Elbe Bike Path | Magdeburg–Cuxhaven

This self-guided tour follows the Elbe Cycle Path from Magdeburg to the North Sea, through floodplain forests and wide meadows. The route passes medieval Tangermünde, the cathedral town of Havelberg at the Havel-Elbe confluence, and the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Elbe-Brandenburg, before reaching Hitzacker's half-timbered old town and historic Lauenburg.

From Lauenburg the route continues into Hamburg, Germany's great port city, then along the Elbe to Glückstadt's preserved old town, before a ferry crossing and a final ride through Cuxland's seaside resorts, heath and marshland to Cuxhaven, where the Elbe meets the North Sea.

Highlights:

• Medieval Tangermünde and its castle above the Elbe floodplain
• Havelberg, the cathedral town at the Havel-Elbe confluence
• UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Elbe-Brandenburg
• Hitzacker's half-timbered old town and historic Lauenburg
• Hamburg's harbour and old town, and Glückstadt's preserved historic centre
• Cuxland's coastal landscapes, finishing where the Elbe meets the North Sea at Cuxhaven

Surface and terrain: Flat to slightly hilly, with one somewhat hilly stage into Lauenburg. Mostly on the Elbe Cycle Path and quiet country roads.

Suitable for: Riders wanting an easy, self-guided river-path tour all the way to the coast, comfortable with daily distances of 38–82 km.