt & Magdeburg Rider – The central square of the old town, where a Baroque town hall stands beside a replica of Germany's earliest freestanding equestrian statue.
• Elbauenpark & Jahrtausendturm – A park on the site of the 1999 Federal Garden Show, where the 60-metre wooden Millennium Tower houses an interactive science history exhibi…
• Cultural History Museum Magdeburg – A city history museum that houses the original Magdeburg Rider. The Kaiser Hall presents the city's history from the Ottonian era to modern…
• Dommuseum Ottonianum – An archaeology museum beside Cathedral Square, displaying remains of the Ottonian-era cathedral and objects from Queen Edith's tomb.
• St. John's Church – An old town church where Martin Luther once preached, rebuilt after the war as a concert and event hall. You can climb the tower for views…
• Rotehorn Park & Albinmüller Tower – A large city park on an island in the Elbe, with Adlersee lake, the Star Bridge and the 1927 Albinmüller observation tower.
• Lift Bridge & Elbe Promenade – A footbridge originally built in 1848 as a railway bridge and later converted into a lift bridge. It connects to the Elbe Promenade and is…
• Magdeburg Zoo – A medium-sized zoo north of the city, known for its African savanna area, elephant house and black rhino breeding programme. It is family-f…
• Rothensee Boat Lift – A floating-pontoon boat lift completed in 1938, an industrial heritage site that can be visited together with the Water Bridge.
• Lukasklause & Otto von Guericke Museum – A medieval defensive tower on the Elbe bank that now houses the Otto von Guericke Museum, which tells the story of the famous Magdeburg hem…
• Hasselbachplatz – Magdeburg's nightlife hub: a circular square surrounded by pre-war Art Nouveau buildings and dense with bars and restaurants.
• St. Sebastian's Cathedral – The cathedral of Magdeburg's Catholic diocese, a Gothic hall church with a bright, simple interior.
• Klosterbergegarten & Gruson Greenhouses – A landscape park on the Elbe bank with a 19th-century cast-iron and glass greenhouse complex that houses tropical plants and cacti.
• Technikmuseum Magdeburg – An industrial technology museum in a former factory hall, showing steam engines, machine tools, cars and the history of Magdeburg's heavy i…
• Jerichow Monastery – One of the oldest brick-built Romanesque buildings in northern Germany, a 12th-century Premonstratensian monastery and a highlight of the R…

Where to eat

• Bötelstube – Rustic local eatery by the Old Market that specializes in Magdeburg Bötel pork knuckle with sauerkraut and pea purée; g…
• The Bird Panorama Restaurant – Michelin Guide–listed eighth-floor restaurant with a terrace overlooking the cathedral, serving modern cuisine and shar…
• Landhaus Hadrys – Michelin Guide–listed country restaurant on the edge of the city, where chef Hadrys is known for seasonal dishes with M…
• Qilin Asian Restaurant – Popular Asian restaurant in the Old Town where Vietnamese pho, sushi and Thai dishes share one kitchen, consistently to…