Sachsen-Anhalt

Part of Germany

Saxony-Anhalt is located in the east of Germany, between the Harz and the Elbe rivers. It is a land of extremes: in the west the steep slopes and dams of the Harz, the highest mid-mountain range in Northern Germany, and in the east the wide river valleys of the Elbe and Saale rivers, with vineyards, castles and world heritage sites. You can therefore cycle here in two ways: climbing the mountains, or making miles along the water.

Why cycle in Saxony-Anhalt?

• The Brocken (1,141 meters), with a narrow road to the top that is closed to cars.
• Small rural towns like Wernigerode and Quedlinburg on the edge of the Harz Mountains.
• Three major cycling routes along rivers and through Europe: the Elberadweg, the Saaleradweg and the R1.
• The largest mountain biking network in northern Germany.
• Your bicycle can be transported free of charge on all regional trains and PlusBussen.

Road cycling in the Harz

The Harz is serious terrain. Steep climbs with sections up to 18 percent, mountain peaks, reservoirs, tight turns and narrow roads. The region used to be a stage location for the Vredeskoersen and is now regularly featured in the Deutschland Tour. There is little traffic on many of the inner roads, which makes the Harz ideal for training in a small group. You can read more about routes, climbing and rest areas on our page about the Harz.

Mountainbike and gravel

The Volksbank Arena Harz is home to the largest MTB network in northern Germany: 74 signposted circuits, 2,300 kilometers and more than 55,000 meters of elevation gain. In addition, there are five bike parks, including the one in Thale in Saxony-Anhalt. Many of these forest trails and wide forest roads are also perfect for riding with a gravel bike. We rode there for four days: read Four days of gravel in the Harz.

The big three: along the rivers

• Elberadweg. In the ADFC’s cycling travel analysis, it consistently ranks among the most popular routes in Germany. In Saxony-Anhalt, it follows the Elbe for almost 350 kilometers, from Havelberg in the north to Lutherstadt Wittenberg. You drive through the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Mittelelbe, past eagle pastures, old dykes and domtorens.
• Saaleradweg. Approximately 180 kilometers between Saaleck and Barby, through one of the oldest cultural landscapes in Germany. Awarded by the ADFC as a quality route. Here you cycle through the Saale-Unstrut, the northernmost quality wine region in Germany, past castles, fortresses and viewpoints. With a glass of Weißburgunder in the sun along the way.
• Europaradweg R1. More than 5,000 kilometers across Europe, of which 266 kilometers in Saxony-Anhalt. From the picturesque towns in the Harz Mountains via the Elbe River floodplains near Dessau-Roßlau and the Bauhaus to Wittenberg, the city of Martin Luther.

Hiking trails and other routes

For those who love a story, there are the ‘Entdeckerrouten’: the Himmelsscheibenradweg on the trail of the Bronze Age (and the famous sky disk of Nebra), the Gartenreich Tour through the UNESCO-protected garden city of Dessau-Wörlitz and the Altmarkrundkurs through the vast north. Furthermore, there is the Unstrutradweg (190 km, wine and Romanesque churches), the Salzstraße (137 km along old trade routes), the Saale-Harz-Radweg (69 km, the connection between the Saale and the Harz) and the Berlin–Leipzig route (233 km). All in one go sachsen-anhalt-tourismus.de.

When are you leaving?

From May to September for the Harz region. On the Brocken, it can also be cold and foggy in the summer. Along the Elbe and the Saale, you can cycle well from April to October; in the autumn, the harvest season is in the vineyards of Saale-Unstrut.

How do you get there?

By car, you can reach the Harz in about five hours. By train, you travel via Hanover or Maagdenburg to Wernigerode. Conveniently, in Saxony-Anhalt you can bring your bike on board for free on all regional trains and PlusBuses. This way you can ride a river route in one direction and return by train.

From our stories

• Explore the Harz in BenneckensteinCycling Destination Approved.
• Cycling in the Harz in 2026: The bucket list for road, gravel and MTB racing.
• Cycling in the Harz National Park.

Events in Sachsen-Anhalt

Areas

Areas in Sachsen-Anhalt

HarzThe northernmost mountain range in Germany: forests, reservoirs and the Brocken as its roof.View →