English-language cycling guide to the Elbe from Magdeburg to Cuxhaven, Germany.
This spiral-bound guide covers approximately 500 km of main route, plus 200 km of alternatives and excursions. Between Rogätz and Wittenberge, an alternative follows the opposite bank. From Wittenberge to the North Sea, two main routes follow one bank each, except for the southern bank through Hamburg.
Surfaces and traffic
In Saxony-Anhalt, the route mainly uses quiet minor roads and good-quality cycle paths, only rarely following old, rough concrete tracks. In Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, it mostly follows asphalt cycle paths beside the Elbe dykes, with only a few short sections in traffic. After Hitzacker, there is a surprisingly steep stretch to tackle.
From Hamburg to Cuxhaven, the route runs almost entirely on asphalt cycle paths and small rural roads. The ground is flat, but riding directly west increases exposure to headwinds. This westerly wind can significantly affect progress despite the route's limited elevation changes, especially along the coast.
Riding in the opposite direction
Starting at Cuxhaven and heading upstream to Wittenberge or Magdeburg, or even on to Prague, has become popular. Reverse-direction descriptions therefore accompany every map in this guide, as they do in Elbe River Trail 1 covering Prague to Magdeburg, making navigation straightforward in either direction.
