Börde: Black Soil, Heathland and Historic Garden Design

From the Börde to the heathland

The fertile Börde in the south is Germany’s largest continuous area of black soil. In the centre of the district, the landscape is shaped by wooded ridges and the Colbitz-Letzlingen Heath. The heath stretches from the Altmark in the north to the Ohre and the Mittelland Canal in the south, near Magdeburg. In the wider region, it is considered the largest continuous heathland area in Central Europe. Black soil, woodland and heathland therefore offer distinct landscape themes, each of which can be a focus when planning your trip.

The Drömling also offers a different perspective on the region. This lowland area on the border between Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt covers about 340 km² and is sparsely populated. Since 1990, the larger eastern part in Saxony-Anhalt has been a nature park. With the Mittelland Canal and the Aller and Ohre rivers, the lowland area is also a refuge for rare or endangered animal and plant species. If you are interested in this landscape, you will find a clear contrast here to the fertile soils and wooded ridges.

Castles, garden design and Romanesque architecture

Churches, monasteries, palaces, castles, museums and historic monuments are among the cultural attractions in the Börde. The “Romanesque Road” includes ten different sites for visitors in the district. There are also numerous palaces, castles and manor houses that document the former wealth of the landed gentry. When choosing where to stay, you can therefore also consider whether Romanesque buildings or the history of the landed gentry are among the subjects that interest you most.

Hundisburg Castle is one of the most important rural Baroque palaces in Saxony-Anhalt and stands out for its historic gardens and parkland. The Baroque garden showcases perfect symmetry and detailed garden design. Hundisburg thus offers a specific point of interest for anyone particularly interested in historic architecture and landscaped gardens during their trip.

The history of technology in Hundisburg

The Hundisburg Brickworks Technical Monument combines a brickworks and a technology museum. The work carried out there includes brick production using the hand-moulding method, a coarse ceramics workshop for shaping and pottery, a building materials manufactory and a carpentry workshop. These themes make it a different kind of cultural experience from the castle and Baroque garden: the focus here is on production methods, workshops and technology.

The brickworks also has a historic narrow-gauge railway. The visitor ride is about 2 kilometres long and passes historic kilns, a bucket-chain excavator and the former clay pit. The approximate route length and the listed stops give the ride its own distinctive focus on technology. If you are travelling with children, you can weigh up whether the castle and garden design or the brickworks, workshops and narrow-gauge railway better suit your interests when choosing places to visit.

Choose where to stay based on your interests

You can then choose which places you would like to explore in more detail. This is a helpful starting point if you want your trip to be more than a single sightseeing visit and to bring together different interests.

Places and municipalities in the Börde include Ingersleben, Flechtingen, Oebisfelde-Weferlingen, Harbke, Haldensleben, Bülstringen, Barleben, Alleringersleben, Hohenwarsleben, Sülldorf, Glindenberg, Bertingen, Colbitz, Born, Eilsleben, Hohe Börde, Wanzleben-Börde, Sülzetal, Angern, Loitsche-Heinrichsberg, Rogätz, Altenhausen, Erxleben, Wolmirstedt, Wanzleben, Ummendorf, Wefensleben, Ausleben, Sommersdorf, Süplingen, Schwaneberg, Osterweddingen, Oschersleben, Jersleben, Gröningen, Calvörde, Kroppenstedt, Eimersleben and Niedere Börde.

For the broader travel overview: Saxony-Anhalt.