Bikeline Bikeline Guide: Elbe River Trail 2 - Magdeburg to Cuxhaven

The second part of he Elbe River Trail from the Bikeline-cycling guide series leads from the heart of Germany's northern plain to its beautiful North Sea coast.  The approximately 500 kilometre route from Magdeburg to Cuxhaven offers long stretches though unforgettable natural landscapes.  Riding through the river's wide flood plains, the quiet is disturbed only by the chirr of crickets, the song of birds and the crunch of gravel as your tyres roll along the path.  Among the cultural highlights you will encounter along he way are noteworthy small cities like Tangermünde, Stade and Glückstadt as well as Germany's great seaport, the Hanseatic city Hamburg.  The tour ends in Cuxhaven, where you will be greeted by the North Sea's refreshing sea breeze.

The Source of the Elbe River lies in the southern Krkonose mountain range on the border to Poland. From there it crosses Czechia, flowing through the Ceske Strendohori (Czech Middle Mountains) and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, on the border to Germany, before making its way across the North German plain to Cuxhaven, where it empties into the North Sea after a distances of 1165 kilometres.

The Elbe River Trail from Magdeburg to Cuxhaven is about 500 kilometres in length, with an additional 200 kilometres of alternative routes and excursions covered in this guide.  An alternative route is given on the opposite bank of the Elbe from Rogätz to Wittenberge, which tw9o main routes, one on each bank follow the river from Wittenberge to the North Sea, with the exception of the south bank by Hamburg.

In Saxony-Anhalt you will mostly be riding along small, quiet roads and good quality cycle paths, rarely having to use the rough old concrete paths. The route in Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern mostly runs on asphalt cycle paths along the Elbe dikes with only some short sections where you have to ride with the traffice. After Hitzacker there is an suprisingly steep section to overcome.  The route from Hamburg to Cuxhaven runs almost exclusively along asphalt cycle paths and small rural roads, Although this section is almost without gradient, you will encounter increased headwinds as you ride directly westwards.  This can become a significant factor and it has, therefore, become popular to cycle in the other direction.

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