Magdeburg, Germany, in a nutshell

The city of Madgeburg is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt. It was founded by Charlemagne ca. in 805 as Magadoburg.

The major attractions of the city are the Gothic Cathedral of St. Katherine and St. Mauritius, the Monastery of Our Lady, the Aqueduct (Water bridge opened in 2003), the statue of the Magdeburg Horseman, and artist Hundertwasser’s architecture project, the Green Citadel.

Magdeburg sightseeing highlights

Magdeburg’s Cathedral of St. Katherine and St. Mauritius (Magdeburger Dom)

A Gothic Cathedral founded by Emperor Otto I. – It is Germany’s oldest Gothic religious building. Situated on the Domfelsen (cathedral rock). Along with the Ottonian imperial palace, the cathedral forms the heart of what is referred to as the “third Rome”. Otto I died in 973 and was laid to rest in the cathedral.

Website: Dom zu Magdeburg (magdeburgerdom.de)

Monastery of Our Lady (Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen), Museum

Also nicknamed “Pearl of the Romanesque Road”. The monastery is situated to the north of Domplatz. It is one of Germany’s most important Romanesque sites. Address: Regierungsstraße 4, 39104 Magdeburg. It houses also the Art Museum of Magdeburg.

Website: Kunstmuseum Kloster unser lieben Frauen Magdeburg (kunstmuseum-magdeburg.de)

Market Place (Alter Markt) / The Magdeburg Horseman (Magdeburger Reiter)

In front of the town hall on the Old Market Square (Alter Markt). The Magdeburg Horseman from 1240 is considered to be the oldest post-antiquity equestrian statue in Germany. The statue is a replica and the original can be found in the Magdeburg Cultural History Museum (Otto-Von-Guericke-straße 68, 39104 Magdeburg).

Green Citadel of Magdeburg (Grüne Zitadelle)

by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. He did name his project Green Citadel of Magdeburg. Hundertwasser died in 2000. His project was finished and inaugurated on 3rd October 2005.

Magdeburg Aqueduct (Water Bridge / in German: Wasserstrassenkreuz)

The largest water bridge in Europe. The second largest can be found in Minden, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. See Minden travel information

Museums

Magdeburg Cultural History Museum

Otto-Von-Guericke-straße 68, 39104 Magdeburg

Website: Kulturhistorisches Museum Magdeburg | Willkommen (khm-magdeburg.de)

Magdeburg Art Museum

Regierungsstraße 4, 39104 Magdeburg; (Address where Monastery of Our Lady is located)

Website: Kunstmuseum Kloster unser lieben Frauen Magdeburg (kunstmuseum-magdeburg.de)(english)

Annual major events

Magdeburg Town Festival

Well known is the “festival mile” with its booths, carousels and stages. Located between cathedral and University Square.

Snowman Melt / Bonfire

Enjow a huge Easter bonfire in the Elbauen Park. A bonfire is built using firewood and a snowman made at Magdeburg’s theatre workshops is placed on the top. The lighting of the Easter bonfire is said to finally banish winter from the Elbauen Park.

Food & Drink

You will find restaurants, bars, cafes in many neighborhoods (in German called ‘Stadtteile’) and always in downtown. German cities are walking cities.

Magdeburg

Popular spots are: downtown around Alter Markt.

Or check out the following:

• Gewölbekeller Buttergasse
  Alter Markt
• Die Saison
  at Herrenkrug Parkhotel, Herrenkrug 3
• Cafe in the Green Citadel
  Breiter Weg 8a
• Ratskeller
  Alter Markt 6

Shopping

Shopping in downtown and retail centers. The city offers a variety of specialty shops and souvenier shops.

Breiter Weg and Ernst-Reuter-Allee are located right in downtown / Old Town.

Breiter Weg

Variety of shops and boutiques.

Downtown stretch of Ernst-Reuter-Allee

Check out City Carree and Allee-Center shopping mall.

Halberstädter Strasse

(Sudenburg neighborhood) offers further stores.

Magdeburg, Germany, Visitor Info & Getting Around

Population

Ca. 230.000. Projected to decrease over the following 10 years.

Airport

Magdeburg Airport (Otto-Lilienthal-Straße 8, 39120 Magdeburg) is a small regional airport.
Leipzig/Halle Airport (distance 100 km) is the closest alternative. Website: Welcome to the Central German airports | Desden/Leipzig/Halle (mdf-ag.com)

Public Transportation

MVB – Magdeburger Verkehrsbetriebe

Website: MVB › Magdeburger Verkehrsbetriebe (mvbnet.de)

Location

Magdeburg is the capital of the German state Saxony-Anhalt.

Tourism Office (in German: ‘Fremdenverkehrsamt’)

Tourist-Information Magdeburg Ernst-Reuter-Allee 12 D-39104 Magdeburg

Climate & Temperatures

Average temperatures

Juli/August: up to around 30C / 86 F.
Winter: around freezing point

Best time to travel / Season

In general year-round, however, most tourists prefer the time between Spring and Fall.