Magdeburg

Introduction

Magdeburg is the capital of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, and it sits on the Elbe river. Its recorded history reaches back to the early ninth century, when it appears as "Magadoburg" in the Capitulary of Diedenhofen, issued by Charlemagne in 805.

Before you go

Magdeburg was one of medieval Europe's most important cities, serving as a de facto eastern capital of the Ottonian dynasty and remaining a major German city into the early modern era. Its history is heavy as well as grand: as a centre of the Reformation that refused to bow to the emperor's authority, it became the target of one of the most horrific battles of the Thirty Years' War, and although it was rebuilt, it never regained its former strength. Later, during the Cold War, it grew rapidly into a socially and economically important centre of East Germany. Since reunification much of its economy has been shut down, and like many mid-sized cities in eastern Germany it faces population decline as people move west or to Berlin; the division of Germany is still visible in some ways.

That said, Magdeburg today is a city in continuous modernisation, with a rapidly changing cityscape. Two of Germany's top-ranking universities draw students from all over Europe, and institutions such as the Max-Planck-Institute and one of the largest sites of the Fraunhofer Institut make it important for international research. Its industry spans traditional and new branches, from the coffee brand Röstfein and the vodka producer Abtshof to the artificial sweetener first produced here and still in production, alongside wind energy. Before you go, check the Magdeburg tourism website for current practical information.

Getting there

Magdeburg sits in central Germany and is easiest to reach by train or car. The main railway station, Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof, is a major hub for east-west rail traffic, with frequent services to Berlin, Dresden and Leipzig, plus long-distance routes towards Cologne and Hanover. If you arrive by bus, most long-distance services use the Central Bus Station (ZOB), right next to the Hauptbahnhof. FlixBus runs frequent direct domestic routes from cities such as Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, while Ecolines covers international routes, particularly towards Eastern Europe and the Baltic states.

Magdeburg–Cochstedt Airport no longer handles regular passenger flights and now serves as a research site for the German Aerospace Center, so fly into one of the surrounding airports instead. Leipzig/Halle is the closest, with its own integrated train station and an hourly direct IC service to Magdeburg taking about an hour; by car, take the A14 towards Magdeburg, roughly a 50-minute drive. Berlin Brandenburg is about 90 minutes away by car via the A10 and A2, or around two hours by train. Hannover Airport, west of the city, is reached by car on the A2 towards Berlin in about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1.5 hours, or via S-Bahn to Hannover Hbf for frequent IC and regional trains onward. You can check connections to "Magdeburg Hbf" on the Deutsche Bahn website. By car, the A2 passes just north of the city and the A14 just to the west, with exits leading into several parts of Magdeburg.

Getting around

Magdeburg's public transport is unified under a linked system called Marego, in which the city forms a single zone — Zone 010. The same ticket covers S-Bahn trains, trams, buses and ferries throughout the city, no matter which operator you buy it from. Tickets are available from MVB (Magdeburger Verkehrsbetriebe), which runs the trams and buses, at box offices around the city and from vending machines outside and inside all trams and buses (in the front part of the vehicle); most box offices close at weekends, and outside machines take coins only. You can also buy from Deutsche Bahn vending machines, since Deutsche Bahn operates the S-Bahn here. If you buy your ticket outside a vehicle, punch it inside the vehicle to make it valid; tickets bought on board are valid immediately. Useful options include the single ticket (valid 60 minutes), the day ticket (valid until the following day and often the cheapest choice), ticket strips of four 60-minute tickets, a short trip ticket valid for three stops in one direction (sold only inside the tram or bus), a weekly ticket, and a bicycle ticket — weekly, monthly and semester tickets already include free bicycle transport. Reduced fares are available for children, and you can search online for specific connections.

For visitors, the tram is probably the easiest way around, since most stops sit near busy places and main attractions. There are ten tram lines plus an extra line 15 used at times of heavy traffic or for special events. Waiting times vary widely: in the centre you will rarely wait more than five minutes, even on Sundays, while stops served by only one or two lines can mean ten to twenty minutes. Timetables are posted at every stop, with electronic displays in the city centre. Buses serve all areas of the city, usually every ten to twenty minutes during the day, on main lines including 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 66, 69, 71, 72 and 73, with special lines such as 48 or 15 for replacement services, heavy traffic or special events. A single S-Bahn line crosses the city from south to north, marked by a white S on a green circle, running every 30 minutes; if you need to cross the city south to north or north to south, it is probably the fastest option, and its stations are often connected to DB train stations. Two ferries cross the Elbe — the Fähre Westerhüsen and the Fähre Buckau — operating from March to October, Tuesdays to Sundays. At night, different schedules apply and nine night lines (N1 to N9) run, meeting at Allee-Center or Alter Markt for transfers; the night trams are N1 and N2, while the other night lines are buses. Check schedules before going downtown at night, since not all outer parts are served, and S-Bahn service at night is limited. Most taxis are operated by the Taxi-Genossenschaft Magdeburg eG. By road, the Magdeburger Ring (B71) crosses the city like an inner-city highway and can be quicker for reaching another part of town while avoiding traffic lights.

Where to stay

For help finding a room, start with the Zimmervermittlung of the TouristInformationMagdeburg (TIM), which acts as a booking service for visitors coming and going. If you would rather book directly, the city offers a range of options: an International Youth Hostel on Leiterstr, the Maritim Hotel on Otto-von-Guericke-Str., Hotel Stadtfeld on Maxim-Gorki-Straße, and an ibis budget in the Barleben commercial area. Other established choices include the NH Magdeburg Hotel, the Classik Hotel Magdeburg, the Best Western Hotel Geheimer Rat, the Ratswaage, and the InterCity Hotel Magdeburg.

If you prefer to stay in greener surroundings, the Dorint Herrenkrug Parkhotel sits in the Herrenkrug district east of the Elbe river, away from the centre but within its own parkland setting.

Food & drink

What to see and do

Magdeburg's best-known sight is the Gothic cathedral of St. Maurice and St Catherine, the Magdeburger Dom, which was built over the remains of a Roman cathedral. Also worth seeking out is the Kloster unser lieben Frauen, a Romanesque foundation that today houses an art gallery among other things. St. John's Church was severely damaged in the Second World War and later rebuilt as a multipurpose venue; you can climb its south tower for a panoramic view over the city and see its modern stained-glass windows. In the city centre, near the cathedral and the cloister, stands the Green Citadel, a bizarre apartment and retail building by Friedensreich Hundertwasser with shops and restaurants. Further out, in the Elbauenpark, the Millennium Tower holds an exhibition on nature and the history of humanity, and the Kulturhistorisches Museum is home to the statue known as the Magdeburger Reiter.

Magdeburg is one of Europe's greenest cities, and cycling is a fine way to spend your time here: most streets have cycle tracks, and you can take your bike on streetcars, buses, ferries and S-Bahn trains, though you may need an extra ticket. The Elberadweg runs along the Elbe and invites you to explore the biosphere reserve around the city; its symbol is a white "e" on a blue ground, and signs give directions and distances. Restaurants, beer gardens, playgrounds and parks line the river. If you prefer the water, the Magdeburger Weiße Flotte GmbH offers several cruises, including the Panoramafahrt along the skyline, the Große Acht and Kleine Acht along the waterway cross, a short Trogbrückenüberfahrt over it, a Kaffeefahrt out to Schönebeck, and an evening Fahrt in den Abend. Tickets can be bought on board, and the tourist information centre can help with times and day-trip offers. For football, FC Magdeburg play in the 2. Bundesliga at the MDCC-Arena, east of the river.

When to go

Magdeburg has an oceanic climate, which means damp, chilly winters and warm, relatively wet summers that can sometimes turn hot. In winter, expect grey, cold conditions with occasional frost; many days drop below freezing, and some stay below freezing even at their warmest. Spring brings unsettled, showery weather as temperatures climb, and it is when thunder becomes more common.

• Winter: Damp and chilly, with many days below freezing and occasional frost.
• Spring: Unsettled and showery, with thunder becoming more common; hail occurs only in spring and summer.
• Summer: Warm and relatively wet, sometimes hot, with thunder and hail most likely in these months.

Three days in Magdeburg

Day one: Arrive at Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof or the Central Bus Station (ZOB), then orient yourself in the city on the Elbe. Begin with the Ottonian and Reformation layers of Magdeburg's story, and keep in mind that the city's name echoes Magadoburg and its medieval role under Charlemagne and the Capitulary of Diedenhofen. Walk the centre to sense how Saxony-Anhalt's capital has been shaped since the Thirty Years' War and the Cold War years in East Germany.

Day two: Go deeper into the city's institutions and industrial character. The Max Planck Institute and the Fraunhofer Institut represent Magdeburg's research profile, while Röstfein and Abtshof are local names in coffee and brewing. Use the day to connect these with the broader German and European context, from the Reformation to later reunification, and to understand how Magdeburg sits between Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Cologne and Hanover.

Day three: Take a slower day along the Elbe and revisit the parts of Magdeburg that interest you most. If you have time, compare what you have seen with the wider region of Saxony-Anhalt and the German story since 1990. Before leaving, return to Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof or the ZOB for onward travel, whether toward Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Cologne or Hanover.